American Values through Russian Eyes.

N

11

Practitioners; Teachers

College Students; Competition; Cultural Awareness; Culture Conflict; Democratic Values; Efficiency; Foreign Countries; Free Enterprise System; Futures (of Society); Higher Education; Individualism; Interpersonal Communication; Personal Autonomy; Privacy; Social Values; Sociocultural Patterns; Student Attitudes; Time; Work Attitudes

This paper discusses impressions held by Moscow State University (Russia) students about American values. In class discussions and written assignments, students were asked to comment on thirteen values, giving their perceptions of American attitudes in each case. The values included: personal control over the environment; change; time and its control; equality/egalitarianism; individualism and privacy; self-help concept; materialism/acquisitiveness; competition and free enterprise; future orientation; action/work orientation; informality; directness, openness, and honesty; and practicality and efficiency. The results are summarized, with excerpts from student statements. (MSE)

1999

ED432135