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. To begin, Ill stick with the positives. A thread on Reddit asks the question: Non-Americans of reddit, what aspect of American culture strikes you as the strangest? What we know so far about the Chinese spy balloon and other objects shot down by U.S. I found this quite interesting and maybe a bit eye opening, because as Americans, these things are completely normal to us. Though the conditions of pre-Columbian America and 15th-century Iberia are beyond the scope of Latin American history proper, they must be given consideration in that connection. 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. This I do not know. For example, the average American may be used to big tips and even bigger portions, but to foreigners, that's all far from the norm. It is more cozy (laughing), less restrictive (made drinking gesture)." in /nfs/c05/h04/mnt/113983/domains/toragrafix.com/html/wp-content . Do they think of our wide range of geography and national wonders? While I dont think its exactly a secret that a stereotype of Americans portrays us as arrogant, ignorant, loud and so on. Lastly, the best part is the toppings. 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. The Outsiders was written by a teenager about teenagers. 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. 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 . In cultural anthropology, our fieldwork is referred to as ethnography, which is both the process and result of cultural anthropological research. You get a vision of their culture and their way of life. 5. To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click hereto follow us on Instagram! Read more, CC Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike, The daily body ritual performed by everyone includes a mouth-rite. When they do, the house and shrubs look very bright, and not a single house on the street is without these wires. 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 . ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb. These wires are attached to a side of the house and only come on at night. 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. Every once in a while, an outsider comes along with a new vision or a new way of doing things that revolutionizes a . xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); Cheese is life people. For example, 84% of those ages 18 to 29 in Taiwan hold this view . It comes as a bit of a surprise, then, when these foreigners visit the U.S. and are checked in on every 10 minutes or so as they eat. 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. - Ingerlise Kristensen, 68, retired bank employee, Copenhagen, Denmark, "I had a roommate a Californian, when I was in Korea as a college exchange student. Using an etic perspective, we can gain an outsiders view on our cultural practices that we deem "normal" in comparison to other cultures. Uhh, that's a huge country. I had a wonderful time doing my book report on "American Cultural Patterns: A cross-cultural Perspective". - B.S. 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. Why go Tall when a Venti is just a dollar more? Many posts I read from spoke about not being able to even eat our bread because it was so sugary. Let's look at 10 traditions Americans celebrate without even considering how strange the rest of world consider them. Not in America it isn't! In many instances, the name of a coin will tell you something about how much it's worth. Those who choose to study and observe people can take two approaches to in recording ethnographies; a subject orientated perspective or an outsiders perspective. Don't get me wrong, dental hygiene is important, but not everyone needs a perfect Hollywood smile. 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. In most other English-speaking countrieslike Canada, Ireland, or England, the letter Z is pronounced zed. Y'all get snow up there.'" It has hired big-name stars, including Soledad OBrien and Ali Velshi, from American networks. There are two gangs in this novel, the "greasers", and the "Socs". The American was easy to talk with and we had a lot of things in common. A society that has more things than our society." - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, Havana, "Technology makes Americans American." -- KevinDevogel, That the price on things in your stores are not the actual price but the price without tax and such -- 77-97-114-99-111, You guys can't separate nudity from sex. 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? The report reflected the networks seeming vision of the United States more generally: as a nation dynamic and promising and, at the same time, brutal in ways that distinguish it from its rich-country cousins. Cultural relativism is not the same as moral relativism, however. - Summer Abu Ltaif, outside the American University of Beirut, "I think everyone is very tolerant there, in a way that there are all kinds of people, whether from different ethnicities, different countries, different religions. They desire a different one, which holds more importance. 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. In a Reddit thread asking the weirdest things Americans do, many users discussed how strange they thought it was that the US advertised prescription drugs. The collector's view of the artifacts as pieces of art is a product of his own cultural background and does not take into account the cultural relativity of the artifacts. Countries whose intellectuals have long protested the Wests tendency toward Orientalism in its presentation of foreigners now have an opportunity to engage in a bit of Occidentalism.. Your email address will not be published. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. At another moment, she sits beside an 11-year-old as he plays the game, asking him, simply enough, what he likes in it. It is told in a first-person narration style, with the narrator being a 14-year-old boy. . While many Americans feel their nation is divided as never before, a sampling of the rest of the world reflects a more charitable view. 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. The Associated Press sent reporters across the world to ask ordinary people about their views of America. Such houses, I have observed, draw peoples eyes as they pass by. WHAT IS THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "AMERICA"? In a moments answer, a culture is revealed anew. The culture can largely be referred to as Western culture, as much of it is shared with the Western world, but there are still influences that come from Asia, Africa and Latin America. I want an outsider's perspective on why this country is so fucked. Bacon or sausage? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. I read on several different forum sites how things such as the pledge of allegiance and how our flag is plastered everywhere you go is quite strange to outsiders. Is this not a national travesty? I prefer hanging out with Canadians or students from Europe, because at least they are quite polite." 15 Unique Aspects of American Culture. All the pomp and circumstance surrounding prom, I have cousins who live in the US and just hearing about the number of hoops they had to jump through to ask someone to a dance is hilarious. In most other countries, however, an A/C unit is used . - Summer Abu Ltaif, outside the American University of Beirut, "I think that they are formed by an ideology. This termas well as terms used in the United States such as "Native American" and "American Indian"refers to hundreds of culturally diverse groups who inhabited the Americas before Europeans settled there. That's because, in America, we put our eggs through a rigorous washing process (which actually isn't even necessary) that removes the egg's protective layer, so harmful bacteria can get in if we don't refrigerate the eggs. [email protected] +44 0330 027 0207 or +1 (818) 532-6908 . People are mostly not concerned with what another (person) is doing. Sign up for notifications from Insider! He also emptied my friend's fridge, saying he's used to eating and drinking whenever he feels hungry or thirsty. So yes, they are fortunate, and it is God bless America - that's what makes America, America." Andersen, Margaret L. and Taylor, Howard F. 2008. I'll call the first one "A" (Americans, for instance). If even we Americans don't get it, we can't expect anyone else to either. We should not ethnocentrically impose our own beliefs and opinions, which are products of our own enculturation. What may feel totally normal to Americans is often far from it for outsiders. While many love how so patriotic we are as a people, some, to be blunt, find it a bit creepy. The paper,written by University of Chicago trained anthropologist Horace Miner wasoriginally published in 1956. Amazing article that will definitely help people better understand how others may view their culture. But, besides the Willy Wonka level of sugar, we use a substantial amount of cheese in everything. Then they leave hard biscuits shaped like men and a cup of milk out next to the tree. Ethnocentrism is the process of judging another culture exclusively from the perspective of one's own. Americans are also seen from afar as generous tippers, friendly, uncomplicated, rich and the standard bearers of freedom, equality, creativity and technological power. The Internet has changed that. 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. 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. Guide to US and American culture, society, language, etiquette, customs, manners and protocol. What identifies an American? I did not find any discrimination. 3Peter N. Carroll and David W. Noble, The Free and the Unfree: A Progressive History of the United States, 3rd ed. Generations in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America have grown up under the influence of the superpower U.S. and have felt awe and envy. There is some discussion of dolphin infant mortality, but not so much about the issue in America even though it ranks close to the bottom among the advanced economies. northern resident killer whale catalogue; incredibox character creator; peugeot 3008 panoramic roof problems. - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway, "I think there obviously is the American dream, the idea that unifies them all. 33 "Normal" Things in the U.S. That Freak Everyone Else Out, Why the World Pronounces "Z" as "Zed" And Americans Don't. We like to eat when we like to eatand if that means going to Denny's at 3 a.m., so be it. The general consensus is that American's are very optimistic dreamers and have been; that we believe that anything is possible with hard work and perseverance. - Zhila Gudzueva, university lecturer, Moscow, "My definition of Americans is those who are cheerful, friendly and willing to communicate." - Karin Cohen, 25, bookshop worker, Jerusalem, "The first thing I think when I hear United States is a world power." In the process, the new Pittsburgh is helping point the way to the old. I came to realize how many things are truly American and what makes us great people of a great nation. When done well, this is in the finest tradition of foreign correspondence: a genre that soars when offering sharp, deeply reported answers to seemingly dumb questions dumb because they are so basic and self-evident that the smugly well settled never think to ask them, any more than fish inquire about the water. For example, we can look at Christmas from the perspective of someone who is not a part of American culture. We love our cheese. The reality doesn't match the ideal. Americans are gallant." You don't see cheerleaders at the World Cup, do you? A good book on a rainy day or with calming music is a wonderful way to take a break from the responsibilities of life and escape into another world. Americans go nuts with air conditioning, cranking it up on hot days to the point that you might actually need a sweater. If you're a member of B, then . And it is a great country; I have visited it. Our collective workaholism is totally bizarre to outsidersand quite frankly, we can see why. 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 . In anthropology, folkloristics, and the social and behavioral sciences, emic (/ i m k /) and etic (/ t k /) refer to two kinds of field research done and viewpoints obtained.. Saysthingsfromabush, In Scotland our equivalents are ceilidhs and in school you just go and f***ing dance. I thought you had to go to a dedicated gun store for that. - Kanti, 74, travel agency owner, New Delhi. And it's a country with quite advanced technology industries. 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. But one thing for sure, they cannot make beer." Flashnewb, many Chinese people do not understand how America can function so "well" since the people here are all so different. The following is an excerpt from one of the excellent papers I received from a student, Emily Ong (used with her permission). Shopping malls, meals, people, cars. 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. Yes, we Americans admittedly like to go big or go homeand when foreigners come to visit, this is a concept that they quickly notice. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Please enter valid email address to continue. For foreigners, the excessively large cracks in the stall doors in public restrooms are just plain confounding. But now its not Nigeria or China being looked at like this, but the great superpower by an upstart Arab network, no less. The authors' research uncovered four factors: (1) The outsiders were not. And so when this newspaper or any other writes about Italy or Ghana, Italians and Ghanaians can now read it. It's your target audience. - Christopher Darroch, 39, actor, Toronto, "I was stunned to see how big everything is over there. Instead, it's meant as a simple greeting, similar to "Hi there!" Overweight people, Donald Trump, elections, shootings." America permeated their lives - through comics and Coke, through Hollywood and Neil Armstrong, and via the internet, iPhone and Facebook. Do people of different nationalities and tongues think of our star spangled flag and hyper-patriotism? All of them wear shorts." Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I prefer it here. That is curious. In restaurants in many other countries, your server runs your credit card through a machine table-side. According to the (Journal of Psychology, 2000) culture and beliefs about time is . Upon graduating secondary school, many Americans choose colleges and universities outside of and often far from their hometowns. Included 600 grams of cheese. You have your hot chocolate made, playlist downloaded, movie set and books chosen. Interpersonal relations among Americans are much more practical, in contrast to the complicated way that we Chinese people treat each other." People are nice but superficial. 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.. 2022 Galvanized Media. The Socs live on the west side and are known as the west side rich kids who have all the breaks. What is Ethnocentrism? 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. Anthropologists conduct their research in the field with the species, civilization, or groups of people they are studying. They're calm and kind and friendly and they like to smile." But while these American traditions might seem normal stateside, they are certainly not universal. 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." We're desensitizing the wrong thing. They also put some wires around it, which when attached to the wall, make the tree look very bright. - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, juice seller, Havana, "It is a world imperialist power country. The drum is . (New York: Penguin . They must be of some great importance or have some great wisdom, which allows them the honor of completing this task. )After you find more information about the Nacirema and gained a new perspective, then complete []. All Rights Reserved. Because there is no such ethnicity. Even though winter is ending soon, it does not mean the cold is. They look super fake. "A black-and-white look at the world. But if you were to use this pronunciation in conversation with an English speaker from another country, they'd probably give you a puzzled look. Ck14, 11. '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 . xhr.send(payload); used by the People to entertain and amuse themselves.". Views differ considerably, however, among the country's religious communities - 72% of Lebanese Christians say the spread of these ideas is a good thing; only 23% of Sunni and 13% of Shia . (2) the interlocking nature of oppression; and (3) the importance of Afro-American women's culture. Ethnocentric people compare their culture to others on such elements as religion, behavior, language, customs, and norms. After all, isn't coffee meant to be enjoyed in a ceramic cup over conversation at a leisurely pace? 600 Words3 Pages. There's an undercurrent of savagery and violence waiting to be expressed on a grand scale it seems, and I believe it's because American culture is unwittingly pushing for complete atomization of society, people can no longer rely on the elite for virtuous principles and leadership, and that people are starting to realize that . The etic perspective is data gathering by outsiders that yield questions posed by outsiders. I think sometimes we take our freedom and our way of life for granted, not realizing how great it really is. There are few countries in which you'll encounter a billboard or bus ad for a divorce attorney or see several personal injury spots while watching half an hour of daytime TV. They are also unified in the sense that the dream isn't really a real thing anymore. On my search I was pleasantly surprised to see the opposite view. 2 - A Chinese Golden Lily Foot by Lai Afong, c1870s. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); Nor am I saying that we dont have an intricately rich history that has shaped us to what we are today. But, I digress. Here, we're far too busy to waste time, so we have drive-through restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, liquor stores, and more. Romances and horrors are great genres to cozy up to in the dark. It's the many electronics we have the bridge in San Francisco." Non-Americans of reddit, what aspect of American culture strikes you as the strangest. Americans go nuts with air conditioning, cranking it up on hot days to the point that you might actually need a sweater. - Sam Wang, 20, university student, Beijing, "My image of America is a country that goes to war anywhere in the world," - Susumu Inoue, 82, retired agricultural lab technician, Tokyo, "I think of Major League Baseball," Ayumi Takeoka, 41, housewife, Tokyo. There are no Americans as such. The novelty here has at least two dimensions. - Ziva Meizels, retiree, Jerusalem, "I think their patriotism, you know, God bless America. NACIREMA: UPDATING A CLASSIC TO SEE YOUR OWN CULTURE AS AN OUTSIDER. 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. - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines, "A friend had an American friend over and he was surprised to see how laid back we are. 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. Sociology in Everyday Life. 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. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. Mix it up using almond or coconut milk. The biggest thing I found was that non-Americans are almost disgusted by the sheer amount of sugar in almost all our food.
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