ABSTRACT
Values shape what men and women see as important in life, how priorities are to be established, and how they create their own places within a given historical context. The core values of American life are deeply embedded in historical experiences and traditions. All modern nations are required to create and maintain their society as a moral community. The materialism of Americans is reflected in their emphasis on making a lot of money. Values related to materialistic lifestyles consist of the enduring attitudes of Americans to the environment. This introductory chapter describes the core values and their intrinsic meaning to Americans. It focuses on the conflicts inherent in the American value system and on the problems confronted by Americans in living with the limitations and contradictions in value systems. The chapter explores the five major meanings of the alienation concept that are in current use in social psychological theory: powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, isolation and self-estrangement.
