American Individualism

American Individualism

After reading "American Individualism", I would have to say I agree with a lot of what has been written. The first thing I read in the text was "Americans sometimes seem more concerned with themselves that with others-spending an inordinate amount of time and energy talking about themselves-and using the pronoun "I". I agree completely with that statement.

Childhood: I agree with this statement as well. We as americans are encouraged from birth to be independent and make our own choices like it states in the text. The example in the text says if he were living in Korea, living with his parents would be acceptable. In America we are seen as unsucessful if we remain at home with our parents after college.

Materialism is good: The point made that materialism is good is something that I agree strongly with. The text states "They expect to have access to a large variety of foods; clothing, homes and nice cars. As Americans we want to have the best things we can. We are materialistic compared to other countries. Most countries don't have the luxery of obtaining the materials americans do. I agree also with the text that says "We view being materially well off as a symbol of success." We believe owning a nice house, car, and clothes as a success.

The point made about impermanent relationships I do not agree with, I agree that some individuals may feel that way but not all. I dont believe our individual identites are more important than group identites. I disagree that we view relationships as "temporary contracts." We value our friends and family even when our personal goals are threatened.