Values in the American Culture
Posted: Thursday, February 24, 2011
by Rose-Marie Chaperon
Chaperon Consulting, LLC
Values are the rules by which we make decisions about right and wrong, should and shouldn't, good and bad. They also tell us which are more or less important, which is useful when we have to trade off meeting one value over another (Changing Minds, 2009-2010). In America values are a way of life, and a belief system of virtually every part of the world. There are a few core values which make America what it is today, individual freedom, privacy and choice in education.
Next comes the choice in education, in America education is often regarded as the key to opportunity, including financial security. Americans take a pragmatic approach to learning, so what one learns outside the classroom through internships, extracurricular activities and the like is often considered as important as what is learned in the classroom. Consequently, lifelong learning is valued which results in many adult and continuing education programs. Those living in the US have the rights to choose their own education which in turns will determine their future.
Lastly the privacy value which is not so cut and dry; privacy is recognized around the world in diverse regions and cultures. It is protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in many other international and regional human rights treaties. Nearly every country in the world includes a right of privacy in its constitution. At a minimum, these provisions include rights of inviolability of the home and secrecy of communications. Privacy is also important to Americans. The way it is defined in America is not so cut and dry.
Privacy can be divided into the following separate but related concepts: Information privacy, which involves the establishment of rules governing the collection and handling of personal data such as credit information, and medical and government records. It is also known as "data protection"; Bodily privacy, which concerns the protection of people's physical selves against invasive procedures such as genetic tests, drug testing and cavity searches; Privacy of communications, which covers the security and privacy of mail, telephones, e-mail and other forms of communication; and Territorial privacy, which concerns the setting of limits on intrusion into the domestic and other environments such as the workplace or public space. This includes searches, video surveillance and ID checks (Privacy and Human Rights, 2009).
Due to a recent legislation, most things that should be considered as private have become public knowledge and the government has the right to record and invade someone’s privacy if they feel that someone is conspiring against the government. Privacy and individual freedom clashes with one another, although a person has the right to choose his own destiny as an individual, however; that person does not have the right to certain privacy.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)well i must tell you ,, you take a look at indian culture,,, life time bonding between wife and husband,imp of education and flexibility to adapt to all situations has led to taking all white collared,medical jobs in USA by indians and chinese . They have become so strong that they have become integral/imp part of national progress. WITH PAIN THERE IS NO GAIN.
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Rose-Marie, Well stated...awareness is one of the most powerful component of values. There is a Natural set of values that each individual has-to ignore them is learned behavior. Thanks
Rose-Marie Chaperon, I appreciate your views on right to Individual freedom, privacy and choice in education. With individual freedom, comes free speech, freedom to choose one’s destiny, freedom of religion and speech all are in America. all five points for it.
Perhapes you are not aware these and many more such as not disturb even any animal life are also avaiable in India of 1.2 billion people. Even Indigenous people in India have these equel rights and are still living.
But in America , I wander why its Indigenous people are killed in America that values human life and its freedom so more than anywree in world?
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