Understanding America

Every nation has its own distinctive set of cultural behaviors and values. Visitors to the United States may notice that the people living there behave differently from the rest of the world. It is crucial to understand these differences and why they are so important in the first place. There are many cultural differences in the United States, but three of the most important ones to understand are directness, personal space, and individualism.

One cultural aspect that is specific to people of the United States is their directness. It can be described as Americans’ tendency to speak openly about their opinions and desires. In Yaping Tang’s 1996 article, “Young but Thirsty,” the author describes the way individuals in the United States will happily accept something they are offered. In China, it is customary to decline something the first time it is presented (page 37 paragraph 5) so as not to appear rude. This shows how direct people living in the United States are. It is important to understand this aspect of American culture because others may see this behavior as rude, and this misunderstanding may lead to unnecessary conflict.

A second important aspect of American culture is personal space and how it is expressed. In Lisa Davis’ 1990 article, “Where Do We Stand?” this idea of personal space is described as the way people interact with others regarding how closely they stand and how likely they are to make direct eye contact (page 20 paragraph 3). According to Davis, Arabic businessmen expect prospective partners to stand very close, whereas American businessmen will find this intrusive. In the Japanese culture, businessmen may be reluctant to accept a handshake, which American businessmen consider customary (page 20 paragraph 7). These examples show how important it is to understand Americans’ personal space so that one does not behave too informally or not formal enough, since both behaviors may make an American uncomfortable.

The most prominent aspect of American culture is individualism. Gary Althen’s 2003 article, “American Values and Assumptions” defines American individualism as the tendency Americans have to look at themselves as being responsible for their own choices and their own future (page 5 paragraph 3). Althen tells the story of his standing in line at Orange Julius. A mother refused to buy her son a smoothie because he had already spent his money. She tells him he may buy a hotdog with the money he has left. This is not typical to other nations because it would not be likely for a child of such a young age to have money or for a parent to help a child so young learn to make such decisions elsewhere (page 6 paragraph 7). In America, however, children are often taught these lessons at an early age because making personal decisions and behaving independently are highly valued attributes. This aspect of American is important to understand because otherwise, an individual may feel too dependent on others and less likely to make necessary decisions for themselves.

Understanding cultural differences is key to understanding other people and their lives. Culture in the United States of America differs from the rest of the world in many ways. Americans’ regard for directness, personal space, and individualism are all necessary to understand for anyone unfamiliar with American culture. Gaining insight into these aspects of American culture will help anyone who is hoping to better understand the United States of America and how to interact with the people who live there.

Work Cited

Gardner, P. S. (2005). New directions: Reading, writing, and critical thinking (2nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.