Helpful Ideas About the American Culture

Culture defined Culture is an integrated system of learned behavior patterns. Culture refers to the total way of life of particular groups of people. Culture is learned and transmitted from generation to generation. Every group of people, every culture is and has always been ethnocentric.

Common Stereotypes of Americans  Americans are:  Optimistic  Wealthy  Friendly  Materialistic  Informal  Generous  Naive  Impatient  Hardworking  Always in a hurry  Superficial  Judgmental

American Values and Assumptions Individualism Trained to consider themselves as separate individuals responsible for their own situations. Americans consider the ideal person to be an individualistic, self-reliant, independent person.

American Values and Assumptions Equality “ All men are created equal. ”Declaration of Independence.  Americans are uncomfortable when someone treats them with obvious deference.  They dislike being the objects of open display of respect.

Informality  Americans seem quite informal in their general behavior and in their relationships with others.  Their superficial friendliness is related to their informal, egalitarian approach to others. ( “Hi”, “Howya doin?”, “How are you?”). American Values and Assumptions

Time  For Americans, time is a resource that can be used well or poorly. ( “ Time is Money”).  They use their time for constructive,future- oriented activities.  The fast-food industry is a symbol of American society and culture playing an emphasis on speed and efficiency. American Values and Assumptions

The Communicative Style of Americans  According to Barnlund, these are the chacteristics of conversations between individuals: 1. The topics people prefer to discuss (small talk ). 2. Their favorite forms of interaction (turn taking, few ritual interchanges, no arguments,) 3. The depth to which they want to get involved 4. The communication channels (verbal or nonverbal). 5. The level of meaning

Channels Preferred  Verbal Communication Americans depend more on spoken words than on non-verbal behavior to convey their messages.  Nonverbal Communication Volume of voice, appearance, body movements and gestures, facial expression, space and touching, silence).

Space and Touching An aspect of nonverbal behavior that is strongly influenced by culture has to do with space and distance. Foreign visitors notice the way Americans react when they feel too crowded. (Personal space invaded in restrooms, elevators, crowded rooms).

High-Context Cultures Most of the information is either in the physical context or is internalized in the people who are part of the interaction. High-context cultures are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. People from these cultures emphasize interpersonal relationships.

Low-Context Cultures Most of the Information is contained in the verbal message and very little is embedded in the context. Low-context cultures are logical, linear, individualistic, and action- oriented. People from low-context cultures value logic, facts, and directness.

High- Context Cultures  Japanese  Arab  Greek  Spanish  Italian  English  French  American  Scandinavian  German  German-Swiss Low- Context Cultures

Monochronic and Polychronic Cultures Monochronic CulturePolychronic Culture Interpersonal RelationsInterpersonal relationships are subordinate to present schedule Present schedule is subordinate to interpersonal relationships Activity Co-OrdinationSchedule co-ordinates activities, appointment time is rigid. Interpersonal relationships co- ordinate activity; appointment time is flexible Task HandlingOne task at a timeMany tasks are handled at once; a.k.a. multi-tasking Breaks and Personal TimeBreaks and personal time are sacrosanct regardless of personal ties. Breaks and personal time are subordinate to personal ties. Temporal StructureTime is inflexible, time is intangibleTime is flexible, time is fluid Work and Personal TimeWork time is clearly separate from personal time Work time is not clearly separate from personal time Organizational Perception -Stephen Dhal Activities are isolated from organization as a whole; tasks are measured by output in time (activity per hour or minute) Activities are integrated into organization as a whole; tasks are measured as part of overall organizational goal

Skills that Make a Difference in the Overseas Adjustment Process Tolerance for ambiguityOpen-mindednessEmpathy Flexibility, adaptabilityCuriosity Tolerance for DifferencesAbility to failSense of HumorCuriosityNonjudgmentalness

Coping with a New Culture D ESCRIBEI NTERPRETE VALUATE

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