MAIN VALUES AND HOW THEY MARK DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOCIETIES.
In the United States there are three values that are considered as the most important ones. Those values are individualism, freedom and competition. People who live there share these values so they behave in a very similar way. They follow the economic system called capitalism.
Most of the countries from Latin America also follow this system but, what marks the difference in the way of living between these countries? Why if they follow the same economic system the people in both countries think and behave so differently?
Americans raise their children in a very different way than people from other countries do. Kids are trained from very early to consider themselves as separate individuals who are responsible for their own actions. They are taught to make their own decisions and to be accountable for their own money.
As they conceive themselves as separate individuals, they assume everyone else in the world is too. Showing independence is very important in the USA. For example, when teenagers graduate from high school they are expected to live apart from their parents, either on their own or in college. Otherwise they risk being viewed as immature or unable to lead an independent life.
On the other hand, in Latin America, children are raised very differently. Parents are concerned about teaching their children how to be responsible with money. Teenagers do not have to show that they are independent, not even if they have already graduated from high school. They continue living in their parents’ house although they are grown ups, and they are not criticized by the people their age.
Another value that has a lot to do with individualism in the United States is competition. People in America are always trying to be more efficient and better in their jobs, in this way they will be more successful economically and this will improve their way of living. The system encourages them since they are little children to get good grades so as to be admitted in a good university. That makes them very competitive, especially at school and with their classmates. In Latin America this concept is very different. The system only asks students to pass their subjects and they do not care too much about getting high grades, they will be able to go to University anyway.
These values are directly related to the use of time, which is considered as a very important resource in the United States, where it is synonym of productivity, whereas in Latin America, people think they owe time. This marks a huge difference between the two cultures. Since Americans use time to study, improve and work to get ahead and be better than their neighbor, in Latin America people use their time in other activities, as joining together in groups to studying for an important test or socializing with their classmates.
There can be noticed that, although these two countries follow the same economic system, they face life and business in a very different way. The reason of this can have to do with the values that are considered as more important in each country. If we take as an example COMPETITION we can notice the different connotations this value has in the different places. For example, in the United States people are always trying to overcome themselves and to be better than his/her partner, whereas in Latin America this is not so important. While people in Latin America form groups to study for an important test for example, in the USA students study alone and make a big effort to have a high grade. Another example could be the use of time. While in the USA they use it to improve and produce, in Latin America people prefer to share more time with family or friends or to relax than to work and be better each time.
It is important to remark the role the different economic systems have in the way of living in a certain society, but the values that are considered as more important in that country have also to be taken into account, because that will be what marks the difference between them. By analyzing this we can notice how the economy has an impact on several aspects of our lives, but it also depends on the values that prevail in each society. 
In the modern world the differences between the cultures are bigger each day. People who grow up in a certain culture share certain values which, influenced by the economic system of each country, are what mark the differences between countries, states, provinces and people.
In the United States there are three values that are considered as the most important ones. Those values are individualism, freedom and competition. People who live there share these values so they behave in a very similar way. They follow the economic system called capitalism.
Most of the countries from Latin America also follow this system but, what marks the difference in the way of living between these countries? Why if they follow the same economic system the people in both countries think and behave so differently?
Americans raise their children in a very different way than people from other countries do. Kids are trained from very early to consider themselves as separate individuals who are responsible for their own actions. They are taught to make their own decisions and to be accountable for their own money.
As they conceive themselves as separate individuals, they assume everyone else in the world is too. Showing independence is very important in the USA. For example, when teenagers graduate from high school they are expected to live apart from their parents, either on their own or in college. Otherwise they risk being viewed as immature or unable to lead an independent life.
On the other hand, in Latin America, children are raised very differently. Parents are concerned about teaching their children how to be responsible with money. Teenagers do not have to show that they are independent, not even if they have already graduated from high school. They continue living in their parents’ house although they are grown ups, and they are not criticized by the people their age.
Another value that has a lot to do with individualism in the United States is competition. People in America are always trying to be more efficient and better in their jobs, in this way they will be more successful economically and this will improve their way of living. The system encourages them since they are little children to get good grades so as to be admitted in a good university. That makes them very competitive, especially at school and with their classmates. In Latin America this concept is very different. The system only asks students to pass their subjects and they do not care too much about getting high grades, they will be able to go to University anyway.
These values are directly related to the use of time, which is considered as a very important resource in the United States, where it is synonym of productivity, whereas in Latin America, people think they owe time. This marks a huge difference between the two cultures. Since Americans use time to study, improve and work to get ahead and be better than their neighbor, in Latin America people use their time in other activities, as joining together in groups to studying for an important test or socializing with their classmates.
There can be noticed that, although these two countries follow the same economic system, they face life and business in a very different way. The reason of this can have to do with the values that are considered as more important in each country. If we take as an example COMPETITION we can notice the different connotations this value has in the different places. For example, in the United States people are always trying to overcome themselves and to be better than his/her partner, whereas in Latin America this is not so important. While people in Latin America form groups to study for an important test for example, in the USA students study alone and make a big effort to have a high grade. Another example could be the use of time. While in the USA they use it to improve and produce, in Latin America people prefer to share more time with family or friends or to relax than to work and be better each time.
It is important to remark the role the different economic systems have in the way of living in a certain society, but the values that are considered as more important in that country have also to be taken into account, because that will be what marks the difference between them. By analyzing this we can notice how the economy has an impact on several aspects of our lives, but it also depends on the values that prevail in each society.
No comments:
Post a Comment