AMERICAN CULTURAL TRAITS, VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS

Individualism
Americans are devoted to individualism. They are trained from childhood to make
their own decisions in life and to have their own opinions. They are not trained to see
themselves as members of a close-knit, tightly interdependent family, religious group
or tribe.

A person beyond the age of twenty or so, still living with his or her parents is said to
be 'tied to mother’s apron strings' and looked upon as immature or abnormal.
Americans assume others to conceive of themselves as individuals too, and have
difficulty understanding those of other cultures who seem excessively concerned with
tradition, the opinions of their parents, or fulfilling obligations to others. They assume
such people are ‘weak’ not having the opportunity to ‘do their own thing’.

Americans consider the ideal person to be individualistic, self-reliant, and

independent. They assume, incorrectly, that other people share this value and self-
concept. Heroes are those individuals who stand out from the crowd by doing
something first or best, or who have overcome adverse circumstances to succeed in
life. They avoid becoming dependent on others.

Privacy
Americans place high value on privacy. They assume that people need time alone and
have difficulty understanding someone who always wants to be with other people.

If possible, each American child will have his or her own bedroom - a place to be
alone.

Americans assume that people have private thoughts they never share with anyone.
Confidentiality rules abound for doctors, lawyers, psychiatrists, and others to prevent
personal situations becoming known.

American houses, yards and offices can be seen as open and inviting, yet in the
American mind there are boundaries other people are not supposed to cross.

Equality
Americans believe in the ideal of equality. Even though the ideal is often violated in
daily life, especially in interracial or male/female relationships, Americans have a deep
faith that in some way all people (at least all American people!) are of equal value -
no one is born superior. This causes Americans to be uncomfortable with being the
object of open displays of respect, being deferred to, or treated as if they could do no
wrong. Higher status is recognised by Americans, but in subtle ways: those who speak
first, louder, longer; sit at the head of the table or in the most comfortable chair; feel
free to interrupt other speakers, etc. Those accustomed to obvious displays of respect
like bowing, or averting eyes, or using titles rather than first-names may think that
Americans are unaware of status and are disrespectful of others.

This faith in equality leads Americans to be informal in behaviour and relationships.

Store clerks or waiters may introduce themselves by their first names in a casual,
friendly manner. Slang is heavily used in most conversations. Americans of nearly any
station in life appear in public in jeans, sandals, or other informal attire; they slouch in
chairs or lean on walls and furniture. For instance, an advertising brochure for a highly
regarded college includes a photograph of the college’s president in shorts and an old
T-shirt, jogging on the campus. Americans feel comfortable with a college president
who is just like everyone else, who doesn’t think he’s too good for others.

Future-Oriented
Americans are generally less concerned about history and traditions than people from
other cultures; they believe the future is what counts. Americans believe in setting
goals and working toward them; that people can change the social environment if
they just get to work. New things are better than old ones.

Americans assume that human nature is basically good and that more education and
training or rehabilitation can make people better. Many spend much time in volunteer
work in schools, raising money for worthy causes, cleaning up the environment,
preserving wilderness areas, or perhaps playing host to foreign students.

Americans assume that they are improvable. Self-help books and groups to help
Americans stop smoking, stop drinking, lose weight, get into better physical condition,
manage time more efficiently, or manage money more effectively, are popular. ‘Where
there’s a will, there’s a way.’

For Americans, time is a resource that can be used well or poorly. ‘Time is money’ is a
well-known saying. The well-organised person has a list of things to do and a schedule
for doing them. The ideal person is punctual and does not waste other people’s time.
Time must be saved whenever possible. Americans place a premium on efficiency. The
‘fast-food’ industry is a good example of this.

Americans admire achievers: those who accomplish some physical, measurable thing.
The ideal person is a hard worker. A hard worker works efficiently and meets
reasonably high standards of quality. Americans believe they should be doing
something most of the time. They are usually not content to sit for hours and talk with
other people. Even recreation involves doing something.

Openness
Americans consider themselves to be open and direct in dealings with other people.
They assume that disagreements are best settled by means of forthright discussion.
Feelings and requests ought to be plainly expressed. There are areas where
Americans are reluctant to discuss things openly (e.g. when the topic is in an area
they consider excessively personal or sensitive, or when they want to say ‘No’ to a
request but do not want to ‘hurt the feelings’ of the person who made the request).

Americans are not taught to mask their emotional responses and think it proper to
display feelings, within limits. Being ‘honest’ is usually more important than
preserving harmony in interpersonal relationships.

Americans engage in ‘small talk’ on first acquaintance and may inquire briefly about
family matters. They are explicitly taught not to discuss religion and politics unless
they are fairly well acquainted with the people they are talking to. They do not
consider religion and politics to be appropriate topics for informal discussion and
debate. Financial matters are considered personal and usually outside the bounds of
acceptable topics for discussion. In a conversation, speakers take turns frequently.
Americans tend to be impatient with people who take long turns; they admire
conciseness, or ‘getting to the point’.

Americans from the West and East Coast have their cultural differences. Those from
the West are often outspoken, open and accepting of new ideas. Those from Mid-West
or the East are more reserved by nature and unwilling to yield to change quickly.
SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF AMERICAN LIFE

Politics
Americans are quite proud of their political system, even though most are not well
informed about politics. At the same time, most Americans have a negative view of
politics and politicians. The system may be very good, but the people who operate
within it may not be. Politicians and government employees are seen as somewhat
suspect. Americans see politics as separate from other areas of life and would
generally rather not ‘talk politics’.

The American system was originally established in such a way as to prevent quick,
concerted action – to prevent it becoming too strong and endangering citizens’
freedoms.

Family Life
To Americans, ‘family’ means a father, a mother, and their children (though this is
changing with the growing number of single-parent households, ‘blended families’,
etc.). Others (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) are ‘relatives’. Statistically, the
average American family has 3.1 children. Children are central to the family unit and
often receive the highest priority. They are given much ‘power’ by their parents.
Children are expected to contribute to maintaining the home by doing ‘chores’. Parents
provide lessons of many kinds (dance, music, sport) for their children and buy things
their children want. Many American teenagers have jobs, seen as good training for
managing time and money.

American parents generally expect that their children’s lives will be at least as
comfortable materially as their own.

The elderly fight to live on their own as long as possible before moving to a nursing
home or the home of their children.

Education
America’s educational system is based on the ideal that as many people as possible
should have access to as much education as possible. Other ideals include producing a
100 per cent literate society; providing comparable educational programmes for
everyone, regardless of race, handicap, or social standing; local control; parental
involvement; and the assumption that there is always more to learn and be
discovered.

The American system seeks to turn out ‘well-rounded’ people and good citizens with a
general familiarity with many topics; specialisation comes later than in other systems.

Teachers are not particularly well paid or held in high regard.

Religion
Americans tend to separate religion from other parts of their personal lives. The
doctrine of separation of church and state is one of the foundation stones of the
American system of government. Americans generally take pride in their religious
freedom. The most common understanding of ‘being religious’ means belonging to a
church and attending regularly. However, many people who attend church only on
special holidays like Christmas and Easter consider themselves Christians. Most
Americans are likely to turn to a religious official to perform ceremonies associated
with marriage and death.
American coins bear the words, ‘In God we trust’. In the pledge of allegiance,
Americans refer to the United States as a nation ‘under God’. Each session of the
United States Congress, the Supreme Court, and other official bodies opens with a
prayer for divine guidance. Candidates for public office make their religious views and
affiliations public.

Social Ways
Courtesy - This means acknowledging another person’s presence or arrival. Either
verbally (‘Hi’, ‘Hello’, ‘Good morning’) or non-verbally with a smile. Not ‘talking down’
to others or giving commands in an officious way. Saying ‘Please’ when making
requests and ‘Thank you’ when requests are granted or services performed (even to
such people as waitresses, taxi drivers, and hotel clerks). Saying ‘You’re welcome’ in
response to a thank you. Taking a place at the end of the line and waiting patiently.

Schedules - Considerate people will be mindful of other people’s schedules and will
not telephone too early, too late, or during meals.

Gifts - Comparatively speaking, Americans give gifts on a relatively small number of

occasions (Christmas, birthdays, graduations, weddings, birth of a child) and to a
relatively small circle of people (relatives and close friends). Giving gifts to people who
are in a position to grant or withhold favours can be construed as improper.

Sex Roles and Friendship - Americans value friendships of the opposite sex and do
not generally assume that a male and female will participate in sexual activity if they
are alone together. They believe people are capable of showing restraint and maturity
as business colleagues, etc.

Sports and Recreation - Such activities absorb a huge amount of Americans’

emotion, as well as time and money. Professional athletes are national heroes and
earn salaries in the millions of dollars. Special athletic ability can provide participants
with a free college education. Many Americans jog every day, or play tennis, handball,
racquet-ball. They go on ski trips and hunting expeditions. There are clubs for
astronomy, bird- watching, cooking, dancing, ecology, fencing, gardening, hiking, and
on and on. Americans own approximately 4,000,000 recreational vehicles and the
manufacture of recreational clothing and equipment are major industries.

Personal Hygiene - Americans are taught that the odours a human body naturally
produces (from perspiration, oily hair, and breath) are unpleasant and/or offensive.
Body odours are controlled by bathing, shampooing, and using deodorants and
perfumes; mouth odours are controlled by brushing teeth with toothpaste and using
mouthwash. The ideal person does not use too much of a scented product (i.e. the
scent is not discernible more than three or four feet away from the person). A person
is expected to change their clothes every day.

Non-verbal Communication - Americans associate smiling with happiness,

cheerfulness and amusement. Americans are trained to distrust people who do not
‘look them in the eye’ when talking to them. Space and distance during conversation
varies from culture to culture. An American will keep backing away from a Latin or an
Arab; an American will keep moving toward a Japanese. Touching can be a sign of
acceptance, friendship, appreciation or forgiveness. Opposite sexes can touch under
these circumstances without arousing suspicion in onlookers. Touching also varies. For
instance, a comparison would show that while Americans touch each other more than
the Japanese typically do, Americans touch less often than Latin Americans or Arabs.
(Adapted from “United We Serve”, WEC International, 2002.)