Values, Characteristics, Personal Habits and Courtesies of Americans

Values, Characteristics, Personal Habits and Courtesies of Americans
   Good morning, everybody. Today I’m going to discuss American values, characteristics, personal habits and courtesies. Keep in mind as you are listening to this lecture that your goal is to understand, not to emulate or judge. Just briefly, I’d like to mention that there is remarkable ethnic diversity in the United States. The population of the USA is about 260 million, 73% of the American population is White, 12% is African American, 8% Hispanic, 3% Asian or Pacific islanders, and less than 1% American Indian or Eskimo. Many Americans resent generalizations being made about them because Americans see themselves as very unique and individualistic. On the other hand, Americans tend to lump foreigners together into one lot and condescendingly view foreigners as people who are not as intelligent or sensible as Americans. Despite Americans’ dislike of generalizations and their ethnocentric point of view, it becomes evident that they are indeed "American". Americans value individualism, independence, informality, directness, punctuality, achievement and competition.
   Individualism is probably the most highly esteemed value in the American culture and an important key to understanding American behavior. In the historical development of the country, individuality was crucial for survival. If you asked Americans to characterize the ideal person, they would probably use adjectives such as "autonomous", "independent" and "self-reliant". Persons tend to be viewed as individuals rather than as representatives of a family or a group. Here are some examples of how this value affects behaviors:
   1. If a group of friends go to a restaurant, everyone "wants to pay their own pay". In other words they want to have separate checks and not be someone’s guest.
   2. In friendships, which seem to initially develop more quickly in the U.S. than in other cultures, the Americans may feel uncomfortable if you give them more help than they need. This is a tendency to draw back and see dependency as weakness.
   In some ways the stress on the individual rather than the family or group has led to a more informal society. Sometimes this lack of formality is viewed by members of other cultures as a sign of lack of respect, but that is not the intention in the American value system. This informality is even more predominant on the university campus than in other segments of society. Some ways in which you might see this value expressed in behaviors are:
   1. You will generally be on a first name basis with other students, in spite of any age differences.
   2. Dress is very informal on campus.
   3. Language is informal and sometimes confusing. Phrases like "See you later" and "Drop by any time" are not meant literally. They are informal ways of saying goodbye.
   Americans are direct—honesty and frankness are more important to Americans than "saving face". They may bring up impolite conversation topics which you may find embarrassing, too controversial or even offensive. Americans are quick to get to the point and do not spend much time on formal social amenities. This directness encourages Americans to talk over disagreements and to try to patch up misunderstandings themselves rather than ask a third party to mediate disputes.
   It is particularly interesting to see what behaviors have culturally become associated with straightforwardness:
   1. A firm handshake somehow has come to be interpreted as a sign of sincerity.
   2. Looking at a person when you speak to him or her gives an indication of honesty.
   3. In a question of honesty versus politeness, honesty wins. It is considered better to refuse graciously than to accept an invitation and not go.
   4. You will be taken at your word. If you refuse food the first time it is offered (to be polite), it may not be offered again. An American will not know that your initial refusal is politeness.
   Great value is attached to time in the U.S. Punctuality is considered an important attribute. As with all values, there are different rules of acceptability in different cultures. In the U.S. you should be present for school or business appointments at the exact time agreed upon. In social appointments you can arrive 10-15 minutes after the agreed-upon time without giving offense. If you are invited somewhere for dinner and are more than 15 minutes late, you will need to offer an apology and an explanation. A phone call explaining you have been detained and will be late will save face for you and patience for the other person.
   Americans also value achievement and competition. The American style of friendly joking or banter of "getting the last word in" and the quick and witty reply are subtle forms of competition. Although such behavior is natural to Americans, you may find it overbearing or disagreeable. Americans are obsessed with records of achievement in sports, and sports awards are often displayed in their homes. Also, sometimes books and movies are judged not so much on quality but on how many copies are sold or on how many dollars of profit are realized.