FB post question

[ladymoreta]

I think it might end up becoming something #whitepeopleproblems on Twitter. I think we'll need more clarification... Do you just mean WASP values? Or recent immigrants' values?

[PrincessFiona]

So here is what I have to address:

1. European Americans is an actual designation that none of us use. The majority of white americans are of european descent in this country. In the PC circles not only are terms like African American used, but European American is used. My multicultural books speak completely in terms of European Americans. They mean those of us who are ... white to put it plainly and it terms that sound hideously awful. Currently, European Americans are a majority, though that is changing. The idea is to look at the types of values that generally speaking someone of European American descent (italian, german, french ....) might embrace.

2. New immigrants from European countries and their values and how they differ from the European Americans who are here.


Some European American Values that I have found by researching this (and yes my brain hurts. And yes, I feel like a bad person for researching this. Why couldn't I draw a different group?)

1. EA's are in an adversarial relationship with time. Think fast food, drive-thru pharmacy, multi-tasking. In many cultures, time is revered and there is a more relaxed view.
2. EA's tend to focus on getting things done instead of building relationships
3. EA's are comfortable with change and are likely to respond with optimism to new medical treatments etc.
4. EA's believe that an individual has control over their own destiny.
5. EA's believe in being self-sufficient.

These are examples. Obviously, they are not just shared by just European Americans ..

I hate even talking about this. :/ Why is that....

[PrincessFiona]

I guess for me, European American culture doesn't exist. My family has been here since the late 1600s and is mingled with so many populations including Native American populations, I'd only be comfortable answering on "American values". I don't feel like I have a culture connected to any experience as a European American. Maybe a recent immigrant family from Europe might. Italian American values might apply to my husband since his family is here two generations ago and have remained strictly Italian American until I messed up the bloodline!




Angie

This is a good answer! Thanks

[houseelf]

I would add to your list the general trend of valuing competition over cooperation.

I am studying this in Ed. Pay right now and it is a cultural dissonance that can create problems in learning environments.

[PrincessFiona]

That's a good one. Thanks

[Vanquisher]

I'd ask a general fb question of everyone asking about their cultural values and heritage and what their lineage is. Then, weed out any that aren't European from your data. I'd not mention race at all. I'm of English and Danish descent and my values are what many Americans value- hard work, thought, integrity, family.

What a hard, shitty topic.


Heidi

[GreyhoundsRUs]

Another way to go about this is to take those values that you have found and create a survey. The last questions would be -what is your heritage (so I would go with continental heritage roughly) and what ethnic group(s) do you identify with. I'm with Heidi. What a crock of shit b

[MrsC]

I'm happy to answer any questions you have on immigrants. It's an interesting topic. There are way more cultural differences than one would imagine and it's amazing how quickly you adapt.

[Vishenka69]

1. EA's are in an adversarial relationship with time. Think fast food, drive-thru pharmacy, multi-tasking. In many cultures, time is revered and there is a more relaxed view.
2. EA's tend to focus on getting things done instead of building relationships
3. EA's are comfortable with change and are likely to respond with optimism to new medical treatments etc.
4. EA's believe that an individual has control over their own destiny.
5. EA's believe in being self-sufficient.
.

Out of everything above, only #5 holds true for Russian Americans. Also these seem to be more of a NE American values regardless of cultural heritage.

For Russian Americans family is the top priority. We're practically pariahs for moving 2 states away. Our parents' generation values relationships more than we do. Many of our parents go to subpar doctors because they're easy to schmooze with. Medical facts are often disregarded in favor of the old wives tales. Loyalty is very big too. Whistle blowing and even tell-tailing in childhood is very much looked down on.



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[PrincessFiona]

Thanks for your response, Julie. I think it's an important perspective.

[PrincessFiona]

Can I use the responses you all are giving as a part of my oral report?

[Vishenka69]

Yes. Let me know if you have any other questions.

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[ladymoreta]

Another value, or possibly another dimension of your #4 ("EA's believe that an individual has control over their own destiny.") is the philosophy of the "self-made man", or "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps". It's a pretty big part of white culture, and I think that's a huge part of why so many white people oppose government assistance, even for themselves when they qualify. For example, I'm sure my sister and I would have qualified for the free/reduced price lunches when we were in school, but my mom refused to let us fill out the forms the school sent home. The schools begged us to return them, even if we didn't accept the lunch program, because it helped them get more funding.

[Sheherezade]

Out of everything above, only #5 holds true for Russian Americans. Also these seem to be more of a NE American values regardless of cultural heritage.

For Russian Americans family is the top priority. We're practically pariahs for moving 2 states away. Our parents' generation values relationships more than we do. Many of our parents go to subpar doctors because they're easy to schmooze with. Medical facts are often disregarded in favor of the old wives tales. Loyalty is very big too. Whistle blowing and even tell-tailing in childhood is very much looked down on.



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I was going to say something similar for Italian Americans. It's my thoroughly "American" family that's hyper competitive, crazy-busy and career driven. My husband's Italian family is much more family-oriented. Also, the loyalty/ whistle blowing thing rings true for them. The relationships and trust trump the needs of the individual in their world, not so much with my "American" family.




Angie

[spotty_dog]

The important part of this assignment seems to be stepping outside of your own culture to see it from a sociology perspective. I know I have a lot of trouble with this! I have a friend who's a Yaqui Indian and sometimes posts to Facebook about indigenous rights and decolonization. For me, that's a great angle, to be able to see through the eyes of the native people who were marginalized by European colonization, as a way to understand the aspects of our culture that we don't always examine -- maybe less painful than trying to form a contrast with "black culture" or other racially charged minority groups? I can't find any of her good comments about white people right now, unfortunately...

stuffwhitepeoplelike.com?