Study Abroad Handbook
Understanding your own "cultural baggage" will help you understand the differing beliefs, practices, and ideas in your host culture.
"American" traits, such as directness, individualism, and informality are often seen as negative cultural characteristics
in other countries.
You should most often take a neutral approach to anti- American criticism. Try to understand your critic’s motives and draw on personal experiences and observations as much as possible in order to discuss issues, not argue about them.
Remember to be open-minded and flexible!
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE "AMERICAN"
Are you Swedish-American, Mexican-American, African-American, Native- American, or just U.S. American? How do you identify yourself? Whoever you are, however you define yourself, you will carry "cultural baggage" with you wherever you go. What is cultural baggage you may ask? Well, in laymen's terms, it is the assumption you have about yourself, your family, friends, and the world based on your own experience. Cultural baggage can weigh you down at times, but, it can also be used as a resource to help you through uncomfortable situations. To understand your own cultural baggage will help you in the quest to understand someone else's.
Whis is it Important to Recognize Your "Americanism"?
American Cultural Patterns
How to Handle Anti-American Criticism
Strategies for Dealing with Anti-American Criticism
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE YOUR "AMERICANISM"?
As an "American, most likely your basic view of yourself is that you are good, or at least you have good intentions. As you meet peoples of the world, you are excited and eager for the experience to energize you. What a shock to meet with confrontation because you are who you are. How difficult to be confronted with seemingly unexpected and hard questions. When faced with confrontations, it may feel you are being attacked personally and criticized as an American. It is important to understand the generalizations people in other countries make about what Americans are like.
As you spend more and more time in your host country, you will begin to recognize cultural patterns that are quite different from your own. These cultural patterns include differences in assumptions, values, cultural norms, confrontation, personalization, and the list goes on and on. These difference are just the tip of the iceberg and will be dressed more in-depth in the next section. However, it is important to recognize your own "American" patterns, and what they mean to you, in order to understand how people in other countries and cultures may perceive you.
AMERICAN CULTURAL PATTERNS
Dr. Robert Kohls, Director of International Programs at San Francisco State University, is a renowned contributor to the research on cultural patterns. He has developed the following list of 13 commonly held values which help explain the first time visitors to the United States why U.S. Americans act the way they do. He is careful and cautions you to avoid labeling these qualities
positive or negative. As a U.S. American, do you recognize any of these traits in yourself? Do you think they paint an accurate picture of the "typical" American? Whether one agrees with Kohl or not, or is willing to accept as valid any generalizations about Americans, his observations are thought provoking.
PERSONAL CONTROL OVER THE ENVIRONMENT
Most Americans do not believe in the power of fate and they look at people who do as being backward, primitive, or native. In the American context, to be "fatalistic" is to be superstitious, lazy, or unwilling to take initiative. Everyone should have control over whatever in the environment might potentially affect her or him. The problems of one’s life are not as seen as having
resulted from bad luck as much as coming from one’s laziness and unwillingness to take responsibility in pursuing a better life.
CHANGE SEEN AS NATURAL AND POSITIVE
In the American mind, change is seen as indisputably good, leading to development, improvement, and progress. Many older, non-traditional cultures consider change disruptive and destructive; they value stability, continuity, tradition, and a rich and ancient heritage- none of which are considered very important in the United States.
TIME AND ITS CONTROL
Time is of utmost importance to most Americans. It is something to be on, kept, filled, saved, used, spent, wasted, lost, gained, planned, given, even killed. Americans are more concerned with getting things accomplished on time than they are with developing interpersonal relationships. Their lives seem controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their
discussions off abruptly to make their next appointment on time. This philosophy has enabled Americans to be extremely productive, and productivity is highly valued in this country.
EQUALITY/FAIRNESS
Equality is so cherished in the United States that it is seen as having religious basis. Americans believe that all people are "created equal" and that all should have an equal opportunity to succeed. This concept of equality is strange to seven-eighths of the people of the world, who view status and authority as desirable, even if they happen to be at the bottom of the social order. Since Americans like to treat foreigners "just like everyone else," newcomers to the U.S. should realize that no insult or personal indignity is intended if they are treated in a less than differential manner by waiters in restaurants, clerks in stores, and hotels, taxi drivers, and other service personnel.
INDIVIDUALISM/INDEPENDENCE
Americans view themselves as highly individualistic in their thoughts and actions. They resist being thought of as representatives of any homogeneous groups. When they do join groups, they still view themselves as being special, just a little different from other members of the same group. In the U.S., you will find people freely expressing a variety of opinions anywhere and anytime. Yet, in spite of this "independence" almost all Americans end up voting for one of their two political parties. Individualism leads to privacy, which Americans see as desirable. The word "privacy" does not exist in many non-Western languages. If it does it is likely to have a negative connotation, suggesting loneliness and forced isolation. It is not uncommon for Americans to say, "If I don’t have half an hour a day to myself, I go starkraving mad!"
SELF HELP/INITIATIVE
Americans take credit only for what they accomplish as individuals. They get no credit for having been born into a rich family but pride themselves on having climbed the ladder of success, to whatever level, all by themselves. The equivalent of these words cannot be found in most other languages. It's an indicator of how highly Americans regard the "self-made" man or woman.
COMPETITION
Most Americans believe that competition brings out the best in any individual in any system. Value is reflected in the economic system of "free enterprise" and it is applied in the U.S. in all areas-medicine, the arts, education, sports.
FUTURE ORIENTATION
Americans value the future and the improvements the future will surely bring. They devalue the past and are, to a large extent, unconscious of the present. Even a happy present goes largely unnoticed because Americans are hopeful that the future will bring even greater happiness. Since Americans believe that humans, not fate can and should control the environment, they
are good at planning short-term projects. This ability has caused Americans to be invited to all corners of the Earth to plan, and often achieve, the miracles which their goal-setting methods can produce. It has also caused a great deal of environmental destruction.
ACTION/WORK ORIENTATION
"Don’t just stand there," says a typical bit of American advice, "do something!" This expression, though normally used in a crisis situation, in a sense describes most Americans’ waking life, where almost any action is seen as superior to inaction. Americans routinely schedule an extremely active day. Any relaxation must be limited in time and aimed at "recreating" so that they can work harder once their “recreation” is over. Such a "no nonsense" attitude toward life has created a class of people known as "workaholics"- people addicted to, and often wholly identified with, their profession. The first questions people often ask when they meet each other in the U.S. are related to work: "What do you do?" "Where do you work?" or "Who (what company)
are you with?" The United States may be one of the few countries in the world where people speak about the "dignity of physical labor," meaning hard physical work. Even corporation presidents will engage in physical labor at times and, in doing so, gain rather than lose respect from others.
INFORMALITY
Americans are even more informal and casual than their closest relatives- the Western Europeans. For example, American bosses often urge their employees to call them by their first names and feel uncomfortable with the title "Mr." or "Mrs." Dress is another area where American informality is most noticeable, perhaps even shocking for many foreigners. For example, one
can go to a symphony performance in any large American city and find people dressed in blue jeans. Informality is also apparent in Americans' greetings. The more formal "How are you?" has largely been replaced with an informal "Hi!" This greeting is likely used equally with one's superior or one's best friend.
DIRECTNESS/OPENNESS/HONESTY
Many other countries have developed subtle, sometimes highly ritualistic ways of informing others of unpleasant information. Americans prefer the direct approach. They are likely to be completely honest in delivering their negative evaluations, and to consider anything other than the most direct and open approach to be "dishonest" or "insincere." Anyone in the U.S. who
uses an intermediary to deliver the message will also be considered "manipulative" and "untrustworthy."
PRACTICALITY/EFFICIENCY
Americans have a reputation for being realistic, practical, and efficient. The practical consideration is likely to be given highest priority in making any important decision. Americans pride themselves on not being very philosophically or theoretically oriented. If Americans would even admit to having a philosophy, it would probably be that of pragmatism. Will it make money? What is the "bottom line?" What can I gain from this activity? These are the kinds of questions Americans are likely to ask, rather than: Is it aesthetically pleasing? Will it be enjoyable? Will it advance the cause of knowledge? This pragmatic orientation has caused Americans to contribute more inventions to the world than any other country in human history. The love of "practicality" has also caused Americans to view some professions more favorably than others. Management and economics are much more popular in
the United States than philosophy or anthropology, and law and medicine more valued than the arts. Americans belittle "emotional" and "subjective" evaluations in favor of "rational" and "objective" assessments. Americans try to avoid being "too sentimental" in making their decisions. They judge every situation "on its own merits."
MATERIALISM/ACQUISITIVENESS
Foreigners consider Americans more materialistic than Americans would be likely to consider themselves. Americans would like to think that their material objects are just the "natural benefits" that result from hard work and serious intent, a reward which all people could enjoy were they as industrious and hard-working as Americans. But by any comparative standard, Americans
are very materialistic. Some give a higher priority to obtaining, maintaining, and protecting material objects than they do to developing and enjoying relationships with other people. Since Americans value newness and innovation, they sell or throw away possessions frequently and replace them with new ones. A car may be kept for only two or three years, a house for five or six before buying a new one.
HOW TO HANDLE ANTI-AMERICAN CRITICISM
As expressed previously in this chapter, you probably consider yourself to be a good person, or at least someone with good intentions. But as you meet people outside of the United States, you may begin to discover that not everyone in the world thinks of Americans that way. In fact, you should be prepared for the possibility of confrontation based on what and who you are, not you personally, but rather as part of a collective body of people who live south of Canada and north of Mexico.
The forms of confrontation may vary; sometimes you may be expected to answer questions about American politics, geography, values, and other issues as if you were the leading expert on the subject. At other times, criticism may simply be words yelled at you. With very few exceptions would you ever expect to be confronted with actual physical harm. A list has been compiled by former exchange students of commonly asked questions, which include:
- Why do Americans call the Palestinians “terrorists,” and the Contras “freedom fighters?”
- Why do Americans think it is okay to kidnap someone from another country and bring them to America to be tried in court?
- Why are Americans so materialistic? Why are they so wasteful of natural resources?
- Why are Americans so racist? How can you justify forcing Native Americans onto reservations when the whole country belongs to them?
- Why are Americans so ignorant of other countries?
- Why are there so many homeless people in “the richest country in the world?”
- Why are teachers so poorly paid in a country that claims to have one of the best educational systems?
- Why do Americans abandon the elderly and dump them in nursing homes?
- Why are Americans not family-oriented? Why do Americans get divorced so easily and “sleep around?”
- Why are Americans so loud and pushy?
STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH ANTI-AMERICAN CRITICISM
There is no one right or wrong way to respond to criticisms make against the United States or yourself for being American. You will have to develop your own methods of dealing with confrontation based on your experiences, your way of dealing with conflict, and your opinions. You may choose to take an active role, and respond to the questions or accusations, or you may choose to take a passive role and not say anything in response. As you begin to respond to any criticism, keep the following strategies in mind:
TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE CRITIC'S MOTIVE(S)
Americans are fond of saying "don't judge a book by its cover." Outward appearances are not always enough to go on in a situation where you are being confronted with anti-American sentiment. Try to talk to your "accuser" and ask questions that may elicit this person's beliefs about the United States and why s/he might hold them. Does this person get ideas from the media? Movies? Television? Is this something being taught in school? Has this person experiences some sort of harassment from an American? If you can come to understand the critic’s motive(s), or from where his or her information comes, perhaps you can find some common ground and a more tolerant way to respond.
DRAW UPON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND OBSERVATIONS
When someone asks you a question like, "Why are Americans so wasteful of natural resources?", your first response might be to say: "Oh, not me." Whether or not the question is based on fact, one way to respond might be to draw on your own experiences and observations. In this case, you can say that while you cannot speak for the rest of the American population, you have your own personal practices, such as recycling, water conservation, or use of public transportation.
AVOID BECOMING DEFENSIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF CRITICS
You sometimes can't help becoming defensive- you are, after all, an American. But try to avoid getting defensive as much as possible. Keep an open mind, and remember to try to understand your critic's motives.
BECOME MORE FAMILIAR WITH COMMON U.S. FACTS AND POLICIES
"Americans are uneducated." That is a common belief overseas. How can you dispel that stereotype?
"Why don’t you know who the Secretary of State is?" People in other countries will probably ask you a lot of questions about the United States, on such varied topics as geography, politics, pop culture, etc. They may ask intelligent questions such as, "Who decides whether a person is guilty of a crime?" and they may ask silly questions such as, "Does every American wear cowboy boots and ride a horse?" However, it is not uncommon to find that people overseas know a lot more about U.S. politics and policies than you do. You should familiarize yourself with basic U.S. facts and policies because you do not want to appear to be uneducated or ignorant of basic facts. Some areas to familiarize yourself with are:
- U.S. geography (ie. differences between regions)
- U.S. political system (ie. how does the House differ from the Senate)
- U.S. judicial system (ie. how does the jury system work, in theory)
- U.S. foreign policy (especially as it applies to your host country)