CROSS CULTURE UNDERSTANDING AMERICAN WORK-VALUES

ATTITUDE TO MANUAL LABOR CRATIVITY & PROCUKTIVITY WORK-ETHIC WORKAHOLICS REASONS FOR WORKING LEISURE & SOCIALIZING AMERICAN WORK-VALUES ATTITUDE TO MANUAL LABOR CRATIVITY & PROCUKTIVITY

See slide 6 SURVIVAL (BASIC GOAL) SELF-REALIZATION (PRODUCTION) PRESTIGE (SOCIAL STATUS); DERIVED FROM PROTESTANT ETHIC, WHICH MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO WORK HARD TO SUCCEED. IT IMBUES WORK WITH THE QUALITY OF GOODNESS. ORIGINATED FROM THE PURITAN BELIEF THAT MATERIAL SUCCESS WAS A SIGN OF GOD’S FAVOR: SUCCESSFUL PERSON WERE AMONG GOD’S ‘CHOSEN’ THUS, WORK IS ACCEPTED A DUTY. AMERICAN DREAM IMPLYING EVERYONE HAS EQUAL FREEDOM AND RIGHT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS LONG AS HE IS DILIGENT & VIRTUOUS IN HARD-WORKING MADE AMERICANS EMPHASIZE MORE ON ‘DOING’ THAN ‘BEING’. FOR THEM, TO BE RICH IS NOT SINFUL. IN U.S. MAJOR SOCIAL STATUS IS ACHIEVEMENT. THUS, THEY BELIEVE SUCCESS AS LIFE GOAL REASONS FOR WORKING WORK- ETHIC WORKAHOLICS See slide 6

American Dream (AD) DEFINITION: all citizens have the opportunity and freedom to achieve their goals and become wealthy and renowned if only they work hard enough. AD is originated in the historic decision made by early settlers who migrated to US to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings, governments, churches, noblemen, & aristocrats. When the USA was proclaimed, the power of the government and church were constitutionally limited and formal aristocracy was eliminated in order to guarantee individual freedom.

Individual Freedom (IF) & Self-Reliance (SR) For Americans, freedom means the desire and the ability of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference (from government, noble class, church, & any other organized authority. However, the freedom should be ’paid’ with self-reliance. Without it, an individual will loose his freedom. Self-reliant means that one should be financially and emotionally independent from anyone (American children achieve these by age 18-21). Although receiving financial support fromcharity, family, or government is allowed, it is never admired. Those who get it will risk losing respect from other people.

Equality of Opportunity & Competition Another core aspect of AD is equal opportunity. For Americans it means that each individual has an equal chance for success. Thus, everyone is provided the right to ‘enter the race’ and win. However, the equal opportunity should be ’paid’ with competition. This makes Americans are urged to match their energy, intelligence, and creativity with their neighbors. They honor ‘winners’ but despise ‘loosers’. Americans get free from the pressure of competition only when they retire at the age of 65. But since such individuals will feel useless and unwanted for they are not joining the ‘race’ which give—them prestige—any more.

EMPHASIS ON SUCCESS AS LIFE GOAL MAKES SOME AMERICANS WORK COMPULSIVELY AND BECOME WORKAHOLICS. SOME PEOPLE REGARD THEM AS VALUABLE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY FOR THEIR HIGH PRODUCTION AND EFFICIENCY, BUT SOME OTHERS SEE THEM AS INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL PROBLEMS WORKAHOLICS GROWTH MADE MANY PEOPLE INSIST ON FACILITATING WORKERS WITH AMUSEMENT. MANY EMPLOYERS AGREED TO FACILITATE IT. EMPLOYEES LIKE IT, BUT THEY TEND ‘TO PLAY’ AS HARD AS ‘TO WORK’. THEIR GLORIFYING OF THE SELF-MADE-MAN MAKE AMERICANS APPRECIATE MANUAL LABORS. THOUGH THEY OCCUPY RESPECTED JOBS, THEY ARE WILLING TO WASH DISHES, PAINT HOUSE, REPAIR ROOF, ETC. STUDENTS WORK PART-TIME AS DISHWASHER, WAITER, ETC. MOST COUNTIES HOLD COMPETITION IN GARDENING, PAINTING THE HOUSE, ETC. WORKAHOLICS LEISURE & SOCIALIZING ATTITUDE TO MANUAL LABOR THEIR APPRECIATION ON SKILLS AND ‘DO IT BY YOURSELF’ TRADITION MAKE AMERICANS CREATIVE AND PRODUCTIVE. THEY CAN BUILD SWIMMING POOL OR MAKE MOTOR BOAT WITHOUT HIRING SOMEBODY ELSE CREATIVITY & PRODUCTIVITY

SOCIAL CLASS IN THE UNITED STATES (Based on Achievement/Career) UPPER CLASS (1%) CEO, Politicians $ 200,000 UPPER MIDDLE CLASS (15%) Professionals Graduate Degree $ 72,500 -- 100,000 LOWER MIDDLE CLASS (32%) Professional Supports & Sales Bachelor Degree $ 32,500--50,000 WORKING CLASS (32%) Clerical Service & Blue Collar Some college $ 15,000--25,000 LOWER CLASS (20%) Part-time & Unemployed $ 7,000

AVERAGE MANUAL LABOR MINIMUM WAGE: $ 1.30/HOUR (1970) $ 3.10 / HOUR (1980) $ 4.30 / HOUR (1990)

TYPICAL PROFESSIONS OF AMERICAN MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE (Activity One)

Median weekly earnings by sex, 1980–2004

THAT’S ALL & THANK YOU!