Dr. Robert OsburnDr. Robert Osburn

Lecturer, Dept. of Educational Policy Lecturer, Dept. of Educational Policy and Administrationand Administration

Executive Director, Wilberforce Executive Director, Wilberforce Academy (Academy (training college students to training college students to help develop their home societies)help develop their home societies)

Genetics and Religion symposium Genetics and Religion symposium (September 26, 2009)(September 26, 2009)

Teach two courses in Spring 2010:Teach two courses in Spring 2010:– Religion, Ethics, and Educational Religion, Ethics, and Educational

PolicyPolicy (undergrad; 3 credits) (undergrad; 3 credits)– Religion and International Religion and International

DevelopmentDevelopment (grad and undergrad; 3 (grad and undergrad; 3 credits)credits)

Navigating American Navigating American CultureCultureRobert Osburn, PhDRobert Osburn, PhD

Executive DirectorExecutive Director

Wilberforce AcademyWilberforce Academy

Presentation to China Outreach MinistriesPresentation to China Outreach Ministries

August 8, 2009August 8, 2009

The “Three Threes”The “Three Threes”

Three primary American cultural Three primary American cultural distinctives distinctives

Three primary trends in American Three primary trends in American cultureculture

Three primary resources for Three primary resources for successful navigation of American successful navigation of American life and culturelife and culture

A Letter from a A Letter from a Singaporean Chinese Singaporean Chinese FriendFriend

““When Americans have dogs and cats in their homes---When Americans have dogs and cats in their homes---sometimes on their beds--- what's a trifling thing like sometimes on their beds--- what's a trifling thing like shoes on their feet in their homes?shoes on their feet in their homes?

What I find more interesting is to see well-dressed What I find more interesting is to see well-dressed Americans walking on the streets--barefoot. No, they Americans walking on the streets--barefoot. No, they are not hobos. They daintily carry their very nice are not hobos. They daintily carry their very nice shoes in their hands. shoes in their hands.

And...what about restaurant signs that read "No socks, no And...what about restaurant signs that read "No socks, no shoes, no service"? shoes, no service"?

You see...when some Americans are in their homes, they You see...when some Americans are in their homes, they wear their shoes. When they are outside their homes, wear their shoes. When they are outside their homes, they go barefoot.they go barefoot.

America is a wonderful place,America is a wonderful place,XXXXXX XXX”XXXXXX XXX”

Cultural Cultural Contradictions and Contradictions and

ComplexitiesComplexities

Three Primary Three Primary American Cultural American Cultural DistinctivesDistinctives

IndividualismIndividualism PragmatismPragmatism DynamismDynamism

Three Primary Three Primary American Cultural American Cultural DistinctivesDistinctives

IndividualismIndividualism– Identified by individual Identified by individual

accomplishments, not the communities accomplishments, not the communities that help them succeedthat help them succeed

– Bowling AloneBowling Alone: : The Collapse and Revival The Collapse and Revival of American Communityof American Community (2001), by (2001), by Harvard professor Robert PutnamHarvard professor Robert Putnam

– Personal responsibility for the world = Personal responsibility for the world = Innovation and creativityInnovation and creativity

Three Primary Three Primary American Cultural American Cultural DistinctivesDistinctives

IndividualismIndividualism– Habits of the Heart Habits of the Heart (1985), by (1985), by

Berkeley professor Robert Bellah:Berkeley professor Robert Bellah: Expressive individualism = Expressing Expressive individualism = Expressing

yourself so as to gain the attention of yourself so as to gain the attention of othersothers

Utilitarian individualism = Using people Utilitarian individualism = Using people and things to accomplish personal and things to accomplish personal objectives objectives

Three Primary Three Primary American Cultural American Cultural DistinctivesDistinctives

IndividualismIndividualism Pragmatism = Valuing what works Pragmatism = Valuing what works

more than valuing that which more than valuing that which corresponds to realitycorresponds to reality– Rewards hard work, planning, and Rewards hard work, planning, and

meeting real needsmeeting real needs– American pragmatism has always American pragmatism has always

benefited from Christian ethic of benefited from Christian ethic of honestyhonesty

– Closest similarity to Chinese cultureClosest similarity to Chinese culture

Three Primary Three Primary American Cultural American Cultural DistinctivesDistinctives

IndividualismIndividualism PragmatismPragmatism Dynamism = Importance of Dynamism = Importance of

change and innovation, rather change and innovation, rather than stabilitythan stability– Assumes relatively stable moral Assumes relatively stable moral

frameworkframework

Three Primary Trends Three Primary Trends in American Life and in American Life and CultureCulture

Culture WarCulture War PluralismPluralism GlobalizationGlobalization

Three Primary Trends Three Primary Trends in American Life and in American Life and CultureCulture

Culture War = Since 1970, two Culture War = Since 1970, two moral visions have competed:moral visions have competed:– Christian vision of absolute, Christian vision of absolute,

enduring morality based in God enduring morality based in God (many Jews and Muslims share this)(many Jews and Muslims share this)

– Postmodern vision of changing Postmodern vision of changing morality based on social needsmorality based on social needs

Three Primary Trends Three Primary Trends in American Life and in American Life and CultureCulture

Culture WarCulture War Pluralism = Pluralism =

– (1) Multiple moral and religious (1) Multiple moral and religious visions for American societyvisions for American society

– (2) Multiple ethnicities sharing life in (2) Multiple ethnicities sharing life in USA, including millions of people USA, including millions of people with Chinese ancestrywith Chinese ancestry

Three Primary Trends in Three Primary Trends in American Life and American Life and CultureCulture

Culture WarCulture War PluralismPluralism Globalization = Increasing inter-Globalization = Increasing inter-

connection between America and the connection between America and the rest of the world, particularly because of rest of the world, particularly because of technology, trade, travel, and business technology, trade, travel, and business – American problems are no longer separate American problems are no longer separate

from problems of others around the globefrom problems of others around the globe

Samuel Huntington: Samuel Huntington: Who Are We? The Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National IdentityChallenges to America’s National Identity (2004). (2004).

Three Resources for Three Resources for Navigating American CultureNavigating American Culture

Reliable mapReliable map Fellow travelersFellow travelers Wise guideWise guide

Three Resources for Three Resources for Navigating American CultureNavigating American Culture

Reliable mapReliable map– ““Mental map,” or worldview that Mental map,” or worldview that

helps you make sense of what you helps you make sense of what you encounter in Americaencounter in America Helps makes sense of cultural Helps makes sense of cultural

contradictions in US America, as well as contradictions in US America, as well as cultural complexitiescultural complexities

Ultimately, it should correspond to the Ultimately, it should correspond to the shape of realityshape of reality

Three Resources for Three Resources for Navigating American CultureNavigating American Culture

Reliable mapReliable map– ““Mental map,” or worldview that helps Mental map,” or worldview that helps

you make sense of what you encounter in you make sense of what you encounter in AmericaAmerica

– Thee are three primary “mental maps” Thee are three primary “mental maps” that define US American culturethat define US American culture

Scientific naturalism (science/technology)Scientific naturalism (science/technology) Postmodernism (humanities/social sciences)Postmodernism (humanities/social sciences) Christianity (historical basis for US America)Christianity (historical basis for US America)

Three Resources for Three Resources for Navigating American CultureNavigating American Culture

Reliable mapReliable map Fellow travelersFellow travelers

– Kind, honest and generousKind, honest and generous– Needed when facing the “U-curve of Needed when facing the “U-curve of

adjustment” (next 6 months)adjustment” (next 6 months)– Followers of Jesus ChristFollowers of Jesus Christ

Three Resources for Three Resources for Navigating American CultureNavigating American Culture

Reliable mapReliable map Fellow travelersFellow travelers Wise GuideWise Guide

– Obstacles and challenges greater Obstacles and challenges greater than you can imaginethan you can imagine

– One who never abandons you, but One who never abandons you, but carries you safely alongcarries you safely along

– Jesus Christ (rational choice to follow Jesus Christ (rational choice to follow Him) Him)

The “Three Threes”The “Three Threes”

Three primary American cultural Three primary American cultural distinctives distinctives

Three primary trends in American Three primary trends in American cultureculture

Three primary resources for Three primary resources for successful navigation of American successful navigation of American life and culturelife and culture

Three QuestionsThree Questions

What attracted you to study in What attracted you to study in the USA?the USA?

What is your biggest surprise What is your biggest surprise about American culture and life?about American culture and life?

What do you think about the What do you think about the suggested resources for suggested resources for navigating American life and navigating American life and culture?culture?