SOCIAL FORCES AMERICAN CULTURAL THEMES AND SOCIAL WORK MARY BOSWORTH TREUDLEY OCIAL anthropogists have concerned hierarchy of values being modified, and if so, in in recent years with the pt to dis- what directions? It is with such questions that ve unity to this paper is concerned American culture. These themes are described as generalized orientations, "powerful in their hold EFFORT AND OPTIMISM upon the American mind and imagination. 1 They are the standards of behavior to be found The basis for social work is the conviction that there is a way out of an individuals or a familys the"core culture, "developed by the early English difficulties. No situation is so bad that it cannot be settlers on American soil and accepted most fully bettered. To a certain extent improvement is today by the white Protestant Anglo-American lower middle class. They are the values of the brought about by the manipulation of the environ mass culture, the least common denominator of all client's active participation in his own salvation Social workers, however, part company with those ments of American society. a It seems worth while who believe that any American can solve all his to examine these high-level abstractions in relation to various subcultures at a somewhat more con problems by his own unaided effort. They offer their expert assistance in getting people out of crete level of analysis. The analytical scheme troubles too great for them to manage alone, and used in this paper is one proposed by Clyde and Florence Kluckhohn. The specialized socio-cul. their help is accepted by a steadily growing pro- tural system to which it is to be applied is that of portion of the population. Also in contradiction to the stereotypes of our culture, social workers are not possessed by a boundless optimism which The rapid development of social work, which they communicate to their clients. They promise appears on the surface to be so contrary to the only improvement, not ideal solutions. They urg both of the mass culture and of this particular those who come to them to make the best possible variant. Why should individuali compromise with reality. They hold out bitterly resentful of any outside interference of miracles, but only limited rewards for renewe their affairs, demand so much more of this type of ssistance than the steadily increasing number The change in orientation is not just in the de- schools of social work are prepared to provide? gree of optimism with which social workers the future prospects of their clients. Case his Furthermore, since the clients of social work indicate a certain qualitative change. American gencies come so largely from that segment of society most thoroughly indoctrinated in the core culture, as contrasted with Chinese culture for culture, the results of their experience with this example, has been dominantly goal-directed Ameri terms of possible culture change. Is the American Chinese are concerned with establishing and r 1 Clyde and Florence R. Kluckhohn, "American of the Chinese gentleman is considered by his Culture: Generalized Orientations and Class Patterns, friends and himself as a work of art, into whose in Lyman Bryson, et al.(eds ) Conflicts of Power in evaluation no utilitarian considerations enter Modern Culture(New York, 1947), p. 107. a Jurgen Ruesch, Social Technique, Social Status The personality of the American busi an Is cial Change in Illne ness, in Clyde Kluckhohn thought of as instrumental to the carrying on of and Henry A, Murray (eds ) Personality in Nature nterprises. ociety, and Cullare(New York, 1948), p. 127 The social worker is increasingly concerned with John w. Bennett and Melvin M. Tummin, Social the satisfactions to be secured through family Life:Structure and Function(New York, 1948), pp. relationships. She realizes that her clients will be engaged in purposive activities, but she judges her 4 See footnote 1 above own success he growing happiness of the290 SOCIAL FORCES AMERICAN CULTURAL THEMES AND SOCIAL WORK MARY BOSWORTH TREUDLEY Wellesley Gllege SOCIAL anthropogists have been concerned in recent years with the attempt to dis￾cover the themes which give unity to American culture. These themes are described as generalized orientations, "powerful in their hold upon the American mind and imagination."' They are the standards of behavior to be found in the "core culture," developed by the early English settlers on American soil and accepted most fully today by the white Protestant Anglo-American lower middle class.2 They are the values of the mass culture, the least common denominator of all the varied subcultures carried by different seg￾ments of American society.3 It seems worth while to examine these high-level abstractions in relation to various subcultures, at a somewhat more con￾crete level of analysis. The analytical scheme used in this paper is one proposed by Clyde and Florence Kluckhohn.4 The specialized socio-cul￾tural system to which it is to be applied is that of social work. The rapid development of social work, which appears on the surface to be so contrary to the American way of life, calls for some re-examination both of the mass culture and of this particular variant. Why should individualistic Americans, bitterly resentful of any outside interference in their affairs, demand so much more of this type of assistance than the steadily increasing number of schools of social work are prepared to provide? Furthermore, since the clients of social work agencies come so largely from that segment of society most thoroughly indoctrinated in the core culture, the results of their experience with this category of professionals needs to be evaluated in terms of possible culture change. Is the American hierarchy of values being modified, and if so, in what directions? It is with such questions that this paper is concerned. EFFORT AND OPTIMISM The basis for social work is the conviction that there is a way out of an individual's or a family's difficulties. No situation is so bad that it cannot be bettered. To a certain extent improvement is brought about by the manipulation of the environ￾ment, but increasing emphasis is laid upon the client's active participation in his own salvation. Social workers, however, part company with those who believe that any American can solve all his problems by his own unaided effort. They offer their expert assistance in getting people out of troubles too great for them to manage alone, and their help is accepted by a steadily growing pro￾portion of the population. Also in contradiction to the stereotypes of our culture, social workers are not possessed by a boundless optimism which they communicate to their clients. They promise only improvement, not ideal solutions. They urge those who come to them to make the best possible compromise with reality. They hold out no hope of miracles, but only limited rewards for renewed effort. The change in orientation is not just in the de￾gree of optimism with which social workers view the future prospects of their clients. Case histories indicate a certain qualitative change. American culture, as contrasted with Chinese culture for example, hasbeendominantly goal-directed. Ameri￾cans have been interested in getting things done. Chinese are concerned with establishing and main￾taining harmonious relationships. The personality of the Chinese gentleman is considered by his friends and himself as a work of art, into whose evaluation no utilitarian considerations enter. The personality of the American businessman is thought of as instrumental to the carrying on of enterprises. The social worker is increasingly concerned with the satisfactions to be secured through family relationships. She realizes that her clients will be engaged in purposive activities, but she judges her own success by the growing happiness of their I Clyde and Florence R. Kluckhohn, "American Culture: Generalized Orientations and Class Patterns," in Lyman Bryson, et al. (eds.), Conflicts of Power in Modern Culture (New York, 1947), p. 107. 2Jurgen Ruesch, "Social Technique, Social Status, and Social Change in Illness," in Clyde Kluckhohn and Henry A. Murray (eds.), Personality in Nature, Society, and Culture (New York, 1948),p. 127. 3 John W. Bennett and Melvin M. Tummin, Social Life: Structure and Function (New York, 1948), pp. 603-606, 623-629. 4See footnote 1 above