american culture from an outsiders perspective

I hope that, without sounding whiny, sharing this might help others who also feel like outsiders see that, strangely, they are part of a community. Does the eating of the man-shaped biscuits represent some sacrifice? In S.E. Then they leave hard biscuits shaped like men and a cup of milk out next to the tree. Romances and horrors are great genres to cozy up to in the dark. Where unity and selflessness or altruism are valued traits in collectivist cultures, independence and . They miss nuances." Search CNNs Web site on the subject, and the links almost invariably carry you to content about beleaguered places like Madagascar. This is down to the US communication style which is influenced by the need to be direct, clear . Some of the answers are pretty hilarious and/or eye-opening. Reducto_Absurdum, Americans are obsessed with straight, white teeth. - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway, "When I was driving to North Carolina I stopped at McDonald's. Basically, I am wondering what non-Americans think of our culture, and of us in general. What is Ethnocentrism? Americans are gallant." And in the opinions that came back, some clear threads emerge, anecdotal yet illuminating. Countries whose intellectuals have long protested the Wests tendency toward Orientalism in its presentation of foreigners now have an opportunity to engage in a bit of Occidentalism.. It examines the body rituals and practices of US culture the way anthropologists used to other cultures in seemingly distant lands that seemed unusual, if not weird. Don't get me wrong, dental hygiene is important, but not everyone needs a perfect Hollywood smile. Once the tree is inside, for some reason they put it in the center of the room, and proceed to decorate it with various gaudy balls and gems on strings. It is a great country and would love to live there. The concept of dancing cheer squads that help support sports teams (or compete against each other) is pretty odd for most non-Americans. 3Peter N. Carroll and David W. Noble, The Free and the Unfree: A Progressive History of the United States, 3rd ed. There are few countries in which you'll encounter a billboard or bus ad for a divorce attorney or see several personal injury spots while watching half an hour of daytime TV. They are big and loud and they are in charge of everything." In America, on the other hand, taking time off is often treated like a sin. Ethnocentrism either restricts us to clear-cut, static, homogenous definitions of us-and-them, or . We dream of America and they dream about Europe. Time to forget about any work you have to do, and treat the weekend as a weekend. If not, think of a country or place where youve always wanted to go, and become aware of the images your mind creates when you think of this place and its people. I created a Chill Pill playlist on YouTube for some relaxing vibes. The American was easy to talk with and we had a lot of things in common. Ethnocentric people compare their culture to others on such elements as religion, behavior, language, customs, and norms. } else { At one moment, she is playing the game while addressing viewers, and, standing before us, begins to beat an innocent man with a golf club: fresh, jarring, thought-provoking television. From our portions to our PTO, here's where we differ from the rest of the world. Let's move to the music, more specifically, blues and jazz, which are two personal loves of mine. But one thing for sure, they cannot make beer." I do not understand the importance of this, as usually the father of the family just eats the biscuits and drinks the milk anyway, and it is always late at night when he does this too. northern resident killer whale catalogue; incredibox character creator; peugeot 3008 panoramic roof problems. Ethnocentric views are often closely tied to racism. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { The point is that we have many amazing things in this country, but how much of it is concretely ours? When described the way the Miner does, it sounds strange and maybe even a bit gross. In every public surveyed - including the U.S. - people ages 18 to 29 are more likely than those ages 65 and older to rate U.S. entertainment as above average or the best. Not in America it isn't! If movies aren't your style or you need a quieter way to relax, pick up a good book. Required fields are marked *. Instead, their purple Skittles taste like blackcurrantand while this fruity flavor used to be popular in America, legislators banned the fruit itself in the 20th century because it served as a vehicle for a wood-destroying disease known as white pine blister rust. When a young girl there was asked about the low-level warfare that engulfs her neighborhood, her answers heart-sinking simplicity seemed to vouch for this approach of chronicling America as though seeing it for the first time. American culture is clearly more advanced than all other cultures. We should not ethnocentrically impose our own beliefs and opinions, which are products of our own enculturation. It was reported to me that the ritual consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures.. The only normal part of the holiday seems to be the family gathering for dinner on Christmas day. Even when it's the dead of winter, coffee shops are still serving up iced coffee. 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. To get a better picture, think of 100 percent authentic Italian food and wine, visiting a thousand year old English castle that once held kings, queens, and knights, or the awe-inspired embellished clothing worn in the streets of India. As is tradition. The Socs live on the west side and are known as the west side rich kids who have all the breaks. Supersizing Food. As we said before, Americans live by the phrase, "The more, the merrier!". Grab a blanket and a glass of hot chocolate, and do these five warm indoor activities for those rainy winter days. [] https://thesocietypages.org/toolbox/nacirema/ (Links to an external site.) Whether you're heading into a bar or buying a six-pack at the grocery store, there's a good chance you'll be asked for your ID in the United Stateseven if you're well into your 50s. What does it mean to be an American? 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." Guide to US and American culture, society, language, etiquette, customs, manners and protocol. Lawrence Wetsit misses the days when his people would gather by the hundreds and . If we ask for a high price, they don't bargain. 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All Rights Reserved. This might be less surprising these days thanks to the ubiquity of Starbucks, but Americans originated the practice of ordering coffee to go, and it still strikes many Europeans as bizarre behavior. The Outsiders was written by a teenager about teenagers. - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, Havana, "I think the way they are talking and dealing with personal relations is quite direct. Included 600 grams of cheese. - B.S. In some of my classes, as part of a paper exploring the concepts and influenceof culture, I ask students to explore a ritual within their own culture but from an outsiders view as if they were witnessing the practice for the first time and trying to understand it. Now without the photo below (but maybe skewed by the photo above) and in the context of the rest of the paper, many students do not recognize this as our daily habit of brushing our teeth. Fair enough! 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 have to lift it up and tie it to the top of their vehicle, and then drive very slowly so the tree will not fall off the car. Burgers, the American dream, choppers, Elvis, cowboys. 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. - B.S. Cultural relativism can be seen with the Chinese culture and their process of feet binding. If you're a member of B, then . It's pretty infuriating to live somewhere where something as natural and beautiful as the human body is viewed as taboo and "corrupts" our youth, but a guy getting his head cut off or getting beaten to death is perfectly okay for kids to watch. We have black, asians, white, hispanics, indians just to name of few and yet we don't have massive in fighting between races or religions. While New York City famouslynever sleeps, it's not the only city with 24-hour businesses. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. Here is a link to start:https://thesocietypages.org/toolbox/nacirema/(Links to an external site. I had a wonderful time doing my book report on "American Cultural Patterns: A cross-cultural Perspective". Especially if you have school work to do, background music can help fill the silence of late night studying. I prefer it here. 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. NEW YORK Al Jazeera wants to make its name as American as pizzaburgers. I hate to put even more pressure on . In most other countries, however, an A/C unit is used sparingly, if at all. Yes, we Americans admittedly like to go big or go homeand when foreigners come to visit, this is a concept that they quickly notice. Scouring forums and blogs, I found that most found Americans very friendly, caring, welcoming, and open people who live in a geographically diverse nation! - Ayumi Takeoka, 41, housewife, Tokyo, First published on August 4, 2016 / 5:32 PM. The ones immediately outside their house are apparently not fit. Upon graduating secondary school, many Americans choose colleges and universities outside of and often far from their hometowns. . Whether we're dropping by the post office or shopping for groceries, we Americans are surprisingly comfortable with wearing our clothes typically reserved for bed out in public. 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). Miner describes Americans as "magic-ridden people" (Miner 2009, 507). They rip up all of the paper covering the boxes, and leave a mess on the floor. Tipping. Your email address will not be published. This I do not know. All of them wear shorts." Few embrace the spread of American culture in the predominantly Muslim nations surveyed, although many Lebanese (41%) do want American ideas and customs. 1 - A Chinese woman with her feet unbound. Okay, so besides us Americans in general, what about the other stuff, like our food, drink and entertainment? -- Teaching_man, I was not aware that you can buy guns in supermarkets in America. This extraordinary insight highlights the power that outsiders have, forcing us to see ourselves from an altogether different perspective. To begin, Ill stick with the positives. It's a wonderful country and there is high security, standard of living is very high. One could almost call them obsessed, as some houses have giant men, white bears, and black and white birds puffed full of air in front of their houses. 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 .

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