american culture from an outsiders perspective

She does a great job of describing the US rituals of the Christian holiday, Christmas. Now, I am not saying that America doesnt have its own cultural cues and certain ways that we act that makes us unique. 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). Loudness. To find out, I thought that I should get a view from the outside of the proverbial white picket fenced, good ol Murican home. While I dont think its exactly a secret that a stereotype of Americans portrays us as arrogant, ignorant, loud and so on. 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 . Many posts I read from spoke about not being able to even eat our bread because it was so sugary. We're desensitizing the wrong thing. 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". I dont wear any shoes that I cant run in, she said. Build a pillow fort on your bed in any clear space using four chairs, an abundance of blankets and all the pillows you can find. These wires are attached to a side of the house and only come on at night. -- Countsblink, Made Mac n cheese for my aussie cousins. It has hired big-name stars, including Soledad OBrien and Ali Velshi, from American networks. Cushman (2009) used an active learning methodology to explore minority students' insider knowledge and make outsiders aware of their lack of knowledge relative to The beliefs, customs, art, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time. 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. 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. Independence. Foreigners are constantly baffled by the volume of stuff Americans seem to think they need, and superstores are a perfect encapsulation of this strange sentiment. . But people expect to be tipped so that is why they are so services-minded. He also emptied my friend's fridge, saying he's used to eating and drinking whenever he feels hungry or thirsty. Such houses, I have observed, draw peoples eyes as they pass by. They are also unified in the sense that the dream isn't really a real thing anymore. Culture, or the environment a person is exposed to, can alter how people behave, along with shaping part of someone's, or their whole, life. America permeated their lives - through comics and Coke, through Hollywood and Neil Armstrong, and via the internet, iPhone and Facebook. The reality doesn't match the ideal. } "It's uncomfortable and I just don't get why," she wrote. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mix it up using almond or coconut milk. Shopping malls, meals, people, cars. } But there is an ideology that unites them all." - Zhila Gudzueva, university lecturer, Moscow, "My definition of Americans is those who are cheerful, friendly and willing to communicate." Why have an 8-ounce steak when you can have a 20-ounce one? To be fair, most Americans don't either. They look super fake. Although the insight of an outsider can clearly observe another's culture, I do not agree with him or her criticizing it as if it is his or her own country. In most countries outside the U.S., vacation time is a highly utilized way to get away from work for a few weeks (or even months) every year. 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. In many instances, the name of a coin will tell you something about how much it's worth. Adam Schubak Partnerships Editor Adam is a writer based out of New . - Ksenia Smertova, 21, student, Moscow, "America? However, while the quarter makes senseseeing as its value is equivalent to one-fourth of a dollarthat's the only coin whose name is at all logical in terms of its worth. "Sometimes I enjoy ordering freakishly large things over hereit turns consumption into tourism and makes me feel as though I'm at a carnival. - Christopher Darroch, 39, actor, Toronto, "I was stunned to see how big everything is over there. These Americans, thus, are all quite concerned with the overall presentation of their houses: they make sure other people see and admire them. It's not uncommon to chat up a stranger while waiting on line or traveling on public transportation. -- Nionvox, and extreme violence/gore is considered normal, and shown regularly on TV. You have your hot chocolate made, playlist downloaded, movie set and books chosen. You might have been counting down the days until spring, but make the most of these chilly and cloudy days. Native Americans believe that the beating of the drum is a uniting force, bringing together people of different tribes, as well as uniting a person's spirit to their body and mind. Throughout the novel The Outsiders, readers can see just how harshly culture can change people. This one might seem obvious, but what if I told you that having a cup of hot cocoa is more than chocolate powder in warm milk? 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! Everything else, I do not understand.. 1) Outside Marketing Firms Bring Fresh Thinking. Sometimes, you need an outsiders perspective to get a clearer and wider view of things. The novelty here has at least two dimensions. Search CNNs Web site on the subject, and the links almost invariably carry you to content about beleaguered places like Madagascar. 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 . And yet the "Ugly American," it would seem, isn't all bad. And they are a people that like having a lot of fun and their brands: McDonald's, all of that, makes the American identity or North American we call them North Americans rather than Americans, because we all are Americans." Once the family has picked out their rather plump tree, they have to go through the challenging and exhausting task of bringing it back to their home. If you're a member of B, then . An emic view of culture is ultimately a . It's like your entire concept of beauty hangs on it. American culture, they help younger generations avoid changing their personalities to be accepted. An Outsider Looks at Life in America. } ); What am saying, or asking rather, is what makes us American to non-Americans? Through this process, Asian American parents can be transformed themselves, and maybe shift their own conceptions of education towards the one I hold and do their part in encouraging a cultural shift that will benefit future generations, as this new conception of education becomes the one that is passed down. The only normal part of the holiday seems to be the family gathering for dinner on Christmas day. The growth and diversification of the Asian American population in recent years has been nothing short of phenomenal. So much hard work gone to waste. Through this exercise, students hopefully see both their own and other cultures in a new light one that understands how we are all so embedded in a culture that it is difficult not to see dramatically different rituals as exotic or weird. America gave birth to these two soulful genres and in my personal opinion from my search that is that the world is very glad, as these genres gave birth to rock, pop, rap, and hip-hop. Miner takes the approach of explaining the body ritual among the Nacirema from an outsider's point of view, with no real understanding of the American culture. I was wearing a T-shirt that said, 'You Can't Get This In The States.' Anyone can have a good idea, so you could expect the distribution of U.S. patents to resemble the demographics of the workplace. Even when it's the dead of winter, coffee shops are still serving up iced coffee. DESCRIBE THE COUNTRY AS YOU SEE IT: "The first word that comes to mind when I hear the word America is 'Arrogance.' Guide to US and American culture, society, language, etiquette, customs, manners and protocol. I came to realize how many things are truly American and what makes us great people of a great nation. 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. Al Jazeera America, since going on air on Aug. 20, has worked hard to fight off suggestions of foreignness. They also put some wires around it, which when attached to the wall, make the tree look very bright. Their approach is different from ours we do it because we care about others, they do it because they get tips they were raised that way." In fact, most of these Americans I have observed highly treasure their material items from under the tree as they pay more attention to them than to fellow Americans. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Figure 1.6. Does the eating of the man-shaped biscuits represent some sacrifice? And after 9/11, the world grieved with America. [email protected] +44 0330 027 0207 or +1 (818) 532-6908 . AMS 111: American Culture, Values and Traditions: American Outsiders Section D301 T-Th., 12:30-1:45, Carman Hall, Room 233 Instructor: Kathleen Brennan Kathleen.Brennan@lehman.cuny.edu, Kbrennan@gc.cuny.edu Office hours: Tuesdays, 3:30 - 4:30, Room 292 Google Documents: Sign In: LehmanAMS111@gmail.com Password: Carman233 This course is designed to investigate issues of American citizenship . 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., 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. Even though winter is ending soon, it does not mean the cold is. - Liu Xiaodan, 30, hotel manager, Beijing, "My impression of Americans is that they uncomplicated. This extraordinary insight highlights the power that outsiders have, forcing us to see ourselves from an altogether different perspective. Fenrir89, I get made fun of all the time in Russia for having an attachment to my college. It seems that the boxes were for them all along, not another being or deity. From an etic perspective, American practices probably seem just as strange or unusual to outsiders as other cultural practices sometimes appear to us before we understand the cultural context behind them. From the exotic to the ancient, and to the high end cities of the world, we are obsessed. This story deals with issues that are very close to the hearts of teens, whether in the 1960s when this book was written or today. 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 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. 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. Reducto_Absurdum, Americans are obsessed with straight, white teeth. } else { So when it is too cold for an ice cream party, you can have a hot chocolate party instead! Many say how underrated our beer is. In fact, Al Jazeera may represent something quite new in the business (though not unprecedented): the foreign gaze for domestic consumption. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The process often began between four and seven years old. After searching the web, I have found a few answers to my questions and quandaries about what makes usus. The biggest thing I found was that non-Americans are almost disgusted by the sheer amount of sugar in almost all our food. Tipping. One child was given a circle with a hole in it, which was in a rectangular case, and he put this circle into a box and proceeded to stare at the screen and hold a device attached to the box by a wire. 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. In most other countries, when you buy a drink, that prince is for a single cupful of your beverage of choice. They must be of some great importance or have some great wisdom, which allows them the honor of completing this task. The more multi-cultural our cities become, the more globalization and hyper-mobility affect our culture, the more it's normal not to be normal. And he drank tap water oh no!" And so Al Jazeera Americas recent three-part series on Grand Theft Auto V, a much-heralded new video game, went further and harder than many rivals reports. Cultural relativism can be seen with the Chinese culture and their process of feet binding. While New York City famouslynever sleeps, it's not the only city with 24-hour businesses. From our portions to our PTO, here's where we differ from the rest of the world. I can imagine that persons evaluation would be something like the following: During this holiday called Christmas, families take great care to ensure that they decorate their houses and various shrubs with wires. You don't see cheerleaders at the World Cup, do you? Like, for example, in real life, you cant kill people. 20 American Habits That All Other Countries Think Are Crazy. Innovation is widely viewed as an engine of progress not only for driving economic growth, but also for bringing vital improvements in a variety of domains, from science and medicine to inequality and sustainability. Many are so flabbergasted by the amount of choices we have in, not only our restaurants, but our grocery stores as well. We love our cheese. The second one is "B", the one you're attempting to write about (say, Chinese, Vietnamese, French). 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. The cultural norms and values surrounding the artifacts are relative to the Native American culture and cannot be understood or appreciated from an outsider's perspective. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group, Saying "how are you?" But seriously, don't do it. As well as supporting your college as an alumni. It's the many electronics we have the bridge in San Francisco." You see, I even have two iPhones." - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines, "A friend had an American friend over and he was surprised to see how laid back we are. It did the same for a story from New Orleans on how murder victims survivors cope with their loss. 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. Saysthingsfromabush, In Scotland our equivalents are ceilidhs and in school you just go and f***ing dance. American culture encompasses the customs and traditions of the United States. The photo below shows different tools for cleaning ones teeth yes, even the sticks. Despite the fact that these people are so punctiliousabout care of the mouth, this rite involves a practice which strikes the uninitiated stranger as revolting. In most other countries, however, an A/C unit is used sparingly, if at all. 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. Hash browns or home fries? For a country that's the center of the global economy, America's currency is pretty dull. - Kenni Friis, 28, computer technology student, Copenhagen, Denmark, "You can easily distinguish an American like here in the restaurant. For foreigners, the excessively large cracks in the stall doors in public restrooms are just plain confounding. 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. For those who are used to a more leisurely meal with little interruption, all of those check-ins and the waiter's eagerness to bring the bill can be a bit grating. Eggs are a universal delicacy, but outside of the U.S., they are seldom stored in the fridge. There are two gangs in this novel, the "greasers", and the "Socs". Interpersonal relations among Americans are much more practical, in contrast to the complicated way that we Chinese people treat each other." Baby Showers. An outsider can clearly observe behavior but they cannot understand it while conversely an American would not be able to observe an attitude but they would be able to understand the . African . An odd ritual occurs the night right before Christmas: children hang socks above a structure that houses a fire although they look far too large to be anyones sock. D. When Asian Americans speak about their experiences as minorities, they help younger generations feel comfortable in