the time of his interview, BrianÆs individual value system placed family interactions above material and business success, although he noted this had not always been so. But the authors contend that, despite his ôgenuine devotionö for his family and ôhis own resilient self-confidence,ö BrianÆs justification for his current value system and his commitment to it do not seem to be based on an immutable ethical foundation (Bellah et. al., 1996, p. 8).
In addition to Brian Palmer, Bellah et. al. relate the stories of many other Americans whose current value systems seem to place social, community and family relationships above individual success, but who, like Brian, find themselves conflicted over their desire to impute these values to others. This analysis highlights the contradiction
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