American culture
- what Americans believe?
That all people are equal and deserve an equal opportunity in life. They should all be treated fairly and with the same level of respect. This is one of the most basic principles of American philosophy. That everyone is free to be an individual. Americans don’t believe in conforming to a general ideology or behavior. Individuality and self-expression are encouraged. That competition brings out the best in people and in businesses. Competition is another of the basic principles of American philosophy. That you are responsible for taking control of your own life and determining your own future. Americans don‘t believe in luck or fate. They are very proud of their individual achievements. That change is good and necessary. It brings about progress and improvement. Tradition is not as valued in America as it is in other cultures / countries. The best is to be honest and direct. In many cultures, it is considered impolite to speak too frankly or directly about a subject. Americans prefer to speak openly, even when giving a negative opinion or delivering bad news. That rationality is more important than emotion when making a decision. Americans are often most interested in "the bottom line." In other words, the best decision is the one that has the most productive outcome, usually measured in dollars and cents.
What Americans love?
- their country
Americans are very patriotic. They are very proud of their country and their way of life. They also have great respect for those who serve or have served in the armed forces.
- their free time
Americans may not have much free time compared to people in some countries, but they value what they have. They will spend that time doing something for themselves, their family, or their community. Weekends and vacations are always full of activities.
- the outdoors
The United States government protects large sections of land from development and preserves them for the enjoyment of all. Americans enjoy outdoor activities all year round. Depending on the region, popular activities include sailing, hiking, mountain climbing, camping, and skiing.
- sports
The United States probably has more professional athletes participating in a greater number of professional sports than any other country. Americans love to watch sports, either live or on television.
They also love to participate in sports, and there are countless leagues for players of all ages and skill levels.
Customs and habits
When meeting someone for the first time, it is common to shake hands, both for men and for women. Hugs are only common between close friends. Kissing is not common, and men never kiss other men.
Americans will usually introduce themselves by their first name and last name (such as “Hello, I’m Tom Tokarcik”), or, if the setting is very casual, by their first name only (“Hi, I’m Tom”). The common response when someone is introduced to you is “Pleased to meet you.” Unless someone is introduced to you with their title and last name (such as Mister Smith or Miss Johnson), you should address them by their first name. Americans normally address everyone they meet in a social or business setting by their first name. However, you should always address your college professors by their title and last name (such as Professor Schmidt), unless they ask you to do otherwise.
- speaking on the telephone
Americans normally answer the telephone by simply saying “Hello.” If you are calling a business, the person answering the phone will give the name of the business and usually their own name as well. If the person you would like to speak to has answered the phone, you should say hello and state your name. If not, you should ask for that person politely: “May I please speak with Andrew Brown?”
The majority of Americans have answering machines in their homes. Also, the majority of businesses have voice mail accounts for their employees. When leaving a message, state your name clearly and leave a telephone number where you can be reached. Telephone messages should be brief and to the point.
- tipping
There are only a few situations where tipping is expected. The one you will encounter most often is at restaurants. American restaurants do not add a service charge to the bill. Therefore it is expected that the customer will leave a tip for the server. Common practice is to leave a tip that is equal to 15% of the total bill for acceptable service, and about 20% for superior service. If the service was unusually poor, then you could leave a smaller tip, about 10%. Other professions where tipping is expected include hairdressers, taxi drivers, hotel porters, parking valets, and bartenders. The general rule is to tip approximately 15% of the bill. In situations where there is no bill (as with hotel porters and parking valets), the tip may range from $1 to $5, depending on the type of establishment and on how good the service was.
Key words:
Behavior - správanie (sa
self-expression - sebavyjadrenie sa
encouraged - povzbudený, podporený niečím / niekým
impolite - nezdvorilý
frankly - úprimne, poctivo, otvorene
outcome - výsledok, záver
shake hands - podanie rúk (pozdrav formou rúk)
casual - nenútený, prirodzený, bezstarostný, neformálny
politely - slušne, zdvorilo, kultivovane
answering machines - odkazovače (telefónne)
tipping - nechávanie sprepitného
expected include - očakávať, predpokladať (že sa niečo stane)
porters - vrátnik, portier, domovník, nosič, pomocný personál
Author of this work: Tomáš Tokarčík (
[email protected]).
D. Naidu, Director, USA StudyGuide -
