Revija za sociologiju, Vol. 2 No. 1, 1972.
Ostalo
The American Way of Life – Value Orientation
Vera Stein Erlich
Sažetak
Values, goals and beliefs generally motivate people without becoming fully conscious. However, to Americans the valued are more conscious than to most others and their »Way of Life« is a subject of frequent discussion. One of the causes may be that Americans chose their country as immigrants and built it up according to an image they had formed in advance.
The author maintains that in the fifties the American Way of life had the quality of a finely balanced system in accordance with the whole life, which had reached a certain equilibrium in this period. It was a moment of relative quiet and calm, shortly before great change and upheaval occurred at the end of the sixties. The author who studied and participated in American life 1950 to 60 and again at the end of the sixties found the value system a great help in understanding of many areas of American life, in the quiet period as well as the pendulum swung in the other direction.
Several values are discussed which the author considers as dominant for the American way of life. The first is the pursuit of happiness, both from the aspect of the right to happiness as well as from the aspect of obligation to become happy (including the request to »keep smiling«). Another value is the reliance oil own strength, persistence and foresight, being the »master of my fate and the captain of my soul«, which excludes any belief in fate.
A third value is a strong faith in progress, the belief that all things are becoming better with time, that the golden age lies in the future, and everything man can dream of can be achieved. With this value another is connected: a belief in »benign« human nature, the goodness of man and his capacity to improve. That includes disbelief in destructive and in strong aggressive tendencies in man. Helpfulness is another value, which manifests itself in many ways, reminiscent of the »fraternite« of the French revolution and has often a passionate quality and an uncritical, nearly naif, approach to people apparently in need of help.
One value, which is pursued consciously is a law abiding attitude, a respect towards law, rules and regulations, which Americans themselves one of the pillars of their life style. Another high ideal is that of freedom including absolute individual independence and hostility to any sign which may suggest servility or dependence. Connected to the ideal of freedom is that of equality which is also pursued enthusiastically, but often causes dilemmas and conflicts as it is most difficult for many people to live up to this ideal.
Last but not least is the goal of the »good life«, the »decent life« in accordance with the dignity of man, including high standards of living and cleanliness. Far from being Dolce Vita it has strong moral accents and pride in achievement. The material for this article is taken from a book manuscript which is being prepared for publication by the author: The American Way of Life — Triumphs and Defeats. It corresponds to the first chapter of a book of twelve chapters.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
156525
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.3.1972.
Posjeta: 819 *