Rugged Individualism

• Individual is primary unit
• Individual has primary responsibility
• Independence and autonomy are highly valued and rewarded
• Individual can control environment

Competition

• Winning is everything
• Win/Lose dichotomy

Action Orientation

• Must master and control nature
• Must always do something about a situation
• Pragmatic/Utilitarian view of life

Communication

• Standard English
• Written tradition
• Direct eye contact
• Limited physical contact
• Control emotions

Time

• Adherence to rigid time
• T ime is viewed as a commodity

Holidays

• Based on Christian religion
• Based on White history and male leaders

History

• Based on European immigrants' experience in the United States
• Romanticize war

Protestant Work Ethic

• Working hard brings success

Progress & Future Orientation

• Plan for future
• Delayed gratification
• Value continual improvement and progress

Emphasis on Scientific Method

• Objective, rational, linear thinking
• Cause and effect relationships
• Quantitative emphasis

Status and Power

• Measured by economic possessions
• Credentials, titles, and positions
• Believe "own" system
• Believe this system is better than other systems
• Owning goods, space, and property

Family Structure

• Nuclear family is the ideal social unit
• Male is breadwinner and the head of the household
• Female is homemaker and subordinate to the husband
• Patriarchal structure

Aesthetics

• Music and art based on European cultures
• Women's beauty based on blonde, blue-eyed, thin, young
• Men's attractiveness based on athletic ability, power, economic status

Religion

• Belief in Christianity
• No tolerance for deviation from single god concept