In a Reddit thread asking the weirdest things Americans do, many users discussed how strange they thought it was that the US advertised prescription drugs. Sure, fried chicken is hardly a foreign conceptbut try explaining chicken-fried steak or deep-fried Oreos to a non-American. It's not that we're lazy, per se; it's just that we like to be comfyand despite the weird looks we get from European tourists, being cozy simply trumps looking put together sometimes. We dream of America and they dream about Europe. Through the eyes of an etic perspective, we can view the American higher educational system that we all accept as normal and question the system with critical comparisons between ours and those of other . The spectacle of the Tupinamb men in the French court, as described by Montaigne, could be said to be an instance of "reverse colonization," a phenomenon in which those who embarked in a colonial . The culture of the United States includes traditions, regional customs, institutions, art and so much more. Flashnewb, many Chinese people do not understand how America can function so "well" since the people here are all so different. Families also make sure they get a hold of a rather sizable green tree, butthey go outside of their property to find such a tree. I thought you had to go to a dedicated gun store for that. 15 Unique Aspects of American Culture. These kind greetings can catch foreigners by surprise, and usually it takes a few "hellos" before they trust that it's not some kind of scam. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. To begin, Ill stick with the positives. In continuation with time, the culture of the native people developed. In S.E. Not only did the geography of precontact America persist, but both the new arrivals and the indigenous inhabitants long retained their respective general characteristics, and it was the fit between . One problem that anthropologists may run in to is that people tend to act differently when they are being observed. It is more cozy (laughing), less restrictive (made drinking gesture)." In the Final Research Paper, you will examine your own culture from an etic (outsider's) perspective and another culture from an emic (insider's) perspective to demonstrate your understanding of cultural relativism and examine misconceptions and ethnocentric beliefs concerning each of these cultures. Holding "Trials of the Century". - Christopher Darroch, 39, actor, Toronto, "I was stunned to see how big everything is over there. In most other countries, when you buy a drink, that prince is for a single cupful of your beverage of choice. In this book, American culture refers to pattern and behavior of the mainstream. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The idea of being self-sufficient is valued highly in the U.S. When they do, the house and shrubs look very bright, and not a single house on the street is without these wires. This weird American habit leaves many foreign visitors asking, "How much water could you possibly need over the course of an hour or two?". The small and thin trees with exposed branches are often not given a second look and are left with the person selling the trees. I had a friend who drove for 16 hours to visit family for the weekend. Let's look at 10 traditions Americans celebrate without even considering how strange the rest of world consider them. They were floored (and clogged probably) -- Marcvsgrippa, Pumpkin flavored things, pumpkin is a vegetable yet it is always in seasonal items in combination with sweet flavors. when we mean "hello", Carding people who are obviously not under 21, Shopping at pharmacies that are mini shopping malls, And prescription drug makers that advertise, Pronouncing the last letter of the alphabet as "zee". The only way to properly do this is to be comfortable, because why relax when you could relax? Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.". "It's uncomfortable and I just don't get why," she wrote. 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Remembering that practices are driven by the culture someone is situated in, including our very own practices, is key to avoiding ethnocentrism the mistaken belief that your culture is the standard by which others should be compared. It seems that the boxes were for them all along, not another being or deity. When Al Jazeera becomes a major U.S. cable channel, as it plans, some Americans are likely to click past it, recalling the alleged anti-American tone by the pan-Arab network during the Iraq war a decade ago, CNN wrote in a not atypical comment. Many people's vacation days tend to pile up as the months of 50-hour workweeks roll on. The drum is . - Christopher Darroch, 39, actor, Toronto, "Capitalism. Many said they found it to be one of the weirdest things about being in the US. In the United States, pharmaciesthe closest things we have to chemistsdouble as convenience stores, with aisles upon aisles of food, cleaning supplies, and even makeup products. There's the American way and then there's everybody else. The American was easy to talk with and we had a lot of things in common. Ck14, 11. Suppose we have two cultures in presence. Now, I am not saying that America doesnt have its own cultural cues and certain ways that we act that makes us unique. "Body Rituals Among the Nacirema, " by Horace Miner, is an essay written about the Nacirema, or American people, from an outsider's perspective. It is especially hard for an outsider to gain access to certain private rituals, which may be important for understanding a culture. Amazing article that will definitely help people better understand how others may view their culture. In most other countries, you take the time to at least park the car and walk through the front doors of the place you're patronizingnot in America, though! The etic perspective is data gathering by outsiders that yield questions posed by outsiders. Okay, so besides us Americans in general, what about the other stuff, like our food, drink and entertainment? She does a great job of describing the US rituals of the Christian holiday, Christmas. While I thought this over, I also began to think of why people, myself especially, are so enthralled with other countries. Cultural relativism can be seen with the Chinese culture and their process of feet binding. Then they leave hard biscuits shaped like men and a cup of milk out next to the tree. I'll call the first one "A" (Americans, for instance). All of the Trump stuff in the U.S. has been depressing you would like to think people are smarter than that but definitely surprising and depressing to see how much support he has and how much support his ideas have." What we know so far about the Chinese spy balloon and other objects shot down by U.S. Ethnocentrism is the process of judging another culture exclusively from the perspective of one's own. Americans are unusually casual about handing over their credit cards in a way that tends to freak foreigners out. But in the U.S., people are happy to just toss their card in a folder with the bill and let the server take it away for swiping. Independence. Loudness. After considering how Black women might draw upon these key themes as outsiders within to generate a distinctive standpoint on existing sociological paradigms, I conclude by suggesting that other sociologists would also benefit The material items that are kept, though, seem to consume all the time of the children. They just don't get the idea of loyalty to the school. American culture is clearly more advanced than all other cultures. You can describe American culture in general, as Miner does, or you can describe an American subculture, such as a specific geographical group (e.g., New Yorkers), a particular ethnicity (e.g., African Americans), or an agerelated category of Americans (e.g., millennials). Guide to US and American culture, society, language, etiquette, customs, manners and protocol. We're desensitizing the wrong thing. As the stage moves on, Claudette has managed to separate a little more of herself from wolf culture by saying "I used my new motor skills. xhr.send(payload); You see, I even have two iPhones." Time to forget about any work you have to do, and treat the weekend as a weekend. Boy was I wrong. What does it mean to be an American? It's not uncommon to chat up a stranger while waiting on line or traveling on public transportation. To examine these facts other cultures are taken into consideration to accurately without prejudices towards African Americans. One of the hardest (or at least most expensive) things about being an outsider traveling in the United States is tipping. has brought about most of the customs and activities. This is down to the US communication style which is influenced by the need to be direct, clear . [], Your email address will not be published. Water, whiskey, sodaif it can be sipped, we put ice in it. The tree also seems to serve as some kind of offering place because people gradually place decorated boxes around the tree in the days leading up to Christmas. So much hard work gone to waste. And what do you think of when you think of a typical American? In America, on the other hand, taking time off is often treated like a sin. To simplify matters, let's assign letters (yup, engineer at work). - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, Havana, "I think the way they are talking and dealing with personal relations is quite direct. All Rights Reserved. In many instances, the name of a coin will tell you something about how much it's worth. Whats more is that once Christmas is over, all of the gaudy gems and balls on the tree have to be removed and the tree must be moved out of the house. I had a wonderful time doing my book report on "American Cultural Patterns: A cross-cultural Perspective". But to watch Al Jazeera Americas reports is to discover that the truth lies somewhere in between these visions the network as fundamentally foreign versus the network as all-American. If even we Americans don't get it, we can't expect anyone else to either. Ethnocentrism either restricts us to clear-cut, static, homogenous definitions of us-and-them, or . And it's a country with quite advanced technology industries. A journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. The point is that we have many amazing things in this country, but how much of it is concretely ours? Mehta, 34, health insurance agent, New Delhi, "Has a very liberal culture, great people and a country that drives innovation." - Sam Wang, 20, university student, Beijing, "My image of America is a country that goes to war anywhere in the world," - Susumu Inoue, 82, retired agricultural lab technician, Tokyo, "I think of Major League Baseball," Ayumi Takeoka, 41, housewife, Tokyo. What I've concluded from my time here so far is that most of the people in Europe consider Americans good-hearted, but completely insane people. You can describe American culture in general, as Miner does, or you can describe an American subculture, such as a specific geographical group (e.g., New Yorkers), a . So yes, they are fortunate, and it is God bless America - that's what makes America, America." Every once in a while, an outsider comes along with a new vision or a new way of doing things that revolutionizes a . Another oddity of American advertising are those spots you see for prescription medication during every commercial break. Nor am I saying that we dont have an intricately rich history that has shaped us to what we are today. It is so much work to get a hold of the tree and to decorate it, and it seems very important, yet at the end of the day many of the trees are thrown away. Part 1: An etic view of African American race from an outsiders perspective is believed as religious and demonstrates a unique lifestyle. In American-Indian culture, silence is valued as sacred. And in the opinions that came back, some clear threads emerge, anecdotal yet illuminating. Despite the fact that these people are so punctilious, about care of the mouth, this rite involves a practice which strikes the uninitiated stranger as revolting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Americans are also seen from afar as generous tippers, friendly, uncomplicated, rich and the standard bearers of freedom, equality, creativity and technological power. The culture can largely be referred to as Western culture, as much of it is shared with the Western world, but there are still influences that come from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Yet, America's admirers have felt betrayed by other shades of the American character: the military interventions in Vietnam, Iraq and elsewhere; the gun violence; the right (inexplicable to many) to carry weapons; the deep and angry racial divisions; and, lately, a presidential nominee calling for harsh restrictions on Muslims and Mexicans. And he said, 'Oh Canada! "Here in New Zealand, lemonade generally equals . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In most other English-speaking countrieslike Canada, Ireland, or England, the letter Z is pronounced zed. - Kanti, 74, travel agency owner, New Delhi. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In the U.S., every food order requires several decisions. the United States, along with further themes such as African-American culture, racism, religion, slavery, a sense of home,[5] segregation, migration, feminism, and more. Trick-or-Treating. cultural frames of reference" and "learn to step outside of their own thinking in order to examine it and also to acknowledge others' thinking" (pp. Uhh, that's a huge country. Native Americans are adapting to the pandemic with online events and educational videos to share their culture. 2. As an American this is something I love. One habit was found to help keep the brain healthy over time. Red Solo Cups are the symbol of college keggers and backyard barbecues alikeand yet, they're rarely seen outside of the U.S. At Slate, Seth Stevenson gave a good explanation of the appeal of the plastic cup: Its opaque color makes it impossible for authorities to casually tell what's in the cup; its sturdy design makes it virtually spill-proof; and its newly created square bottom makes it easy to hold. This works in making work more enjoyable too. Americans love their free refills. However, young people both in and outside the U.S. are particularly fond of American popular culture. Everything else, I do not understand.. Jeroen Seynhaeve / View all { 18 } / Vertaal naar Nederlands Traditional ways of evaluating cultures, and managing value clashes between these cultures, fail to generate desired results. Fenrir89, I get made fun of all the time in Russia for having an attachment to my college. Yes, we Americans admittedly like to go big or go homeand when foreigners come to visit, this is a concept that they quickly notice. right back and expect an answer," Sophie-Claire Hoeller wrote for The Independent. northern resident killer whale catalogue; incredibox character creator; peugeot 3008 panoramic roof problems. I believe they should understand the values that we have as Arabs, embrace them and try to go to a more local level to comprehend why we think and why we live the way we live." People are nice but superficial. But its one thing for big media companies from the prosperous West to make these domestic inroads overseas, and another thing for a network based in Qatar to reverse the flow and give Americans their version of the foreign gaze. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); The Outsiders was written by a teenager about teenagers. In most European countries, service fees are included in the price of a meal, and tips don't usually go above 8 to 12 percent. So that finally, outsiders will feel they belong. the culture being studied such that he/she can blend his/her etic (outsider) perspective with the emic (insider) perspective of the society being studied. It has hired big-name stars, including Soledad OBrien and Ali Velshi, from American networks. Andersen, Margaret L. and Taylor, Howard F. 2008. There is some discussion of dolphin infant mortality, but not so much about the issue in America even though it ranks close to the bottom among the advanced economies. The paper, written by University of Chicago trained anthropologist Horace Miner was originally published in 1956. - Antara Rao, 18, economics student, New Delhi, "(America) welcomes all different races." Americans are nothing if not by the book about the little things, so most foreigners quickly learn that it's wise to keep some form of ID on them at all times if they plan on having a drink. They believe in the right to have a good life and to help others to have a good life, and I think that's part of what makes them Americans."