1) Time focuses on the future rather than the past; it needs to be planned for; youth is more valuable than age.
2) We should be able to control nature; it is here for our use and we are separate from it.
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3) Given human nature, you can count on people to do the right thing given the chance; at least it is not inherently bad and in need of strict control.
4) The individual’s wishes, needs and aspirations are more important than the groups (including the family’s), and it is appropriate for an individual to move away from and function independently of the group.
5) What one does, accomplishes, is more important than the way s/he conducts her/himself.
In the article “Understanding American Worldview”, the author J LaVelle Ingram explains the cross cultural differences between Americans and immigrants. “Understanding American Worldview” also informs immigrants of the American worldviews they are adopting. Ingram states five worldviews. The first worldview she states is “Time focuses on the future rather than the past; it needs to be planned for; youth if more valuable than age”. The second worldview she states is “We should be able to control nature; it is here for our use and we are separate from it”. The third worldview is “Given human nature, you can count on people to do the right thing given the chance; at least it is not inherently bad and in need of strict control”. The fourth worldview is “The individual’s wishes, needs and aspirations are more important than the groups (including the family’s), and it is appropriate for an individual to move away from and function independently of the group”. The final worldview is “What one does, accomplishes, is more important than the way s/he conducts her/himself”.
The first concept of the American Worldview is that time focuses on the future rather than the past. According to Ingram, the future is prioritised before the present. Most Americans don’t live in the moment. An example from the article would be Americans planning everything such as payment for a child’s college education years before college. If an immigrant were to purchase a monument for an ancestor instead of saving for a child’s education, Americans would be disappointed in the immigrants. The immigrants would be thinking about the past while Americans are thinking about the future.
The second concept of the American Worldview is that we should be able to control nature. Humans should learn to master nature and use it for medicine. Controlling nature has lead to medical advancements such as antibiotics and surgeries. Americans choose any procedure possible in order to cure a family member. Some immigrants feel that they should not cure whatever disease they may have because the disease may reflect imbalance in living and they would rather change their way of life. Other immigrants may decide that their disease is their destiny. Americans wouldn’t be able to make any sense of the immigrants choices. The immigrants will need to realize that they are now living in an American society and they will need to conform to the American Worldviews.
The third concept of the American Worldview is that society as a whole will work better if one counts on individuals to live up to their best self. In American society human nature is a good thing, fewer constraints imposed on people is a good thing. In other cultures human nature is viewed as a bad thing. They say that people need strict control in order to stay on the right path.
The fourth concept of the American Worldview is about how an individuals wishes, needs, and aspirations should be counted as more important than the groups’ or families’. In America a college student chooses their own major, a young adult may not give any money to their family, and they may move into their own apartment/house at a young age. In America it is expected for the child to do whatever is necessary to get a good job (e.g. move to a different state). It is not expected for a son to take on his fathers obligations when he dies. These acts are not seen as selfish in America; they are taking care of themselves first. In other cultures these acts are seen as disrespectful and selfish. In other cultures parents may arrange their children’s marriages, children may give their parents money, and children would live in their parents house for a longer period of time. It is expected for a son to take up his fathers obligations when he dies.
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The fifth concept of the American Worldview is
