Essential English Podcast

Protestantism had undergone an unprecedented development on American soil, diversifying into multiple branches, denominations, several interdenominational and related movements, as well as many other developments. In this episode, you will discover how Protestantism contributed to the construction of some American beliefs and values.  

The different behaviors of a people or a culture make sense only when seen through the basic beliefs, assumptions, and values of that particular group. In this episode, you will strengthen your perceptions of traditional American beliefs and values. 

Most American parents discipline their children in a way similar to the rest of the western world, balancing support with control. Roles and duties in the family are becoming less dictated by a person's gender. In this episode, you will have the answer to the posed question: What is the role of the child in American families?

However, about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce. The divorce rate for subsequent marriages is even higher. In this episode, you will learn how American society faces marriage and divorce.

Americans especially value self-reliance and see it as a requirement to obtain and secure individual freedom. In other words, given their tremendous distrust of government—also stemming from the American Revolution—they expect to be successful through their own efforts. In this episode, these two American values are discussed.

Americans pay a price, however, for their material wealth: hard work. The North American continent was rich in natural re­sources when the first settlers arrived, bat all these resources were undeveloped. In this episode, you will discover how these two American values are interrelated.

Equal opportunity, also called equality of opportunity, in political theory, the idea that people ought to be able to compete on equal terms, or on a “level playing field,” for advantaged offices and positions. In this episode, you will discover how equality and opportunity and competition are persistent beliefs in American culture.

National identity is a person's identity or sense of belonging to one state or to one nation. People with identification of their nation view national beliefs and values as personally meaningful and translate these beliefs and values into daily practices. In this episode, you will be able to notice what is the role of values in the American identity.

Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual. Individualism thus involves "the right of the individual to freedom and self-realization". In this episode, you will discover why Americans put so much emphasis on Individual Freedom.