► Find Lawyers ► Find Law Firm ► Case Law ► Legal Dictionary ► Law Study ► Legal Form templates


U.S. Law Firm

Law Firm in Usa

In order to help you query law firm information from U.S.,we collect all U.S. large listed company information for your reference. Hope the information are helpful to you!

Traditional American Values and Beliefs

We hold these truths to be sdf-evident, that all men are created equal, that Uuy are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rigfits, that among these are Le, Liberty and the pursuit Of Happbuss.  In the United States people are free to say and write about almost everything. Freedom is so much a part of American life that it is often taken for granted. But this is not to say that it is not valued. Indeed， the belief in the freedom of the individual is probably the most basic and most strongly held of all American beliefs. Tlic desire for freedom is one of the main reasons why immigrants have traditionally comc to this country. Individual Freedom and Self-Reliance Due to limitation of the power of Government, Church and absence of Aristocracy, the early settlers created a climate of freedom with emphasis on the individual. The new independent United States instilled the concept of individual freedom, probably the most basic of American values. A key belief of people in individualistic cultures is that the smallest unit of survival is the individual. American culture is sometimes referred to as the “I” culture since it is the individual rather than the group which is emphasized. Freedom for Americans means the ri^it of ail individuals to control their own desdny without outside interference from government, a ruling class, church or other organized authority. Americans are therefore expected to take the initiative in advancing their personal interests and well-being and to be direct and assertive in interacting with others • A price is however paid for individual freedom: self-reliance. Americans believe that the individual must learn to rely on themselves or risk losing freedom. This often means achieving financial and emotional independence from parents at the earliest time possible. The need to “stand on theirs own feet” is considered a priority. The earliest settlers came to the North American condneni to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European soaedes. They wanted to escape the control placed on thcir lives by kings and governments, priests and churches, noblemen and aristocrats. To a great extent, they succeeded. In 1776 the British colonial settlers declared their independence from En^and and established a new nation, the United States of America. In so doing, they overthrew the king of England and declared that the power to govern would lie in the hands of the people. They were now free from the power of the kings. In 1787, when they wrote the Constitution for their new nadon, they separated church and state so that there would never be a gpvemmcnt-supported church. This greatly limited the power of the church. Also, in writing the Constitution they expressly forbade titles of nobility to ensure that an aristocratic society would not develop. There would be no ruling class of noblemen in the new nadon. The historic decisions made by those first settlers have had a profound cfifect on the shaping of the American character. By limiting the power of the gpvemment and the churches and eliminating a formal aristocracy, they created a climate of fireedom where the emphasis was on the individual. The United States came to be associated in their minds with the concept of individual freedom. This is probably the most basic of all the American values. Scholars and outside observers often call this value “individualism,” but many Americans use the word “frccdonL” Perhaps the word “freedom” is one of the most respected popular words in the United States today. By “freedom，” Americans mean the desire and the ability of all individuals to control thcir own destiny without outside interference from the government, a rulii^ noble dass, the church or any other organized authority. The desire to be free of controls was a basic value of the new nadon in 1776，and it has continued to attract immigrants to this country. There is, however, a price to be paid for this individual freedom: sclf-reliancc. Americans believe that individuals must learn 10 rely on themselves or risk, losing freedom. This means achieving both financial and emotional independence from thcir parents as early as possible, usually by age 18 or 21. It means that Americans believe they should take carc of themselves, solve their own problems and “stand on their own two feet, Tocqueville observed the Americans* belief in self-reliance 150 years ago in the 1830s，“They owe nothing to any man, they expect nothing from any man; they acquire the habit of always considering themselves as standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their, whole destiny is in thcir own hands.” This strong belief in self-reliance continues today as a basic American value. It is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of the American character lo understand, but it is profoundly important. Americans 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 not be free to do what they want. By being dependent, not only do they risk losing freedom, but they also risk losing the respect of their peers. Even if they are not truly self-reliant, most Americans believe they must at least appear to be so. In order to be in the mainstream of American life — to have power and/or respect 一 individuals must be seen as self-reliant Althou^i receiving financial support from charity, femily，or the government is allowed, it is never admired. Many people believe that such individuals are setting a bad example which may weaken the American character as a whole.

This article original created by www.lawyers-in-usa.com , reproduced please indicate the source url http://www.lawyers-in-usa.com/American-Culture/Traditional-American-Values-and-Beliefs.shtml

Educational Deprivation What Is tative Action The Effects of Affirmative Action California Issues Formal Apology for Past Discrimination Against Chinese