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Assignment 1: Discussion

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Assignment 1: Discussion

Question.1

The list might has been quite different if it were created today because, with the drastic changes in the socio-economic structure of the United States, many things have changed. The civil rights have increased and American people are more concerned about their surroundings and society today than they were in the past. Of all the cultural values, the topmost priority of Americans in the new list will be democracy and freedom of speech as they cannot compromise when it comes to freedom of speech (Martineau, 2017). Gender equality should be separately included in the list as this cultural value covers a much broader area of fair and equal treatment of females with no stereotyping, sexism and sexual harassment issues.

Question.2

The values related to progress, efficiency and practicality have changed to some extent in American society as they have attained enough progress which they have wanted back in the 1970s. But this time they want to have more progress in developing a green environment and not the technological progress as they have realized the damages of technology with the passage of time. They want to fix the environment and progress will only be made if positive efforts will be put together from their side to sustain the growth and make the world a peaceful place for everyone. This will be the real definition of progress for the Americans to value for. Efficiency and practicality still matter for them but they are no longer ready to promote this value by sacrificing their mental health.

Question.3

American Politics has over the past played a great role in changing the perception of many cultural values by passing many laws to legalize same-sex marriage etc. to promote freedom of speech and freedom in the American society. Media has also participated actively to maintain the discipline and cultural norms in society by highlighting the major social issues that are violating the American values (Lasch, 2018). Through media, the message of gender equality is conveyed on every platform due to which women are no longer bond with their stereotypic gender role.

Question. 4

The five most famous symbols of American culture are the statue of liberty, the American national anthem, U.S. flag, Uncle Sam and the liberty bell. Americans show their affiliation with these symbols even now in this modern society (Coe et al.,2016). They feel proud whenever they come across these symbols and promote patriotism. They are important because important history is associated with each one of them and they represent our roots with the land of the United States of America. These symbols give us a feeling of freedom and equality with the democracy prevailing in the country.

Question. 5

Excessive ethnocentrism is the belief of feeling superior about one's ethnicity and do not consider other ethnic groups of the same level. Ethnocentrism is both good and bad for any society. It can be good if a person is feeling proud about one’s ethnic group but it becomes harmful when the intensity increases leading to excessive ethnocentrism (Weaver, 2016). As excessive ethnocentrism can lead to hatred towards other ethnic groups that will give birth to racism and inequality in society.

References

Coe, K. M., Domke, D., Hill, T., Keeley-Jonker, B., Koch, J. P., Lahr, A. M., ... & Tareen, S. A. (2016). The rhetoric of American civil religion: Symbols, sinners, and saints. Lexington Books.

Lasch, C. (2018). The culture of narcissism: American life in an age of diminishing expectations. WW Norton & Company.

Martineau, H. (2017). Society in America. Routledge.

Weaver, H. N. (Ed.). (2016). Social Issues in Contemporary Native America: Reflections from Turtle Island. Routledge.