Research Paper on:
Goals, Beliefs, Values, and Norms of American Society and its Subcultures

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
groupings based upon certain criteria. These innate classifications can represent significant social power, as in the case of beauty, wealth and status, or they can symbolize aspects of society  that people would just as soon forget. It can readily be argued that each and every person represents one subculture or another - that is to say that while  the masses as a whole represent the culture, the individuals who make up that culture in turn represent the subcultures. The Amish reflect a subculture of a broader American  society that aspires to the least complicated existence possible, having created an entirely separate set of norms, values, beliefs and goals apart from its contemporary American neighbors.  Simplicity is the affirmation of the Amish, a community of people whose religious beliefs mandate them to "forego ownership of modern amenities" (Faith in a Simpler  Life) including electricity, automobiles and telephones. Their choice to eschew the conveniences of contemporary technological advancement speaks to the obvious importance of filling basic needs with the standards of  natural application. The uncomplicated lifestyle the Amish lead is often subject to ridicule and contempt from outsiders who contend that the Amish have purposefully separated themselves from the rest  of society as a means by which to build a community of their own jurisdiction; however, the extent to which the Amish live and work as members of an unadorned  population thriving amidst a larger society of constant problems clearly endorses the benefits of a simple existence. One of the primary elements of conventional society that is conspicuously absent from  the Amish lifestyle is that of competition. Because they work together as a community, rather than opposing one another in the quest for material gain, the Amish can focus