Equality of Opportunity

The Roots of American Values

Working with Americans

All cultures are, by definition, ethnocentric. Yet few cultures have managed to export and market their values to the extent the United States has been able to do.

Because the U.S. has been a global entertainment and media center, much of the world has been exposed to American values. This doesn’t mean, however, that these values are understood, let alone accepted. For example, the entire world may have seen American Western films and recognize American individualism, yet that recognition may be a far-cry from knowing how to work with this kind of individualism.

This article describes the American cultural values that appear most prominently in the business environment. It will explain where they come from, and most important, will offer suggestions for working successfully with Americans.

Despite their different backgrounds and motivations, those who came to America were bound together by similar challenges and united by a common vision. Becoming an American was a conscious act, an ideological commitment to a set of values and a way of life. New Americans rejected notions of a state-mandated religion, a powerful centralized government, or a rigid class structure.

Their Utopian ideal was to have the space and freedom to create a model society. Guiding principles of liberty, equality – even the “pursuit of happiness” – were modeled and reinforced by colonial America’s early leaders. Later institutionalized in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they have shaped public policy and national values ever since.

Early on, Americans were determined to make their new society a meritocracy. First enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the phrase “all men are created equal” emphasized that, regardless of race, religion, or background, every individual should be provided with equal opportunity to succeed. Rungs on the ladder of success would not be arbitrarily allocated by birthright, but achieved through initiative and perseverance.

Equal opportunity is not to be confused with egalitarianism (another important American value.) In his book Democracy in America (1835) de Tocqueville first observed that Americans emphasize equality of opportunity – not equal conditions for all.

Consistent with their individualistic mentality, Americans believe that ability, effort, and achievement should be rewarded. They reject the notion of government interference to address social and economic inequities. Rather than investing in a European-style welfare state, America promotes upward mobility by making its educational system flexible and accessible to all.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-11