Sunday, September 26, 2010
Blog Topic 1: Culture Shock
One major difference I have noticed between American culture and that of others is the directness and bluntness Americans embrace. I think a lot of other cultures are more polite and less aggressive than Americans. There are regional variances even within this same country. I notice a big difference interacting with someone not from New York versus a native New Yorker. I think when most people come from another culture to New York, they start to embrace our culture. I don't know if it is this way in other parts of the country, but New York is so diverse there is not one kind of stereo typical New Yorker. None of us look the same or sound the same. I have visited several countries in Europe. When I was in London, it seemed very similar to New York, and I think the people could be New Yorkers, minus the variances in language/accent. Everything in France seemed very formal to me. I think we are very casual culturally, and this is unlike other cultures. I have been to several culturally diverse schools. Another thing I have noticed is that international students seem to be more studious and more inclined to try harder academically. Maybe this is because the schools in America can be rather lenient or less regimented. I know that most children in Europe start learning a language other than their native in school at a younger age. In America most students don't start language study until middle or high school. I think this is a disadvantage. I also read that advanced math is much more of a critical part of education in other parts of the world. Excelling at math is very important for success in many career paths, so I think Americans would be better off if math was pushed harder in schools. I am very grateful to live in New York, because it is the most culturally diverse place in the world. Not everyone is lucky enough to interact with so many vastly different people on a daily basis. People may have cultural differences, but in a tolerant and open minded environment (as I feel New York usually is) everyone can mesh well together.
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I totally agree with what you said that New York is the most culturally diversed place in the world. I think that being able to meet a lot of different people with different backgrounds is a very exciting experience for me as well.
ReplyDeleteThough I haven't gotten the chance to travel to other different countries (aside from the US), I feel like I learn so much just by meeting different people and learning their culture through their own experiences.
I really do love the directness of American culture. I feel that our directness is what gives American comedy its comedic edge.
ReplyDeleteAs funny as our directness can be, it is often a cause of concern when encountering other cultures. We can see this in the failure of many American companies trying to market their products to other cultures (Chevy Nova).
Directness should be used sparingly. While being direct helps to push things forward, it can also cause misunderstandings and problems in business situations.
I agree with you - we are lucky to live in a place like New York! It is truly a special city filled with many diverse people, great restaurants, various areas, and so much more to explore!
ReplyDeleteIt's true that generally European countries, some more than others, teach several languages at a younger age. I was born and raised in Sweden. In fourth grade we started learning English, and then sometime around 7-9th grade we got to pick among German, Italian, and Spanish. I chose German at that time. Several years ago I traveled to Germany a few times, and was about to improve my German a lot, but now that I haven't used it much in years, I have forgotten big parts of it. Then, in high school, we also have a choice of learning more languages if we want. Also, since my family is Polish, while growing up I also learned Polish along with Swedish. While living in the U.S., I got more and more interested in Spanish, and started learning it on my own, through Salsa dancing and Salsa songs, and interacting with Hispanic people in Los Angeles. Languages are great, and it's very interesting how different cultures and people interact! Body language is something that most people can interact with; however, some countries have minor differences where some signs and/or body language could be misunderstood, but generally, body language is universal.
In New York, we get to meet and experience so many different cultures. I'm looking forward to meeting more people from all over the world, and trying more food from many different countries. New York is a great city to experience!