Anyone can have a good idea, so you could expect the distribution of U.S. patents to resemble the demographics of the workplace. Hash browns or home fries? ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The background. Search CNNs Web site on the subject, and the links almost invariably carry you to content about beleaguered places like Madagascar. xhr.send(payload); The term is frequently heard in situations . I prefer hanging out with Canadians or students from Europe, because at least they are quite polite." The point is that we have many amazing things in this country, but how much of it is concretely ours? In a moments answer, a culture is revealed anew. It has gone beyond the usual New York-Washington presence of overseas networks, with plans for bureaus in Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Los Angeles; Miami; Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans; San Francisco; and Seattle. This is baffling to many foreigners, especially since, by the time they're in their 30s, they've been drinking legally for more than two decades. They also put some wires around it, which when attached to the wall, make the tree look very bright. Interpersonal relations among Americans are much more practical, in contrast to the complicated way that we Chinese people treat each other." I dont wear any shoes that I cant run in, she said. 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. As we said before, Americans live by the phrase, "The more, the merrier!". So, traveling down any city block, suburban street, or rural road, a foreigner will probably encounter at least a few American flags flying high, which likely isn't the norm in their home country. 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. This works in making work more enjoyable too. People also stop and like to gather around the tree and gaze at it. 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. They just don't get the idea of loyalty to the school. Let's look at 10 traditions Americans celebrate without even considering how strange the rest of world consider them. cota main grandstand; chocolate pudding with 2 percent milk has brought about most of the customs and activities. Extra-Large Food Portions. Americans are also seen from afar as generous tippers, friendly, uncomplicated, rich and the standard bearers of freedom, equality, creativity and technological power. - Kanti, 74, travel agency owner, New Delhi. Upon graduating secondary school, many Americans choose colleges and universities outside of and often far from their hometowns. On my search I was pleasantly surprised to see the opposite view. OR WHAT IDENTIFIES AS AMERICAN TO YOU? Due to the individuals moulding as an anthropologist and as a person by society, ethnographies can be clouded by researchers views on subjects as active agents through upbringing, sex . Concept of building up the courage to ask someone to a ceilidh is simply ridiculous. Flashnewb, many Chinese people do not understand how America can function so "well" since the people here are all so different. 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. The biggest thing I found was that non-Americans are almost disgusted by the sheer amount of sugar in almost all our food. Cheese is life people. For inquiring minds, think of our food. They are taken to a store where, when presented with a slip of paper, can be exchanged for currency. By looking at our own cultures as outsiders we can see that we are under the same influence of the power of culture as others are. 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. Figure 1.6. Does the eating of the man-shaped biscuits represent some sacrifice? Not in America it isn't! 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. 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. Obviously (the people) don't have much to do with the government's political decisions but I do think that it is a big, powerful country that has always tried to dominate countries it doesn't favor." 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. So that finally, outsiders will feel they belong. If you want a second soda in a place like Paris, for example, be prepared to dole out some extra cash. Mehta, 34, health insurance worker, New Delhi, "America is a land of opportunities. 600 Words3 Pages. "Here in New Zealand, lemonade generally equals . 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. While many Americans feel their nation is divided as never before, a sampling of the rest of the world reflects a more charitable view. The process often began between four and seven years old. I did not find any discrimination. 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. The idea of being self-sufficient is valued highly in the U.S. American Culture: The Outsider's Perspective. paper from an anthropological perspective. "hey would you like to come and get bruised with me doing some fast dances to violins?" The most peculiar act, however, has yet to be done. Anyone can read what you share. They desire a different one, which holds more importance. But people expect to be tipped so that is why they are so services-minded. When a store clerk or acquaintance in America asks, "How are you doing?" In America, the letter Z is, well, zee. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Persons from religious perspectives other than Christianity, which emphasizes "individual salvation," may see the individual as equal to all living things, as on a journey toward individual fulfillment, or even as . At another moment, she sits beside an 11-year-old as he plays the game, asking him, simply enough, what he likes in it. We in Europe have smaller things What I liked when I was over there was the service level, it was very high. You see, I even have two iPhones." The difference is one of cultural ownership and general acknowledgement, of giving credit where it's dueespecially when credit is long overdue to a historically oppressed people. Sign in to comment to your favorite stories, participate in your community and interact with your friends. - Liu Xiaodan, 30, hotel manager, Beijing, "My impression of Americans is that they uncomplicated. 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. I mean, for the love of our sacredly majestic Bald Eagle, apple pie isnt even American! Adam Schubak Partnerships Editor Adam is a writer based out of New . However, often is not noticed or realized how extreme some people are willing to go to conform to the expected norm of American society, until one looks at the demands that society places upon us from the outsider's perspective of American culture. The ones immediately outside their house are apparently not fit. 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. To outsiders, Blacks may appear terse or disinterested. Driven by sustained immigration and refugee resettlement during the 1970s and 1980s, Asian Americans have emerged as the nation's fastest growing racial group. A journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. The photo below shows different tools for cleaning ones teeth yes, even the sticks. But elsewhere, there's no reason why eggs can't sit out on a shelf or counter. DESCRIBE THE COUNTRY AS YOU SEE IT: "The first word that comes to mind when I hear the word America is 'Arrogance.' One of the hardest (or at least most expensive) things about being an outsider traveling in the United States is tipping. Scouring forums and blogs, I found that most found Americans very friendly, caring, welcoming, and open people who live in a geographically diverse nation! Andersen, Margaret L. and Taylor, Howard F. 2008. What does it mean to be an American? It has hired big-name stars, including Soledad OBrien and Ali Velshi, from American networks. The concept of dancing cheer squads that help support sports teams (or compete against each other) is pretty odd for most non-Americans. 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." - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, Havana, "Technology makes Americans American." -- Nionvox, and extreme violence/gore is considered normal, and shown regularly on TV. They simply don't see us as their equal but we are. Americans love their red, white, and blueeven when it's not the Fourth of July or Veterans' Day. - Ziva Meizels, retiree, Jerusalem, "I think their patriotism, you know, God bless America. Required fields are marked *. Evidently, we're a very trusting sort. Al Jazeera America has brought this approach to Chicagos violence, actually arranging a sit-down interview with working gang leaders, openly discussing their drugs, guns and ways. "Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is . By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 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". . 'Get away!' I screamed." (234) Claudette resists the urge to use wolf like communication to talk to Mirabella to stop chasing her, and instead uses human communication . Tipping. Nor am I saying that we dont have an intricately rich history that has shaped us to what we are today. Reducto_Absurdum, Americans are obsessed with straight, white teeth. And it is a great country; I have visited it. On TripAdvisor, one German tourist even commented on her love of visiting New York, save for these restroom door gaps. I was wearing a T-shirt that said, 'You Can't Get This In The States.' "It's uncomfortable and I just don't get why," she wrote. 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 "emic" approach is an insider's perspective, which looks at the beliefs, values, and practices of a particular culture from the perspective of the people who live within that culture. Costco, Wal-Mart, and other big-box stores that you need a map to navigate are a particularly American thing. NEW YORK Al Jazeera wants to make its name as American as pizzaburgers. I explained it was a joke, I was from Canada. - Rosa Moscoso, 42, Havana, "A country of freedom, particularly freedom of thought. The only way to properly do this is to be comfortable, because why relax when you could relax? 2016 The Associated Press. I don't understand why other cultures are all so primitive. She was a happy person, better than my Chinese roommate there were three of us in the room. The amount of older people I saw on my trip wearing college gear was insane. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.". In fact, in a 2017 report from the National Retail Federation, 65 percent of consumers reported owning a U.S. flag. We're desensitizing the wrong thing. This extraordinary insight highlights the power that outsiders have, forcing us to see ourselves from an altogether different perspective. 1. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Burgers, the American dream, choppers, Elvis, cowboys. I had a friend who drove for 16 hours to visit family for the weekend . People are nice but superficial. American culture is clearly more advanced than all other cultures. 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 . I'll call the first one "A" (Americans, for instance). Throughout the novel The Outsiders, readers can see just how harshly culture can change people. By the time you've been inside an American establishment in the summertime for just 10 minutes, you'll be freezing cold and eager to get back out into the sweltering sun. 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. To non-Americans the fact that we have a choice of, what kind of bread we want our sandwich on, and what kind of cheese we want on said sandwich, along with what kind of dressing, is just mind blowing. I came to realize how many things are truly American and what makes us great people of a great nation. -- B_Underscore, A friend came from the UK and he said Wal-mart was the weirdest thing, you could buy 24 rolls of toilet paper and a 12 gauge shotgun in the same store. But its way of seeing is foreign, the perspective of the curious outsider for whom nothing is obvious and whose questions are big and nave and, in their navet, important. 1 - A Chinese woman with her feet unbound. Americans are, apparently, much friendlier than most people around the world. They are big and loud and they are in charge of everything." Using an etic perspective, we can gain an outsiders view on our cultural practices that we deem "normal" in comparison to other cultures. Warning: "continue" targeting switch is equivalent to "break".Did you mean to use "continue 2"? - Ingerlise Kristensen, 68, retired bank employee, Copenhagen, Denmark, "America is food fast food and (Coca) Cola. It's like your entire concept of beauty hangs on it. There was a bit of a culture shock when I first went there because the way people dress there is very much different from the way we dress here. Everything else, I do not understand.. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Every once in a while, an outsider comes along with a new vision or a new way of doing things that revolutionizes a . } else { Romances and horrors are great genres to cozy up to in the dark. I had a wonderful time doing my book report on "American Cultural Patterns: A cross-cultural Perspective". - Kenni Friis, 28, computer technology student, Copenhagen, Denmark, "You can easily distinguish an American like here in the restaurant. As is tradition. And so when this newspaper or any other writes about Italy or Ghana, Italians and Ghanaians can now read it. Holidays are integral parts of different cultures and by looking at them through the eyes of an outsider, we can see how culture influences perspective. The Outsiders was actually published when the author was only 17 years old. Oh, and side note, the customer service in America is seen as amazing. Miner gives an insight on the Nacireman people, which he describes in his essay as an unknown tribe, and the completing of the Nacireman's magical beliefs . All Rights Reserved. I hate to put even more pressure on . To examine these facts other cultures are taken into consideration to accurately without prejudices towards African Americans. I found this quite interesting and maybe a bit eye opening, because as Americans, these things are completely normal to us. 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. - Antara Rao, 18, economics student, New Delhi, "(America) welcomes all different races." - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines, "Many things their arrogant ideology of a powerful country and above all they have a language that is practically universal and almost everyone depends on that language. Covering the United States this way means, for starters, reporting on subjects like infant mortality. Therapists say it can damage your connection. 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. From our portions to our PTO, here's where we differ from the rest of the world. Most European travelers expect to place their order and then be done interacting with their server for the remainder of their meal. Nacirema, that "exotic", far-off place where people do "strange" things is one of the best ways to help students look at American culture as an observer rather than as the standard by which all other cultures should be compared. While I thought this over, I also began to think of why people, myself especially, are so enthralled with other countries. And what do you think of when you think of a typical American? Why have an 8-ounce steak when you can have a 20-ounce one? What may feel totally normal to Americans is often far from it for outsiders. Is this not a national travesty? In most other English-speaking countrieslike Canada, Ireland, or England, the letter Z is pronounced zed. Many American kids and teenagers leave home for extended periods of time, often for summer camps or travel. There's the American way and then there's everybody else. I have recently begun thinking about my country and our culture, and wanted to learn more about what exactly makes an American. Lastly, the best part is the toppings. 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? Sure, fried chicken is hardly a foreign conceptbut try explaining chicken-fried steak or deep-fried Oreos to a non-American. - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway, "Everything in America is high tech!" To be fair, most Americans don't either. 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. What do they think of when they think of America? Individualism vs. Collectivism. In this game you can.. 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In England, the so-called "chemist" is the place you go to for medicine and medical suppliesand that's it. While every region of the United States has its own quirks and identity, there are also certain customs that are commonplace nationwide. } Get the picture? The material items that are kept, though, seem to consume all the time of the children. Given that the school-age Asian American population doubled in the . Many are so flabbergasted by the amount of choices we have in, not only our restaurants, but our grocery stores as well. While I dont think its exactly a secret that a stereotype of Americans portrays us as arrogant, ignorant, loud and so on. The Americans are more of a tipper, good tippers. I want an outsider's perspective on why this country is so fucked. . Stay up to date with what you want to know. Many people's vacation days tend to pile up as the months of 50-hour workweeks roll on. 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. Mix it up using almond or coconut milk. Coming from the UK where a university is used to gain your degree then its a case of thanks for the piss ups, bye! "A black-and-white look at the world. Let's move to the music, more specifically, blues and jazz, which are two personal loves of mine. Like so much else in the United States, we go big with our roads, which are a huge contrast to the tight city streets of most European towns and winding mountain roads found in much of the rest of the world. )After you find more information about the Nacirema and gained a new perspective, then complete []. Uhh, that's a huge country. The growth and diversification of the Asian American population in recent years has been nothing short of phenomenal. 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. Another oddity of American advertising are those spots you see for prescription medication during every commercial break. - Gennelyn Escopete, 33, DVD street vendor, Manila, Philippines, "There is a lot of misconception about their politics. Here are 33 "normal" customs and habits in the U.S. that weird out the rest of the world. And he said, 'Oh Canada! In American-Indian culture, silence is valued as sacred. Foot binding was to stop the growth of the foot and make them smaller. While New York City famouslynever sleeps, it's not the only city with 24-hour businesses. But there is an ideology that unites them all." Though this can vary a bit by regionwe're looking at you, New Yorkersin general, Americans are much quicker than the average foreigner to smile at a stranger and offer a warm hello, even if they're just passing each other on the sidewalk. A star, or in some cases an angel or other figurine is put on top of the tree, and it seems to be an honor for the person who is allowed to put it there. Still, and after more than a decade following the publication by Headland, Pike and Harris (1990), discussions about insider versus outsider status of the researcher remain alive and relevant. I also like a challenge. Even when it's the dead of winter, coffee shops are still serving up iced coffee. Bacon or sausage? By the time you've been inside an American establishment in the summertime for just 10 minutes, you'll be freezing cold and eager to get back out into the sweltering sun. It is more cozy (laughing), less restrictive (made drinking gesture)." Whether it be through something small or something quite significant, it's a . "Long winter nights and the seclusion of the reservation. northern resident killer whale catalogue; incredibox character creator; peugeot 3008 panoramic roof problems. 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. The Internet has changed that. xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); I'm sure you have left over hot chocolate from November and December, so it's time to finish them off. How big the country is and the amount of time you guys are willing to drive. Saysthingsfromabush, In Scotland our equivalents are ceilidhs and in school you just go and f***ing dance. I threw dirt, I threw stones. In America, however, these advertisements are everywhereand unsurprisingly, they confuse foreign visitors. As an American this is something I love. - Ksenia Smertova, 21, student, Moscow, "America? The etic perspective is data gathering by outsiders that yield questions posed by outsiders. The Outsiders was written by a teenager about teenagers. 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. 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 . And he drank tap water oh no!" They're calm and kind and friendly and they like to smile." 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.