I think in America, the most obvious (and often obnoxious) cultural value is that of being able to do whatever you want. People like to say "It's a free country" after they do something dumb or rude. There's also a strong feeling of equality, which sometimes (in my opinion) gets carried to an extreme extent -- a girl in my health class told the teacher that he was sexist for mentioning the fact that girls, and not guys, give birth. Boldness and confidence are also prized, although humility is also important. From what I see, most people do not care about money, and it is considered snobbish to care about it. For example, it would be horrifying if a girl married for money instead of love. Because English-speaking culture has a history of caring about money, the etiquette requires a certain amount of restraint (it's technically rude to ask someone what their job is). Old British literature and TV shows like Fawlty Towers represent the older attitude to money. If a girl gets married before about 21, it's usually considered unfortunate (and I think that people would assume she got pregnant). 29 is the traditional old-maid age. However, lots of women are putting marriage off until they're in their 30s, in the name of feminism. In general, guys tend to be a few years older, or the same age, as girls. A difference of more than 15 years or so is usually frowned upon. Two is the usual averagefor children. I think that 'only children' (children with no siblings) are pretty rare. If a woman has a lot of children, she might be looked down on by feminists, or admired by others. Knowledge is very important; the elementary schools are littered with signs that say "Knowledge is power" or "Reading takes you to other worlds." I think college is usually expected. Older people are technically treated with respect, but they are often made fun of. Food is, of course, a huge problem. We have so much, so people are overweight. Because there's a history of eating disorders, a lot of people have a devil-may-care attitude to food and weight. The phrase "Beauty at all sizes" is now a cliche. I think the most common problem is 'emotional eating' ... people try to eat their sorrows/angers/frustration/etc. I definitely think of food as my enemy :D Sport ... mmm, guys really like American football .... I don't know, I'm not sportsy) Girls and guys play sports.

In America we believe in freedom of the individual to pursue happiness, choose our own work, worship as our conscience dictates, live where we wish, and earn as much money as you wish. We also believe we should be able to protect ourselves and our families from outside forces. This might mean the right to own a gun to protect yourself. We believe the government should protect our rights, not take our rights away. We believe we should choose our government officials, and decide our laws, by majority rule. The government has limited power. We believe in freedom for everyone, regardless of religion or skin color. Young people choose their own mate in our country. They usually get married between 18-30.