Distinctive Characteristics of American Society

The United States of America is a land as diverse and unique as its people. Right from the discovery of the New World and all through Amercian history, the natives and settlers have learnt from numerous lessons on strife, challenge and tolerance. Generalizing the society for distinctive characteristics is not an easy task at all. This is mainly because each segment of this society has its own distinct and unique characteristics. While the Native Americans are a hardy lot, the settlers brought in versatility in the use of resources at hand and the colonists ushered in scope for restraint and amalgamation of diversity.

The other influencing factors include the size of the nation and its climatic variations. The geographic differences have a huge impact on the ethnic groups. This great mixture of people and traditions contribute to the variety. 'If variety is the spice of life' then American society is most certainly at the helm of the spice list! The distinctive characteristics of this society may differ a little from the Atlantic to Pacific, but remain established in a show of:

Individuality

Americans are known to value and respect their individuality. They possess a spirit that has remained undaunted even in the eye of the storm of global contradiction. The people of America personify resilience and equality. It is not as though they did not err or learn from bitter lessons; but the learning was quick and thorough. Just like their tryst with colonization and the American Civil War, they also battled and melted racial differences with equal vigor and strength of character. Their decisions were and are always based on the fact that they recognize the underlying unity of thought, word and deed.

Fearlessness

They believe that they design their own destiny as a nation. Americans have never felt fear to speak up and oppose. It hardly mattered whether the truth was spoken by Abraham Lincoln or dared by Rosa Parks. They have always voiced their opinions and thoughts on various subjects and values. The quality of being fearless enables them to honestly express political opinion and live up to the liberties bestowed upon them as a nation by the U.S.Constitution. In fact, this ability to stand fearless in any situation empowers Americans to refrain from raking up class consciousness or distinctions.

Concern

Americans take their friendly nature to the next level and show genuine concern for global issues. Whether it is their participation as forerunners in the United Nations (UN) or as victims of global terrorism, they have never hesitated to contribute positively to world. Their concern has made them the victims of misunderstanding and malice, but this has never stopped them from making an effort towards necessary change.

Informal and Realistic

Americans are known to be very comfortable being informal. This is not confined only to a dress code or mannerisms, but to life in general. They are known to be people who break through fetters and declare freedom from the roof-tops. And yet, beneath all this they remain sensitive towards their selves and others. As far as being realistic is concerned, Americans may or may not turn casual acquaintances into true friendships, but the first name habit does help to melt boundaries and sink differences. Little wonder why their variation of the English language has been so well received the world over. In spite of the unlearning and relearning involved, the variations in spelling and pronunciations actually make more sense!

American people may live by the rule that 'time is money', but when they choose to unwind, it is not comparable to any other. For them, punctuality is a virtue and professional life is as comfortable as the personal one. Americans are known to be materialistic and flaunt it without the slightest inhibition, while not shying away from acknowledging areas where they lag behind.