In 1970, sociologist Robin Williams identified twelve core values of American culture.
o
achievement and success (especially doing better than others)
o
individualism (success due to individual effort)
o
activity and work
o
efficiency and practicality
o
science and technology (using science to control nature)
o
progress
o
material comfort
o
humanitarianism (helpfulness, personal kindness, philanthropy)
o
freedom
o
democracy
o
equality (especially of opportunity)
o
racism and group superiority
Think about those 15 core values. Are they still held by most Americans today? Why? Why not? Are there any additional core values that have developed in the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s? If so, what are they?
WHAT ARE CORE VALUES?
Use the internet to find three major newspapers available online from three countries other than the US. (Most countries have at least one English-language newspaper and many of them are online.) Spend a minimum of thirty minutes per paper conducting a content analysis of as many features, stories and advertisements as you can.
WHAT IS CONTENT ANALYSIS?
From your examination, can you deduce any core values of the countries that publish the newspapers? Consider how those core values may or may not differ from some of the American core values identified by Williams and Henslin.
TOWARD A GLOBAL CULTURE
Summarize your activity and findings in a brief research report that includes the following.
1.
Do you think
most Americans today still hold
the 15 core values developed by Williams and Henslin? Why or why not? Would you alter the list in any way by deleting or adding core values?
2.
For each of the three countries whose newspaper you studied, what core values for that culture were you able to identify? (One newspaper will most likely not allow you to create a long list of core values for a culture but you should be able to identify some.) From your limited perspective how do those countries’ core values differ from ours?
3.
To what extent are newspapers – as examples of material culture – indicative of their producing societies’ cultures?
4.
Make specific and detailed connections to relevant course content.
Please be careful to use correct spelling and grammar.
A positive evaluation does not require that you did everything "right," but you should have reasons for why you proceeded as you did and should demonstrate that you thoughtfully reflected on the outcomes of your decisions.
By the deadline shown in the
Course Schedule on the main page of the syllabus:
READ THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS FROM THE MARGIN NOTES.
