Cultural Views Of America

In Psychology, research has been done that supports the theory that people perceive and interact with the world based on their cultural views alone. So what about the differing cultural views from country to country is so important? Certain cultural views and perceptions are what create the inequality and equality in developed nations between the rich and poor. Take America for instance, our consumerist society has embedded within many of us the cultural view that we need more and that having more will put you ahead of the competition. The competition is usually viewed as strangers, to your next door neighbors, and even our own friends. Our cultural views on what it means to live a happy life in America have in fact created the inequality

Our cultural views drives many of us to spend more on things we do not need. Those in low income communities will still spend money they do not currently possess on items that they don’t need. Maybe having a car is not essential, but asks the average consumer would they go without a television. The answer is probably no. Is it essential to our basic needs? No it isn’t. But our cultural views make us feel that it is necessary to always have in order to live a “normal life”. Our cultural views subconsciously enforce within us an unhealthy view of ourselves when we don’t have what others have. In reality all when need is food, water, and a roof over our heads. This is why people take that loan out for a car or house they knew they couldn’t afford it but did so to keep up with the standard left in our minds. Consumerism creates a nasty image of where one stands in society because it depends on the individual filtering their self-image through the eyes of how another person could see

Resources such as quality health care or even the number of parks located in certain areas are usually equal no matter the social class in equal societies. Even just sharing a home cooked with friends and family seems a bit to us. American society has have lost that way of thinking. It is not that we are against sharing, cause many of us are for it. It is the fact that the fact we expect something in return. In unequal societies like America, sharing and allocating resources effectively are confounded with the fact we are stuck in a competitive mindset. This mindset makes us less trusting in general, but even more speculative as to who we give our time, money, and other resources to as well as the pay that can come from helping. That sincere way of giving isn’t an idea carried around so heavily in America and with that being said, the reason why our society and government reflect that same kind of attitude with who they allocate resources to well. Contemporary American citizens just have yet to be introduced to do the true value of sharing and it’s potential