The one value that almost American agreed is Individual freedom. It also called as individualism or independence. It is has been close to every American heart, because individual liberty is the cornerstone of American people. Typically every American has the same basic values and traits that have originated from America’s rich past and that give America its identity. For American, the group is in the second place after individualism. They are just depended on themselves, other way it called “stand on their own two feet”. They are sure that everybody have to be able to take care of themselves and could handle their problem by themselves. They are also seen as very private people. They only share about information about them to the people that they trusted. Such as their family life, jobs, and his/her own life. If someone asking “why don’t you married??”, it feels like a very rude question and bothering for the person you asked.
American people are also free of government. They are free to do what they want to do. They don’t like got much supports from their family, because they think it will make their individualism freedom lost. They believe, without relying to the government or families, they have an equal to be success. The concept of an individual's having control over his/her own destiny influenced the type of government that was established there, and individual rights are guaranteed in the United States Constitution. So, if there are some decisions of the government that they don’t like, they can protest it until it changed.
Historically, the settlers came to America and established a new nation which free from the government control, it Named USA. It was declared in 1776 by the British settlers which have contents about their independence from England. During it, the American dare the king of England and said publicly that the power of government would be in Americans hands. Now, they were free of the king. The settlers created a country which built on freedom by limiting the government’s power, where the individualism was the consequence.
Well, I don’t have much any Idea about American individualism. I don’t know what suppose I write. It is too little which got into my mind. I know their individualism only in choosing their future, what they would be. Their parent wouldn’t force them to be something that they like to be. In their daily life, I don’t know whether they care about any others people beside them or not because I think individualism person only care about him/herself. Likewise in working, I don’t know whether they like working in group or not. I think working in group is better than working individual. By working in group, our job would be easier, faster and the result would be more complete. We can share our thoughts and decide together which one that would be great to be used.
There are some questions passed on my mind about individualism; Do they always be individualism in every part of their life? How come America can be success if they didn’t work together to build their country which built in freedom? Does their success come by individual work? Don’t they have got to work together to dare the King of England?; is it true that if American which has been 20 years old have to live apart from their parents and have to be able to make money? Is that also a part of Individualism? I am sorry because I write that questions in this assignment, you don’t need to answer it all. As we discussed last week that learning about culture in other country is not complete if only learn by the book, sometimes, it is really different. But I’ll try to find the answer by myself as I Can. I just want to know deeper about it, because I just learn American culture only in film. Because I thought that their film is describing the culture there.
In Indonesia, people importance is the first and then private importance. But sometimes, there are also person who makes his private importance is the first. We called it Egoists. Something that Indonesian really hates. So, individualism couldn’t be used in Indonesia. I think it’s all I know. Pardon me if I made mistakes in writing above.
0 Comments