Locating American Cultural Values

Identifying American Culture

We're moving towards defining ideology. I'd like us to take the time to think about, consider, and, eventually, post to the forum (later--not today), "American Culture." As the definitions of "culture" mention, culture is defined by shared values, beliefs, and behaviors of a group. Although we can't make universal statements regarding the essential features of every member of a culture, we can point to some prevailing cultural values and not absolute, universal beliefs.

Keeping with the idea of postmodernism, we'll have to address the plurality of values based on the fact that there are multiple groups with multiple conditions, myths, and (common) experiences.

And what of the individual's values...

With a partner, I want you to come up with an American value and discuss it.

• Identify an American value--define it.

• Is it hegemonic--a value of the dominant group?
  Note: A value of the dominant group may "trickle down" to be a value held by the masses.

• Defend why the value is American (it could also be a value of another culture).

American Values Images

Below are some American values with images for our disucssion.

Manifest Destiny (Game)

John Gast’s American Progress (1872)

American Engineering Progress (Golden Gate Bridge)

Instant Gratification
Satire I
Satire II