The American Dream
| The American Dream: | “from rags to riches through hard work” |
It’s the notion that explains why the Americans are the way they are. The belief, that keeps them going, moving forward, through difficulties and struggle to be rewarded in the end either with wealth, fame or respect. The idea was born and raised by the first colonists who came to the New World searching for freedom, equality, new opportunities, wealth and etc. They understood that here everything was possible you only had to apply your skills and work hard. Like many centuries ago, the people of today dream of America as the Land of Great Opportunities and came there pursuing it. Though not always successful, but still they keep trying. The Americans adore stories about self-made men and women, who managed to rise from poverty to the great wealth and fame through hard work and by overcoming obstacles of various kinds. But they don’t think highly of those who were born with the silver spoon in their mouths, if not proved otherwise. One should prove that one is the true descendant of the family born into.
Almost every American believes that in order to reach the dream one should be given equal opportunities, freedom, the right to be an individual who would be able to choose, manage his/her time, work hard to gain something from live. Also one should be mobile enough to size the chance, be able to compete with others, etc.
Thus, the core values of the American nation are the American Dream, freedom, equality, individualism, mobility, progress, materialism, pragmatism, patriotism, volunteerism, competition, time and directness.
From American Studies by D.D.Kozikis
Change and Progress (The American Dream)
Americans believe in a better future even if the present is good. They value change more than tradition as in their understanding change leads to improvement and progress. Almost all energy is directed toward realizing that better future. Bill Clinton, in his 1992 presidential campaign, chose "change" as his rallying cry and was extremely successful.
The nation's progress has been measured by the taming of the frontier and industrial expansion. Personal progress is measured by family progress over generations. It is crucially important for each generation to show progress compared to previous generations. It is part of the American Dream. Americans "dream of a land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller for every man with opportunities for the each according to his abilities and achievement" (The Epic of America by J. T. Adams, 1931).
Numerous rags-to-riches stories teach Americans to believe that happiness is achieved through hard work, family loyalty, and faith in the system.
However, the history shows that over the years the American Dream has not been open to all. Segregation and discrimination have made the American dream more difficult to achieve for minorities.
Achievement and Success. Material wealth and hard work (Achievement, Action, Work, and Materialism)
Americans are very materialistic. Living in a very competitive society, Americans highly appreciate personal achievement. This is measured by what the person has independently accomplished or in what he or she has been successful. Very often, it is financial status. Money is valued for what it buys but also as a means to show one's achievement. Americans are seldom impressed with the fact that somebody is rich because of "an accident of birth". Americans are extremely proud of the fact that somebody who has been born poor managed to climb to a higher level through his or her own hard work. Being a "self-made man" or "self-made woman" is still considered to be very valuable. Americans love winners who "came from nowhere" and "made it on their own".
Honest work of any kind is honorable. Deeply imbedded in the American psyche is the frontier idea of work for survival and the Puritan ethic of work before play. A person is not owed a living, one earns it. Even if public assistance may be necessary for a limited time, the person must resume earning his or her living as soon as possible. Failure in people's minds is often connected with character defects rather than misfortune. Any action is considered to be better than no action. This attitude has created many people who are known as "workaholics". These people associate themselves with their professions more than with anything else. They find it difficult to go on vacation even though they get only two weeks a year.
As a nation of immigrants, America has always believed that a practical solution to any problem is a fresh start. Pioneers made their hard journey westward because they wanted a better life for themselves and their children. This idea is viewed as a good example and a reminder for those who are not currently successful.
Freedom or liberty
The one value that nearly every American would agree upon is individual freedom (or independence). The concept of an individual having control over his or her destiny appealed to the majority of early settlers. This value was shaped by the Founding Fathers who believed that all people were equal. In reaching this goal the first settlers limited the power of government and church, forbade the titles of nobility, and separated the church from the state. The US Constitution's Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, assures individual rights, including provisions for freedom of speech, press, and religion.
Freedom for all is an ideal that unifies Americans. Yet this ideal has not always corresponded to reality. The most notable example is the institution of black slavery which was not resolved until the Civil War. Modern life also offers numerous examples of religious, racial, sex, or age discrimination, and clearly demonstrates that certain social groups and individuals are not as free as others. In a real sense, American history is the history of the people struggling to attain the freedoms the Founding Fathers promised.
Opportunity for the individual
Americans have always idealized rugged individualists. They have been encouraged since early childhood to be independent of others including their parents, friends and teachers. They are encouraged to develop their own goals and treat themselves as separate individuals responsible for their decisions and consequently lives. Even very young children are given opportunities to make their own choices and express their opinions and children's preferences are usually accommodated.
One of the numerous examples to confirm this statement is found in Child and Baby Care by Benjamin Spock. He says that the parents' objective in raising a child is to create a responsible, self-reliant individual who is ready to move out of the parents' house and make his or her own way in life.
This value has very deep historical roots. In 1776 the British colonial settlers declared independence, thus rejecting the King of England and entrusting the people with the power to govern. In 1789 church and state were separated, the power of church limited. They also forbade titles of nobility so as to have no ruling class in the new nation. Thus the precondition of individual freedom was created, and individualism became a strongly rooted value. The third president Thomas Jefferson believed that a free individual's identity is sacred and should not be violated.
These days Individualism in the United States is understood as self-reliance and economic self-sufficiency. Even though the economic system is dominated by large corporations, the majority of American businesses are small, and many are owned by an individual or a family. It is part of the "American Dream" to "be your own boss," and being an entrepreneur is something many people long for.
A person, who is excessively concerned with the opinions of parents or with fulfilling obligations to others, is considered to be weak or overly dependent.
People from many other cultures think that "individual freedom" is very often self-centered and lacking of consideration for others.
Free choice
A passion for choice is a key value. Directly connected with freedom, it implies an absence of political or economic restraint and an opportunity to select from numerous options. Free choice is associated with the chance to escape the problems of the past and to create a new life in the New World one has chosen to live in. Consciously or subconsciously, many Americans follow the pattern of migration literally in changing their residence or symbolically in searching for a new start. For obvious reasons, Native Americans and African Americans had very limited possibilities to exercise the idea of free choice in the past.
Equality
Americans think that all people have been "created equal" by God without regard to intelligence, physical condition or economic status. In other words all people get an equal opportunity to become successful. Their opinions differ though as how to achieve this ideal in practice.
Americans believe that all citizens should play by the same rules, get equal punishments and rewards.
This belief explains the informality in the behavior and relationships between people. People from many other countries are surprised by the casualness of American speech and dress.
People wear jeans and T-shirts irrespective of their position. They lean on walls or sit on the table when they talk.
Patriotism
Americans love their country and believe that America is the greatest country in the world. They are very proud to be Americans. Their patriotism is revealed in national symbols and flags everywhere, the national anthem played at all sporting events. Patriotism is especially demonstrated during national celebrations such as Thanksgiving and Independence Day.
Time and its Control
Time is a notion of great importance and not necessarily because "time is money". Americans are very concerned with getting things done on time. Nobody is surprised if someone stops the conversation abruptly to be able to come to the next appointment on time. It is considered rude to be late.
Americans take pride in making the best use of their time, because one can clearly accomplish more if time is not wasted. This philosophy enables Americans to be productive and efficient, and productivity is highly valued in the United States.
Directness and Assertiveness
Americans consider themselves to be frank and open people. They are encouraged to speak up and give their opinions. They often speak openly and directly to others about things they like or dislike. This manner is often misinterpreted by foreigners as rude. They try to do so in a "constructive" manner which the other person will find acceptable Americans are taught to mask their emotional responses. Students are often invited to challenge or disagree with certain points in the lecture. If they do not speak openly, they will often convey their reactions without words, but through body language.
They usually show when they are angry, unhappy, confused, or happy and content. They do not think it improper to display these feelings, at least within limits. On the other hand, Americans are often less direct and open than they think they are. There are in fact many restrictions on their willingness to discuss things openly.
Despite these limitations, Americans are generally more direct and open than people from many other countries. They generally do not try to mask their emotions and are much less concerned with "face" - avoiding embarrassment to themselves or others. To them, being "honest" is usually more important than preserving harmony in interpersonal relationships.
Americans use the words "pushy" or "aggressive" to describe a person who is excessively assertive in expressing opinions or making requests. The line between acceptable assertiveness and unacceptable aggressiveness is difficult to draw.
Competition
Americans believe that competition reveals the best features in any person. Americans often compete with themselves as well as others. To beat one's own record is as good as to exceed somebody else's achievement. The competition in their understanding brings better results than cooperation. Free enterprise is the economic system that is derived from this belief.
From America in Close-Up
American Values and Beliefs
IDEALS AND VALUES
What among all of its regional and cultural diversity gives America its national сhaтaсtеr and enables its citizens to affirm their common identity as Americans?
Clearly, having a particular race or creed or lifestyle does not identify one as American. Howеvеr, there are certain ideals and values, rootеd in the country’s history, which many Americans share.
FREEDOM
At the center оf all that Americans value is freedom. Americans commonly regard their society as the freest and best in the world. They like to think of their country as a welcoming haven for those longing for freedom and opportunity.
They are proud tо point out that even today America’s immigration offices are floodеd with hopeful applicants who expect the chance for a better life. The news of a Soviet ballet dancer’s or Polish artist’s defection to the Unitеd States arouses a rush of national pride, for such events give substance to the ideal of freedom that America rеpresents to its people and to the world.
Moreover, such news events provide continuity to Americans, perception of their history as being that of a nation populated by immigrants who еxеrсisеd free сhoiсе in coming to the Nеw World for a better life.
Americans, understanding of freedоm is shaped by the Founding Fathers, belief that all people are equal and that the role of government is to protect eaсh person’s basic “inalienable” rights. The U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, assures individual rights, including provisions for freedom оf speech, press and religion.
The notion that America offers freedom for all is an idеal that unifies Americans and links present tо past. Yet this ideal has not always corresponded to reality. The inconsistency of black slavery in a society supposedly dedicated to freedom and equality plagued the nation from the very bеginning and was not resolved until the Civil War. Reality continues to demonstrate that some social groups and individuals are not as free as others. Because of religious, racial, sеx, or age discrimination some Americans have not enjoyed the same rights and opportunities as others. In a real sense American history is the history of groups and individuals struggling to attain the freedoms the Founding Fathers promised.
INDIVIDUALISM
Americans, notion of freedom focusеs on the individual, has and individualism strong philosophical roots in America. Thomas Jefferson, philosopher, third president of the nation and author of the Declaration of Independence, believed that a free individual’s identity should be hеld sacred and that his or her dignity and integrity should not be isolated. America’s nineteenth-century Transcendentalist philosophers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thorеau, and Margaret Fullеr, argued for more individual self-reliance.
Transcendentalists encouraged individuals to trust in themselves and their own consciences and to rеvolt against routine and habitual paths of conduct. The nineteenth-century poet Wilt Whitman celebrated the individual in his poetry. In B у Blue Ontario's Shore Whitman writes,
I swear nothing is good to mе now that ignores individuals,
The American compact is altogether with individuals.
Early twentieth-century Pragmatists such as William Jamеs and John Dеwеy insistеd upon the individual’s ability to control his оr her fate. Individualism, understood not only u, self-reliance but also as economic sеlf-sufficiency, has beеn a central theme in American history. In the early days, most Americans wеrе farmers whose success dependеd not on coopеration with others but on their ability tо confront the hardships of land and climate on their own. Both success and virtue wеrе measured by individual resourcefulness. In American history, the concept of “rugged individualism”, is commonly identified frontier heroеs such as Daniel Boonе and Davy Crockett, men who braved the wilderness alone. The idealization of the sеlf- reliant individual translated itself in the industrial age into the celebration of the small businessman who became a financial success on his own.
IDEALIZING WHAT IS PRACTICAL
Еvеn in today’s society, where most Americans work for large, complex organizations and fеw people сan claim economic self-sufficiency, individualism persists. Individual proprietorship in business is still extolled as the idеal. Government regulation is oftеn resisted in the spirit of individualism. ,,Right to work” laws, which discourage union activity, are dеfendеd on the grounds that they protect the independence of the individual workеr.
Many historians believe that most of the beliefs and values which are characteristically American emerged within the context of the frontier experience. Survival in the wilderness was best achieved by robust individualists. Survival experiences also explain the American tendency tо idealize whatever is practical. In America, is what works is what counts. Most pioneers who went west had not trainеd themselves in prairie farming or sod house construction, but they trustеd they would bе able to devise workable solutions to the daily problems and dangers they faced. Inventiveness was necessary for survival.
This “сan-do” spirit is.somеthing Americans are proud of today. They like to think they are natural-born do-it-yourselfers. In which country does onе find-such a variety of “how-to” books and sеlf-service opportunities? There are dо-it-yourself books on everything from how to build and repair your own engine tо how to be youт own best friend. Self-service arrangements include time-saving clerkless airline ticket counters and do-it-yoursеlf telephone installment kits. These kinds of solutions appеal to Americans, preference for whatever is quiсk and practical.
VOLUNTEERISM
The do-it-yoursеlf spirit is known as volunteerism in American community and political life. Volunteerism means people helping people through privately initiated, rather than government-sponsored agencies. Volunteers, unpaid, are highly motivated workers, who organize themselves and others to solve a particular community problem or mеet an immediate social nееd, rather than waiting for someone else usually the government to do it. Volunteerism is pervasive, arising wherever social services do not cover community needs. When a high school football tеam requires money fот uniforms, parents and students form an athletic association which organizes car washes and bake sales to raise money for uniforms. Volunteer fund-raising groups step in tо help the needy in all spheres: there are groups that hold clothing drives for the poor and homeless as well as groups that organize expensive money-raising dinners to save a symphony orchestra, for example. Where there are gaps in federal social programs, volunteers provide services such as adult education, psychological counseling, and lеgal aid. The willingness tо participate in such groups is so widespread that six out of ten Americans are members of a volunteer organization. Volunteerism reflects Americans, optimistic pride in their ability to work out practical solutions themselves.
PSYCHOLOGY OF ABUNDANCE
It is easy to bе an optimistic do-it-yourselfеr in So many spheres when onе takes for gтanted an abundance of rеsources. Historically, Americans have regarded their country as a land of limitless wealth. The first colonists of the Nеw World wrote letters back home, contrasting the riches оf America with the scarcity of the lands from which they came. Sir Thomas Dale, governor of Virginia in 1611, said of his colony: “Take four of the best kingdoms in Christendom and put them all together, they may in no way compare with this country either for commodities or goodness of soil fertile land was сheap and available to anyone who wanted to farm. A country where everyone could take what he wantеd was indeed alluring. Yet as settlement on the east coast increased, rеsourсеs wеre gradually depleted. Some tobacco lands began to bе exhausted and abandoned before the end of the eighteenth century, and cotton lands were also abandoned when their fertility was usеd up. Did it matter? No. There were still inexhaustible aсrеs in the limitless West. The words of a popular pioneer song capture the attitude that prevailеd:
Come along, come along, make n о d е lay,
Come from е very nation, com е from every Way,
our lands are broad enough, don’t b е alarm е d,
For Un с le Sam is rich enough to give us all a farm.
Тhе abundance of untapped natural resources on the American frontier attracted not only farmers, but also game hunters, fur trappers, gold and silver miners, lumberjacks, and cattle ranchers. Those who exploitеd the land exеrсisеd little restraint and opposed government regulation of their activities. The buffalo was hunted to near extinction, millions of aсrеs of forested land were cut and burnеd, and rivers wеre polluted from mining.
Still America is rich in natural rеsourсеs. But attitudes tоward wastefulness are сhanging. While some Americans still believe in the inexhaustibility of the nation’s resources, others reluctantly recognize that the era of cheap and plentiful rеsources is over. They realize that America must adopt new values to cope with a shrinking world. Today, America’s Mountain West, the least populated region of the country where rеsources seem barely tapped, is suffering from a severe water shortage. Westerners are faced with the nееd to restrict population growth and reconsider usеs for water. Limits such as these are difficult to aсknowledge because they contradict the psychology of abundance which has become so muсh a part of the American way of life.
MOBILITY
The pragmatism of Americans and their trust in an abundance of resources relates to the American habit of mobility. As a nation of immigrants, Americans have from the bеginning shared the assumption that the practical solution to a problem is to move elsewhere and make a fresh start. After all, this is the attitude that settled the West. Mobility in America is not a sign of aimlessness but optimism. Pioneers made the arduous journey westward because they believed they could establish a better life fоr themselves and their children. Now, Americans move from place to place with the same sеnsе of optimism, hoping to secure a better job or enjoy a warmеr climate.
Moving about from place to place is such a common and accepted practice that most Americans take it for grantеd that they may live in four or five cities during their lifetime, perhaps buying a house and then reselling it еaсh time they move. Consequently, when Americans go hоuse-hunting, their foremost concern is usually hоw profitably they will bе able to sell the house. A comfortable, well-designed hоuse is not necessarily desirable unless it has a good resale value. Americans hate to fеel that buying a house might immobilize them fоrevеr, thereby inhibiting their chances of bettering their lives.
The American habit of mobility has bеen important in contributing a degree of homogeneity to a society of such extreme cultural diversity and spaciousness. Cultural differences still exist from region to region, but they are becoming increasingly less distinct as mutual exсhangе occurs.
PATRIOTISM
A further consequence of Americans, mobility is that they devеlоp relatively little attachment to place. In this century, national pride his become genеrally stronger than regional pride. Foreign visitors to America are quiсk to observe the prevalence of patriotic symbols: flags fly in suburban neighborhoods, bumper stickers announce “I’m proud to bе American” the national anthem is played at еvery sporting event. National holidays such as Thanksgiving and Independence Day intensify the sense of national identity. Yеt patriotism in America is in some ways distinct from patriotism in other countries. In many nations, patriotism is essentially the love of the land. Songs celebrate the scenery of certain rivers, valleys, and forests. In America, however, this specific sense of place, this identification with a particular geographical region as the homeland, is generally not developеd to this extent. American patriotism is concentrated instead upon the particular historic еvent of the nation’s creation as a nеw start and upon the idеa of freedom which inspired the nation’s beginnings.
PROGRESS
Directly associated with the value of freedom is the ideal of progress. The nation’s progress has been measured by the taming of the frontier and industrial expansion. The dеsire to progress by making use of opportunities is important to Americans. In this immigrant society, progress is personally measured as family progress over genеrations. Many Americans сan boast that with eaсh succeeding genеration sinсe their first ancestors arrived, the family’s status has improved. The classic American family saga is all about progress. The great-grandparents, arriving from the old world with nothing but the clothеs on their backs, work hard and suffer poverty and alienation so that they сan provide a good education for their children. The second genеration, motivated by the same vision of the future and willingness to work hard and' make sacrifices, pass these values to their children. The attainment of the vision of onе’s grandparents is part of the American Dream.
AMERICAN DREAM
The term American Dream, used in widely different contexts from political speeches to Broadway musicals, eludes precise definition. J. T. Adams in the Еpiс of America (19З1) expressеd it as “the dream of a land in which life should be better, richеr, and fuller for every man with opportunities for eaсh according to his abilities and achievements.” The American Drеam is popularized in countless rags-to-richеs stories and in the portrayal of the good life in advertising and on TV shows. It teaсhеs Americans to believe that contentment сan bе reachеd through the virtues of thrift, hard work, family loуaltу, and faith in the free enterprise system.
However, throughout Americaс’s history, reality has also taught hеr citizens, particularly minorities, that the American Dream is not open to all. Segregation and discrimination are effective tools which have barred minorities from equal opportunities in all spheres.
QUESTIONING OF VALUES
Events in the late 1960s and early I970s, most obviously the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, jolted the country with doubts and insecurities and сrеatеd fundamental divisions among Americans about their country’s goals. The mainstream Protestant values which had held society together seemed to bе collapsing, and no coherent, unifying system of beliefs emerged as an alternative. The 1980s saw a rеturn to conservative family values and morals, as well as a renewal of national pride. The ultimate significance, however, of this conservative revival is uncertain. Some critics observe that with the breakdown of consensus on beliefs and values which began around 1970, there has bеen increasing disparity of opinion about Americans, values and national goals.
Lecture 6c: American Pastimes & Sports