Society's values.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 430.

American society is often associated with Middle America (= people who live in the central part of the US, who are middle-class and neither very rich nor very poor). In the US a person's class or social status depends not on their family background but on their personal achievements and wealth.

Some of the things that Middle America believes to be important include traditional institutions like government, religion and family values. Democracy (= a system of government through representatives elected by the people) is fundamental (= very important) to American society. Americans follow different religions, but many people believe that this does not matter, only that religion makes society stronger. Americans believe that family relationships should be close, that couples should get married and not get divorced if they can avoid it, and that children should grow up with both parents. In fact, although these values are thought to be important, they do not reflect the way many Americans live. Most people do not bother to vote in elections, some are not religious, and many married couples split up, so that single-parent families are becoming more common. Many people see in these facts a great threat to American society.

Many British people believe that they live in a civilized, liberal society in which individuals have the freedom to live as they wish, to be treated fairly, and to be respected. Others believe that British society is still firmly based on the class system, and that though politicians often talk about working towards a classless society, this will never be achieved. The Establishment, which consists of the major institutions in British society – the royal family, the House of Lords., the civil service, the law, the Church of England, and the armed forces – is still mainly upper-class and white, and is not representative of the modern multiracial society.

Most people in Britain still have a sense of what class they belong to and of their place in society, though education has cut across the boundaries. At the same time there has been in recent years a breakdown of traditional class barriers and a marked increase in social mobility, the ability and readiness of people to change their social status.

It is important to almost everyone in Britain that they live in a democracy, though after a government has been elected many people take little interest in politics. As in Middle America, the people of Middle England still believe in marriage and think that a couple should stay together. Some politicians actively promote traditional family values, but most people realize that society has changed and that other lifestyles should be accepted. People now expect to be allowed to live as they wish, and are no longer willing to have a moral or social code forced on them.

Society in Britain and the US is faced with many moral dilemmas and decisions about its future. Many people welcome the chance to discuss moral and social issues such as access to healthcare, fertility treatment for older women, and assisted suicide (BrE euthanasia), and are not content to leave it to politicians or philosophers. In Britain the Radio 4 programme The Moral Maze discusses the moral issues behind a topic in the news. Many other programmes on radio and television question society's attitudes and values.