American Culture, Values And Beliefs Essay Sample

Culture is the way a group of people live and it provides a kind of software for the mind of a specific group and defines what must be done in certain situations and circumstances. This implies that people get to accept and apply certain trends and actions in some situations. This is learnt over the years and developed by groups of people over centuries of surviving and living as societies. Therefore, when a person moves from one culture to another, it is likely that the individual will feel a lot of changes in the world around him or her. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and review the cultural change of a person from another culture working in the United States. This will include discussions of communication issues and obstacles that may come up in adjusting to the American culture and systems.
The first observation is that the gap between the powerful and the weak in America is low. America is a country where children can say whatever they feel to their parents and teachers. In the workplace, workers can present their opinion and suggestions without fearing anything to their supervisors and bosses. This is not something that happens with communication in many different countries around the world. This is because in many countries in Asia and Europe and Latin America, people have to maintain huge distances between themselves and their superiors. Children respect their parents and hide their feelings when dealing with their bosses. However, in America, people are always willing to say what they think and feel and there is no attempt to hide certain emotions and feelings.
America is mainly a gender-neutral country. There is no attempt to segregate between men and women. Therefore, the father does what the mother does in a traditional society and vice versa. In traditional societies, it is shameful for a man to be seen shopping or cooking in the kitchen. However, in America, there is a stronger trend towards people doing things as and how they have to do it without being sensitive to their gender or social status. This is reflected in communication where many words in America are gender neutral. It is common to use the word “actor” to describe a woman as opposed to the rather traditional “actress” that is used in Britain and other countries.
The United States remains a place where people are defined by what they claim to be. Therefore, there is a higher quality of life rather than quantity of life. People do more in relation to what they feel since the society considers the feelings of people as important to their actions and processes.
America is also a country where happiness is important and vital. This is not the same with other cultures around the world in places like Japan and others. People are required to sacrifice their happiness to build nations and societies. However in America, people live to be happy. They do whatever they need to do to remain happy and this is could be done at the expense of whatever people want.
Also, the United States is a country where people think in terms of their rights rather than their responsibility. This is because people often think of what they have to be given and how they have to be given what is due them. This is not the case in other traditional and conservative societies. People are to know their roles and obligations and do what they have to do. Due to this, the actions of people are judged in America by how they observe and respect the rights of others. In other countries, social standards are set by customs, traditions and other things which places individuals in certain situations and contexts. They have to do what is expected of them and discharge their obligations and requirements. In America, as long as it is legal, a person can pursue any thing that he or she has the right to discharge.
In some cultures, people are defined in relation to the family or social group they belong to. People have to do things in relation to the broader society and are more collectivized in their identity. However, in America, individualism is more common and people do things in relation to what they have chosen to be. This is reflected in the names Americans have. Many Americans have surnames that they adopted and chose by themselves. Many Anglo-Saxons have surnames different from what their ancestors had in Europe. Many Americans with ancestry from mainland Europe have modified or simplified surnames whilst African-Americans often have names that are either Muslim or African in outlook. This shows that the American considers himself as an independent person and not as a person who can be viewed in relation to his family or the broader context. In other countries this is unthinkable. People have to stick to surnames and sometimes first names that are known in the family or religion for generations.
Multiculturalism is the main system of America. Americans have different cultural identities and there is no attempt to impose a single American identity on all Americans. Due to this, there is a lot of diversity and the kind of communication that is undertaken in different places varies so much. There are various dialects of the English language in America and this is not the case in most countries where there is a national identity that comes before any other local identity or cultural identity. Various countries have homogenous cultures and they do not mix it easily with other cultures. However, in America, cultures are heterogeneous and it is possible to meet people who have no idea of other cultures honored by other Americans although they are all Americans.
There is also a tendency towards uncertainty avoidance in America. This is because America is a country with high technology and there are strong laws that define the way things are to be done and how things must be done. With the advancement in science and technology, Americans know that anything that is done must result in a specific output at a specific time. Where there are failures to achieve results, there is a low tolerance level in the response and this leads to major overreaction. In countries with less advanced technology and systems, people are likely to tolerate uncertainty in many ways and forms. Therefore, their language is not skewed towards condemning uncertainty at the same level as the United States.
The United States has a short-term oriented culture. Americans want to do things now, enjoy it intensively and then move on to what is in vogue. This is fueled by consumerism and a desire for change in a quick manner. Americans will want to have things that are fashionable and will want to stay current in everything they do. This is not the case in other countries like Japan and Germany where people focus more on legacy and things that will bring results that will last for generations. Americans consume. They spend time and resources on new models of products and discard the older model quickly. They focus on what is current rather than other values like quality and long-term utilization. Therefore, the culture is one that is materialistic and there is a major desire for new things and new processes in order to remain happy and feel accomplished.
In conclusion, America’s culture is influenced by their liberal legal system. America is a free country so communication is done with people who speak as equals. The society is one in which gender is not seen as an important thing. People do things across the genders without limits. The society is individualistic and people only think of their immediate happiness. There is a high level of uncertainty avoidance due to the reliance on technology and the focus on things are short-term oriented. Due to this, there is a culture of consumerism and the desire for the attainment of instant results. America is also diverse and there is a multicultural system whereby people adopt many different cultures and identities.