Discuss the following question with your parents and give your response and their response to the question in the comments section...
What are several non-material things (ideas, ways of life, motivations) that Americans value? What are American values? Are these values changing?
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family,education, leadership, American food,life,religion, health, government.
ReplyDeleteI think that all these values are still in plac because without these values America just wouldnt be America it wouldnt be the American Culture.
My response: Sone non-material things that Americans value are family, religion, and education. We value family because without family we would have no one to lean on and share our joy and happiness with. Thats why we cherish family. We cherish religion because in this country we have religous freedom which allows us to publicly express our beliefs. Education is a value that is non-material because it just cannot be replaced. American society wouldnt be what is without its educated people. Education is so important, with it you can do so much good in the world, without it people usually do a whole lot of things bad.
ReplyDeleteSome American values are technology,entertainment,and sports. In America entertainment which goes along with music have been there since the starting years of America. From William Shakspere to Beyonce', Brad Pitt and Michael Jackson. Another American value is technology. Technology has been on the EARTH sice the dawn of time. Knives made out rocks, computers, to hand held computers and more. The light bulb and the very thing me and you are using a laptop. So overall technology is and was the past,present and future of this country and the world. Another very popular value is Sports. in a way that we love to see athlets compete with all there strength to complete a common goal.
Dad's Response: Some important American values are ingenuity, hard work, and respect of other people rights to life, liberty and freedom. These values never change but have evolved over time, and are at the very core of our culture, lifestyles and the pursuit of the American Dream
Sherman P. Hardy
Well some good acomplishment or values that good men what to have is character, to me the man of the house and take care of his family. Things that I value that aren't materialistic are the abilities that god has given me. In todays society, our values are huge houses or fancy cars. Trying to earn as much money as can be. We as everyone do not have alot of hard workers today, alot of us rely on the government to provide for us, and that hasn't always been our values.
ReplyDeletethere are alot of examples for this one. Americans value trust alot. Another is that americans are expected to be hard working. But some people just don't want to work as hard as other people do. And obviously freedom is a right in America.
ReplyDelete-bennett
Americans value many things. Unfortunately, there aren't many non-material things that the average American genuinely values. One right that I think we Americans take for granted is the right to religion. This is a shame because many people in other countries break the law every day to worship with a constant fear of getting caught. One non-material thing that I think Americans do value is their families because they have such a huge impact on the person they become. Americans also value their right to freedom because without it, their lives would be very different.
ReplyDeleteMany Americans value the ability to be successful through hard work. This can also explain why many people from other countries want to live in the United States. I think American values are changing because there are so many new technologies and new inventions that distract us from the things we should value over material things. I think Americans need to look beyond entertainment and new technologies to find value in the rights that they take for granted (freedom, the standard of living, etc.)
-Justin Brendel
Dad's Response: Americans value their security, freedom, privacy, ability and the ability to succeed with hard work, among other things. American values are changing....the traditional American (Biblical)family is disappearing, some of our freedoms are even in question currently. The traditional Biblical values that are the basis for our way of life are under attack.
Bill Sandman
Well the seven things that i thought of was religion, technology, freedome as amotivation, and lots of other things. americans value religion very seriously. they worship wich every god or the God they want. that is not-valueing religion. but that is what we do. i think to americans that value is something that they trust and rely on. mabey like a telephone.americans rely on this invention to make calls and talk to poeple.
ReplyDeleteum it hink some of these values are changing becuase america is groing with new technology. we are changing are religion with many other poeple and i just think its sort of a good and bad relationship. this is what i think american values are.
Values important to mom: Faith,respect, trust and honesty are some of my most precious values. Yes, unfortunately, these things are changing. In this world today, so many people are worried about being "politically correct." So not to offend anyone in any culture, they disregard and disrespect their own belief system. I feel they ar not be true to themselves. I also believe respect is something that many children these days are just not expected to display. This is so wrong. I believe in many ways that this loss of respect has led to much of the crime....people not respecting one another's possessions, or most importantly respect for one another as human beings.
ReplyDelete-Jane Russell
most Americans value things like religion and respect to others and things like that. When they don't see those things the get mad because they have been in the bubble (America) that has for the most part respect and then we seem to take it for granite because we are around it all the time and have gotton acoustom to it. Also our ways of life are different for the rest of the world because we again are in this bubble that lots of people have jobs and have a family and we seem to just expect life to go smooth and our ways are just going through the motions everyday not thinking because we have it so we can just do things because we dont't have to be worried about being harmed and how we are going to stay alive that day we just kind of expect that we will live through that day. And expectations are far from the rest of the world because our workers expect more and demand more to work and that is why a lot of our supplies are made in forign countries because we can't aford to have Americans make the supplis and that is a reason our ecomony is down too. That is what i think
-Nick Russell
americans value things like relationships, religion, and family. when you have a relationship with somebody, it is important to value it. americans value their religion (which is usually christian) because that is what the belive in. and americans value their family because they are important to them
ReplyDeleteMost Americans value family, religion, and culture. Americans mostly believe in family because they encourage us through our trials and tribulations helping us along the way to success. Religion is another non-material thing that gets us through the day. Different religions are not shunned in this country so we can believe what we want to believe. Lastly culture, because that is something every American is proud of. The place we came from, the food we like all set us apart and make us all different. That’s what makes U.S the great American Melting Pot. I believe these values are changing because of technology and entertainment.
ReplyDelete-Christopher Dewberry
Many Americans value our freedom listed in the constitution, for example, the right to vote, free speech, bear arms, religion, legal searches etc. As Christians, some of us value protecting life, marriage, family, faith and freedom. One value I really treasure is to be able to worship freely and raise children according to GODLY principles. Regarding American values, they are as diverse as the people are. What use to be a commonality of thread about some things is quickly unwinding and being opened up to a lot of worldly views.
The beauty of GOD’S WORD brings “life” where the reality of the world’s way brings “lost”. Our values should be based on GOD’S WORD.
-Mrs. Dewberry
Many Americans value religion, healthcare, and government. As christians in the U.S we are able to worship freely and we are not persecuted for our faith. That is something that we all take for granted because we forget that even though we are worshiping God whenever we want, people in other countries don't have that same kind of freedom. Also, our government and healthcare are non material values that we take for granted. We may have an overpowering government and healthcare that is about to be ruined, but we have a lot more than other countries do. American values are typically centered around family and working hard to earn a living so that they can provide for their families. These values are not changing very much because in this economy families have to stick together to get through the tough times, and parents have to work even harder to provide the money needed to support a family. -caroline holliday
ReplyDeleteNon-material values that are most important are family, friends, and God. Americans have always been close to family and friends, but now in this economy they seem to stick even closer together. Also, people are valueing their relationship with God more than seeking material satisfaction now that hard times have come. -Becky Holliday
My mom said "I think Americans value freedom, freedom of speech, liberty, choice, and ideas above all else. I think that Americans as a whole still value hard work but i think that is changing and we are becoming a culture of entitlement and desiring to get something for nothing. I guess we as America value family and friedns but it seems that that is changing too. Everyone seems to be obsessed with material things, but there are also quite a few who value the non-material things. Like i value freedom of speech, family, friends, God, ect. I hope that America as a whole values those things as well. Our country started out as a place where (it seemed) everyone worshiped God. I mean have you ever thought about how blessed we are as a country. We have so much and I think that God blessed us beacause of our faith to him as a country. But it seems that were losing that complete faith and relying on other things, our values are rearranged. LIke how some people are pro-abortion and are for gay rights. That is wrong and people who value those things should reverse their thinking. I dont know how else to expand...
ReplyDelete-Anna Long teehee! :o
Protecting life, marriage, family, faith and freedom are some things my family and probably all americans value.Serously we even have an institute for it"The Institute for American Values". I think every second that goes by american values change on a personall level aswell as our entire country. God tells us to have standards(values) that we take seriuosly because we represent him. aswell as having values we need to value things such as love, life,and freindships.
ReplyDelete- sincerly
Sophie Kemether =)
Americans and people from other countries values some of the same things, but other things too. For example Most americans value thier families, and and I assume that citicans of other countries value the same thing. But there are a lot of things that American take for granted like religious freedom or freedom of speech, a democratic government and simple things that are never thought about because the are so common to the average american family like houses,cars cell phones and clean clothing. Americans take a lot for granted. most Americans main values are families freinds and God.
ReplyDelete-CARA GRACE :)
I think that americans value 3 core things the first of which is power. americans value power for many reasons. one of which is that because we're such a wealthy country we have power over almost everyone in the world. This means that being president is a very powerful job. the second thing we value is wealth. we value this for one soul reason. this is wealth is power. this once again relates back to the power of the world. but the last of thesee ideas is religion. this is a value because the US is religiously free thus making this ne of the best places to live. Power money and religioun are our values.
ReplyDeletePS florida state was overated even st marys school for the blind could beat them
Alex
my family said that material things americans value are cars, clothes, money, technology, jewelry, and houses. american values are things that people dwell on and need to get. for instance the latest technology. these values i think are not changing.
ReplyDelete- Harrison Weller
Many americans value freedom. Another thing that we value is religon and our freedom to have whatever religon that we want. Another thing that we value is our government because they usually provide good healthcare and other things of that nature. I think that our values are definetley changing. For example, I think that we are as not as partiotic as we used to be. Also people are beginning not to value our freedom of religon as much. I also think that they are stating to become more centered around material things and money.
ReplyDelete-stephen bracher
A value that Americans believe in is wealth. Many Americans think that without money you can't do anything and that without it life is pointless. It has become how others judge each other! Just because you aren't very wealthy does not mean you are a bad person. And as christians we should not judge or look do upon people who aren't as blessed as us. I believe this is changing, but not for the good, for the worst. People are just getting more selfish with their money, and are putting others down for not having any.
ReplyDeleteAnother value in the United States is religion. People here can be very passionate about what they believe in. We value being able to have the freedom to choose what we want to believe in to. This is a VERY special thing about our country. It doesn't matter what we think, unlike in other countries where you could get killed for believing something.I don't think people are changing their value on religion.
Something else Americans value is there political beliefs. People can be very defensive of there political views, wether you are a Republican or Democrat. It is very important to let your thoughts be heard and to show others what is right for the country. Without it a country can have no balance. I think people are starting to value this more all the time. We all think we are right and want to show that.
I think another value in our country is your work. People love to do their jobs most of the time. It is how they make money, impress others, and most important honor God with their talent. So having a jobs is a huge value in this country. I do believe that this value is changing. I think now a days things are starting to cost more and being able to make money, and support a family is very important.
-Grace M. :D
I think a huge value Americans have is money. This is so much a value that it has become a standard of living that people our expected to live up to. People fear of being poor because they will be looked down upon. This is a huge problem. This certain value usually leads to bad choices that lead to wealth. So this value above all other is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI think another value we take for granted is political, religious, and speech freedom. Most countries do not have this and yet we never give a second thought of this on a daily basis.
I think another value is a passion for sports. We value our sports system of entertainment very much and sometimes wrongly over value it. We cannot bear to be parted with this national past time.
Brandon Chan
americans value relationships, time, food, friends, sports, and freedom. american values are things that americans love and things that bring people together. i dont think american values are changing any.
ReplyDeleteMom: Americans value freedom of speech, freedom of religion , security, freedom to pursue happiness, minimal government interaction in our lives. Americans value what the United states represents to the world. Americans also value freedom from tyranny.
ReplyDeleteAmerican values define who the nation is and what are citizens desire.
American values are changing as we are losing site of our heritage and what it means to be Americans, i.e. the principles that this nation was founded on.
Me: Truthfully, I don't agree with my mom when she says americans value what's in the constitution. I think we value more worthless things like wealth, entertainment, and sports. Some people do value family and religion, buts mainly the prior. American values are what are stated in the constitution, like freedom of speech and religion. But the world is changing and people are starting to loose focus on the real values, the little things, the stuff we take for granted, what are country truly stands for.
Americans value many things, lots of them being materialistic. Freedom, having fun, and relationships are some of the non-materialistic American values. Freedom is extremely important, that being what our country was founded on. Religious freedom, freedom of speech, and more are all very important to most most Americans. Entertainment is a huge part of our culture and is seen in so many (stress those words) advertisments, it's crazy. The Life is Good motto, "Do what you like. Like what you do." is a popular idea in America. Have fun. Be free. Really creative America. However, many people have fun in the wrong way in terms of drinking, clubbing, and the like. Friends and family are also important to many Americans, who love to have people around to have a good time with (there's that fun again).
ReplyDelete~Alice Fugate~
Americans value other non-material things such as friendship,religion, freedom, and democracy.The American values are changing since our founding father landed here.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Thomas
American Values are very important to everyone. Although some people have their own family values we are all in the same culture which means we all have American values. In America we have lots of freedom that many cultures don’t have such as religious freedom and many more. Another major one is opportunity and that we can do and be anything. In ways they are very much changing. The government is getting more involved in people’s lives and taking away much of our freedom. Many organizations and companies that were private are now becoming owned by the government and lots of people do not like this.
ReplyDelete-Mary Beth Newkirk
I feel like americans have many values. One major one is that when times are tough we tend to draw close together. We have a modern society so that means we do thing differently than other countries do. Another thing i think americans treasure is knowledge. We have access to knowledge that only a few countries in the world have. I think american values are things that people living in this country think to be important to them. Some of them can change but I think for the most part they stay the same
ReplyDeleteFrances Hamilton
My moms response:
Americans value the idea of "being an American" - including political freedom, social freedom, religious freedom and the opportunities afforded every person living in America. Some use the phrase "the American Dream" to represent all of these things. I think as I get older and learn about other cultures, it makes me value these things even more. I realize how truly free we are as Americans and how intensely I feel about guarding these freedoms.
Margaret Hamilton
I think that there are a lot of American values that influence people that live in America. I think that a few of the things that Americans value are things such as trust, and doing the right thing. I think that a lot of the values that people have thought of as values in the past have slipped as of today. One of the major things that have slipped is the fact that now days, people in America take a lot of things for granite. In the past, everyone took what they got and they never thought of what things they could hae that were better than what they currently had.
ReplyDeletei think Americans vaule there family's the people they love and who they livwe with. And there trust in others.I think American vaules are things most americans live and abide by no matter what religious beliefs they have.Things that are right and acceptable in our society.Our vaules are changing because of the people we are around who influence us. The goverment changes our vaules as well. And we Change the way we look at things
ReplyDeleteMy parents and I talked and some of the non-material things that we as Americans value family, trust, faith, freedom, and friends. I think that these things do not change very often especially since are economy is not doing very well so we all coming even more close to one another. We really take for granted that we have these values. We are so lucky to have these things because in other countries people don't have freedom of religion and if they stand up for what they believe in then they can die. Other thing that America’s value that are material things are electronics and money everyone is always worried about what is the newest thing and how nice thing are but really that is not what we need to value. Though things should not really even matter to you that much.
ReplyDeleteAnn DuPre!
I think that americans value many things. Like food, music, religion, education, and the president. We also value freedom.This is what we value.
ReplyDeleteI think that as an American we have very many things to value. But even though we have things to value it doesn’t mean we actually value them.(kind of confusing) Most [even myself] don’t appreciate the little things we have in this country. I mean I can’t remember the last time I just thought about how lucky I was for being able to worship God or even pray without being punished. I mean now that I think about it... it’s pretty amazing. That’s probably what I as an American value the most. But in general, Americans value education. Well at least ones that want to "make it" in life. Your mind is probably one of the most valuable things in the society. I think as time goes on, the more important an education becomes. With an education, you can do many things. Make money, friends, and a difference in the country. So many people are striving to put their ideas out there. Its kind of hard to answer this question because we dont "value" much.
ReplyDeleteParents response: As an American and a father I would say one of the most important things that I value next to God would be my family. I value my health and that I can wake up everyday and take care of my family. I value my friends.I would say American people value money, success whatever is their definition of that, they also put value in such things as the government, there religion and famous people.
Jiniah Bliss and "Guardian"
most american's value family and friends. other people value nature and traveling! but there are many other non-materialistic things people value. but most americans value material objets. such as phones, ipods, computers, etc.
ReplyDeleteand over time our values do change.
If you asked most Americans what they valued, I think they would say something to this effect: family, image, and religion. I value my family and religion, plus I value a few more things. I value the past, what people have done so that I can be here today in this amazing country, and I value freedom. To me people value their family because material things will fade but your family will stay right beside you. I think people value their image because today most people think that they have to look good in order to be cool. I don't think this is all that important, but I would say most Americans would say it is. Just watch commercials, they tell us what we need to wear and buy to be cool. Religion is very important to Americans. To me when everything fades, when your life breaks to pieces, when you feel worthless, God is always there for you, and I think that it is an amazing feeling. The reason that I value the past is because without it, there would be no future. If Columbus hadn't sailed the ocean blue in 1492 then America would be a lost country. I also value our freedom. Many people fought and died for our freedom. I'm just so happy that we are still a free country. We might not always be in the near future, but we are now and I hope that we will be forever. I definitely believe that these values are changing. As our country is changing, our values are changing. I think that our government also affects our values. During hard times, when things could be taken away, you rely on and value simpler things. When things seem to be going great then people value more extravagant things. As our country changes, our values change. It might not be for the better, but they do change.
ReplyDelete~Sarah!!!!
there are many non-materialistic values that my family and i value. some are religion, family, and eduction. no one belives in nothing. you can either belive in some sort of god, or that we all came from monkies. but for me i worship the one and true God. worshiping God is something i do daily and love doing too. family is another huge one for me. i will never be the kind of person that can abandon that kind of undying love that your family can offer. and last of many education. education is one that i appreciate greatly, without school or education persay no one would have anything to do with they're lives(unless u were born a baby einstein). beacuse skool=job, but with no school you probably wont be getting many job offers, and without a job there is no way you can support yourself, or a family. i thank God for all these elments of life that God has blessed us with.
ReplyDelete-mary hannah skelton/beth s.
I think that American values have changed a lot through the years. The non-materialistic things that Americans value, all that I can think of, are health, religion, family time, stress-free time, education, and friends. I think many people value religion less, our money has the inscription "In God we trust" written in it, Now I think some people want that off of the money. I'm sure church attendance is down, and many people go to church only near Christmas and Easter. I think that Americans value family a lot more than they value anything else, although that's changing too. The fact that adults work so much, and get home now around 7, that vastly limits family time.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of american values that have begun to change over the years. One of the largest ones that would be considered one of the largest factors for why america was started is religion, mostly christianity. Some of the other major values that come to mind are health, marriage,and family. It would be nice if these were the only for things that amercicans focus on...and yet there is always a materialistic thing that gets in the way. There always is something better on Earth than morally sound things. There is constantly a new iphone, tv, ect. that is bigger and better than the last. If america truly believed in what this country was based on then we would be back to the garden of eden, but we all fall short of the glory of Him.
ReplyDelete-David Lemasters
non-material things are spending time with family and doing other things besides being on the computer all day or watching t.v. american values a lot of things like our family, education and a lot more. those values are changing a lot now
ReplyDelete-caitlin Kleefeld
There are several non-material things that people value nowawdays. One thing people value is family. Family is important, but sometimes people place a lot of value on family and nothing else. They focus so much on family, that all other things become second.
ReplyDeleteMuslims value their religion more than anything. They value this so much that some are willing to die for their religion.
Another area that is highly valued is work. Some working adults find themselves working several hours a week and not giving attention to their family.
Americans seem to value work, politics and power. Being in a position of power and prestige seems to be the driving force behind most Americans lifestyle. I have to say that the values are changing slightly because of our economy. I think the economy has caused America to become humble.
In our world today, we value many non-materialistic things such as love, relationships, friendships, and our Faith in God. Although many people in other countries on't have the same values. They value other things such as freedom , which we as Americans take for granted. Also, in America the electronic world is taking over. Electronics are causing us to take these non-materialistic values for granted. We don't really think about how lucky we are to obtain freedom an money. We as Christians really need to focus more on being grateful for these things because our materialistic values are kicking the non-materialistic ones to the curb.
ReplyDeleteBraelen Phillips
americans value many things. I think that the most valued item in the world is money. no matter who it is, they will do just about anything to get money. Whether it's breaking the law or killing somebody. the value of things is changing alot because there are many more people in the world today.
ReplyDelete~carter harrison
In our world today, we value many non-materialistic things such as love, relationships, friendships, and our Faith in God. Although many people in other countries don't have the same values. They value other things such as freedom , which we as Americans take for granted. Also, in America the electronic world is taking over. Electronics are causing people to take some of the non-materialistic values for granted. Some people in the U.S. mainly don't really think about how lucky we are to obtain freedom and money, which most human races don't have. I think that values are changing because more and more materialistic things are entering the world everyday.
ReplyDeleteERiC loCKeTT
There are many non-material things that American's value. We value freedom,religion, friends, family, the free time we get and education. American values are power and wealth because everyone wants to be great. It is also spending time with your family and having the freedom to express your religion in your own way. I think the values are changing because more people now value power and having expensive items more than having time to spend with your family. -McKenna
ReplyDeleteMom's Response
As Americans, we value our freedoms more than anything. The freedom to vote,the freedom to practive our religion, the freedom to pursue interests that make us happy. Unfortunately, more and more Americans are becoming disilluisoned and think that the important things in life are money and material objects. We place more and more of our faith in how much noney we have in the bank rather than our faith in God to provide. We spend so much time "keeping up with Jones'" that we neglect true family time and time dedicated to prayer and worship.
I think some non-material things most americans value are family, friends, health, and happiness. When people "value" something it usually means they are thanking God for that.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question about if our values ever change i will say this- Every time my family goes out to eat at a restaurant, before we drink our beverages we always say this little saying. It goes: "Health, Happiness, Prosperity, and Peace. Through all our years may they increase". That basically answers that question. My family thinks and somewhat believes that as we grow older, our values will increase. For example, when someone close to you dies, we tend to value our friends and family more. Or maybe even our health. Therefore, as we get older, the circle of life comes into play an deaths happen to people close to us more and more. When you grow old, you are wise because of the way you cherish your values. that is what i think about this question.
-ELAINE SHARITZ
Belief God, love, friendships and relationships are some examples of non_materialistic that americans value. American values are things or such that american take pride in, enjoy, etc. Yes, these values are changing everyday becausse more and more materialistic features or things enter the world everday. But in some parts of the world peoples values are different 'cause they don't have as much as americans, so most undeveloped places of the world value there freedom, technology that they do have, and there food source. Because most countries are very poor and still are developing
ReplyDelete_* ERiC loCKETT
I think Americans value material things. We are always thinking about the objects we own. I think that is the biggest American value is money. Everyone is always trying to get more money. I think that there are times when we should forget about money and focus on loving our friends and family, because in the end the people you love and are even more important than money. Especially in this bad economy the way people value money is even more than before. I hope that Americans will start to think about what will happen in Heaven, because what you own doesn't go with you to Heaven, but your family does.
ReplyDelete-Katie Kassis
Some things or thoughts that we value are things like friends, family, jobs or for younger unemployed kids or young adults school or edjucation, feelings mostly love, and religion. Each of these are important to each of us, all of these are important things for living but for our own satisfaction we have things such as freedom, or time to just chill and relax. But with the way things are going more and more people are dropping out of school, and many are loosing jobs. Also many people don't care about religion some arae even against it. People are starting to want the wrong things but i just hope that people will find the right way.
ReplyDelete~ Tinsley Stokes :)
My dad said, and I agree with him, that life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and freedom are some non-material things that Americans value. These values, freedom especially, are changing with the new president because the people want to give the president more power.
ReplyDeleteHannah Hill
American values are seen and shown clearly throught American history. One of these unique values is trust. From the alliances our country creates to trusting a neighbor, trust can be labled as a huge american value. One other value is our country's different religions, Throughout the country cultures are spread from people whom have immigrated there from a certain location. The last and one of most important is our freedom. From are history we experienced fighting for our country and as a result, being free in our country. For that we are grateful. My parents thoughts were basicly the same except adding some more values such as the right to vote(freedom), etc. These, I belive are some of the great american values.
ReplyDelete-Matt Landry
I think, going along with alot of others opioins, Americans value thier freedom, thier voice, and thier rights. I think they also value power alot. Americans value thier freedom because they care about what they can do, this is kind of like haveing rights. having a voice is very imortant to alot of Americans. Having a voice includes voting,and giving your opinoin. Almost every American loves to have power! If it means to have power over your sibling or over the world...human take any power they can get!!! Americans value alot of things that dont even have to be material objects.
ReplyDelete~Kerry Anna Lemasters
Some non-material thing americans value are family, marriage, relationships, reputations, etc. Americans value religion. Americans also value technology alot these days and with technology advancing more and more, its not going to be very long before americans start getting lazy. These valuse are not going to change because of technology.
ReplyDelete