Course: American cultureInstructor: Professor YangName:张佩荣Student No: 080661Class: 131804Date: April 7, 2011American cultural patterns and values In order to understand deeply the American and to help us in our adjustment to American life and in the formation of more fulfilling relationships with American values, I want to analysis the current American main cultural patterns and values, such as individualism, equality and progress, as well as understanding the way in which American friendships operate, can make an contribution to understanding the American society.The most important and most basic characteristic of American culture is individualism. Daniel Boorstin, the well-known sociohistorian, has written that “…of all American myths, none is stronger than that of the loner moving west, across the land…” This pioneering spirit is a synonym for individualism.”The pioneering spirit, handed down to the present generation of Americans from their American forefathers, includes the concepts of self-reliance, self-actualization, autonomy, and personal growth. So, the seeming self-centeredness of the American child, for example, is seldom questioned by parents or teachers. It is implicitly accepted that each person, whether he be an adult or a child, shouldbe encouraged to make his own decisions, develop his own opinions, solve his own problems, and have his own possessions. In general, Americans learn to view the world from their own point of view, that of the individual self. This strong belief in self-reliance continues today as a traditional basic American value. It is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of American character to understand, but it is profoundly important. Most American s believe that they must be self-reliant in order to keep their freedom. If they rely too much on the support of their families or the government or any organization, they may lose some of their freedom to do what they want.A second aspect of American culture is the emphasis placed on equality. Can a poor country boy from the hills of Kentucky become president of the United States? Can a poor African American from the center city become wealthy and famous all over the world? Can a woman become president of the United States? The great American dream is that each individual has an equal chance for success, whether rich or poor. This concept of equal opportunity to succeed is a basic idea in capitalism, the economic system of the United States.A person’s background is not as important as that person’s position. There are forceful examples I want to mention here, for example, President Abraham Lincoln and the boxer Mohammed Ali. There two men did not have the advantages of wealth, good educational opportunities, or contact with powerful people. The differences between people, such as age, sex, race, religion, and class difference are reducing.A second aspect of American culture shared by most Americans is the concept of friendship. Given the American values of self- reliance and self-actualization, we can realize why Americans tend not to have long and deep friendships. Though their personalrelationships seem to be marked by friendliness, Americans tend to avoid personal commitments that might bring obligations. They simply do not like to get involved. If an American smiles at you, that smile may not mean what a smile means in our country. It may mean no more than an acknowledgement of your presence. In the same way, if you meet an American, he might say, “I’ll call you,”but he never does, or he might suggest, “let’s get together,”and the two of you never do. And another example of friendly, but impersonal,. During working hours, they may be joking and talking with you and making you feel included. Then, as soon as working hours are over, their behavior seems to change. They act as if they hardly know you any more and don’t even include you in any of their personal activities.A fourth important aspect of American culture is the value placed on progress. In three different areas, we can see how the value of progress affects the American people. The first concerns the relationship between parents and their children. Most foreign students have been raised to respect their parents. They consider and value highly what their parents have taught them. Moreover, what their parents have taught them has generally become their own standard for living. Because of the idea of progress, most American children believe that their parents’ ideas and standards are not necessarily the best, American think that there owe there is always some change to be made for the better. A second area affected by the idea of progress concerns the material world. Many Americans assume that there are enough material goods for everyone; they tend to think that the supply is endless. So they are always trying to work for more, more and still more. A third area involves the American’s concept of time. They are very time-conscious, perhaps because time is such an important factor in the worldof business and material acquisition. Americans tend to live by the motto, “Time is money.”They believe you should use your time well and get the most that you can from it.Taking into account of foregoing aspects and examples and Being aware of the American emphasis placed on individualism, equality and progress, as well as understanding the way in which American friendships operate, can help us communicate with the American easily and avoid common sense mistakes when we getting with the American .References:The research of Daniel BoorstinThe American society and lifeAn Introduction to American Culture。