Value Of American Culture Essay

Words: 534
Pages: 3

Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another. Culture is not inherited or biologically based, it is learned. It is acquired by sharing learning through friends, family, religion, education, and society. The four characteristics of culture are it is learned, it is shared, it is transgenerational, and it is symbolic. Culture gives people a sense of belonging, and of how they should behave. It gives them abstract ideas about the good, the right, and the desirable, as well as social rules and guidelines to determine appropriate behavior in specific situations. The values and norms that are learned, shared, transgenerational, and symbolic are the society’s design for living. …show more content…
Just as cultures from around the world have influenced American culture, today’s American culture influences the world. Because of the idea of a “melting pot”, nearly every known religion is practiced in the United States. The United States is a sports-minded country with millions of fans who follow sports such as football, baseball, basketball and hockey. American fashion is widely influenced by celebrities and the media and varies by social status, region, occupation and climate. The priorities of cultural values in each country and society vary. In American culture we value freedom, independence, self-reliance, equality, individualism, competition, efficiency, time, directness, and openness. However, other countries value belonging, group harmony, cooperation, patience, compromise, and family harmony. Our lack of value in harmony and coexistence is reflected through the numerous counts of violence such as mass shootings and police