American

Culture Competition and Free Enterprise Warm up: Discuss the following with a partner. 1.) Do you believe that Korea is more competitive or cooperative society? Why/why not? a. What examples from your own life can you think of? Reading: Go through the reading and circle any words that you dont know and keep reading. After finishing the reading, check with your partner and explain to them any of your partners circled words you know. Americans believe that competition brings out the best in any individual. They assert that it challenges or forces each person to produce the very best that is humanly possible. As a result, the foreign visitor will see competition being taught in the American home and in the American classroom, even on the youngest age levels. Very young children, for instance, are encouraged to answer questions for which their classmates do not know the answers. You may find the competitive value disagreeable, especially if you come from a society which promotes cooperation rather than competition. But many U.S. Peace Corps volunteers teaching in Third World countries found the lack of competitiveness in a classroom situation equally distressing. They soon learned that what they had thought to be one of the universal human characteristics represented only a peculiarly American (or Western) value. Americans, valuing competition, have created an economic system to go with it -- free enterprise. Americans feel very strongly that a highly competitive economy will bring out the best in its people and ultimately, that the society which encourages competition will progress most rapidly. If you look for it, you will see examples in all areas -- even in fields as diverse as medicine, the arts, education, and sports -- that free enterprise is the approach most often preferred in America. Discussion: Discuss with a partner or group. 2.) Which do you think produces better students, competition or cooperation? Why/why not? 3.) Think back to your own experience as an elementary school student. If you knew an answer to question, but the other students in the class didnt know it, were you encouraged to answer the question? a. Overall, in what ways was cooperation encouraged in school? b. How about cooperation? 4.) Recently, the United States and much of the world suffered an economic recession. At one point the government had to help fund many very large companies. Many Americans were angry. Why do you think they were angry? a. Is Korea similar or different? Why/why not? b. What do you think should be governments role businesses? 5.) Do you believe that competition or cooperation brings out the best in people? Why/why not?
Instructor: Joe Milan Material modified from: The Values Americans Live by By Robert Kohls