Essay Sample Describing the Dominant Culture in American society

Social norms

The term "dominant culture" refers to a set of beliefs, social and cultural that a majority of people in any one population believe. The dominant culture in society will adhere to the same social norms, religious following, and even political ideologies. The dominant culture often takes from subcultures but aggregates the elements and practices of these cultures. In American society, there are a lot of diverse ethnicities living across all states. Their cultural identity as Americans, however, surpasses the color of their skin, their moral and social values and their economic and political predispositions. The dominant culture, therefore, reflects its diversity as a society.

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Some of the primary values that are held in the American society are education and profession. People introduce themselves by their jobs and positions in the United States. If not, adults, students will always identify with certain schools or colleges. This is a phenomenon that can be seen across all Americans. Another example of the cultural values in the American society is self-reliance and independence. Americans while often identifying with the institutions to which they actively engage in the society, they, are very competitive.

Americans, therefore, value self-reliance and independence. Some of the ways that these predispositions present themselves in the American culture include the ranking of students, the value that the country has to individual success and class, and encouragement of personal economic endeavors (Weaver, 2001). The American culture appreciates and rewards individuals who go further and take more time to serve others or propel the industry (Weaver, 2001). It is for this reason that Americans are more likely to take personal responsibility for group activities. This capitalistic and competitive culture often inspires hard work and reward for individuals in every stage of life.

References

Weaver, G. R., (2001). American Cultural Values. Inter Cultural Training. Vol 14, pp. 14 t 20. Retrieved from http://trends.gmfus.org/doc/mmf/American%20Cultural%20Values.pdf