12US Culture PPT_Hefferon

Understanding Culture and Americans Chinese Guest Teacher Summer Institute Presented by

: Deborah Hefferon,

The College Board

July 2012, UCLA

Perspective: Young or old woman?

What is culture? 

Definitions

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Iceberg metaphor

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Cultural values

Defining culture 

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Culture is the norms, values and attitudes shared by a group of people joined by geographic or ethnic ties Culture is fluid and changes You can generalize about culture, although you can always find exceptions Culture is learned, not inherited One culture is not better than another

Iceberg metaphor

The Iceberg Metaphor

Surface Culture

Deep Culture 

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What is the correct way to greet someone in your culture?

What is beauty?

What is good manners?

What is rude behavior?

What is professional behavior?

What is a good employee?

What is considered a personal question?

Beauty

Universal, Cultural or Personal 

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Universal = ways in which all people in all groups are the same Cultural = what a particular group of people have in common with each other and how they are different from other

groups 

Personal = ways in which each one of us is different from everyone else, including those in our group

How can you recognize an American citizen?/How can you recognize a Chinese citizen? Or can you? 

Appearance

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Behavior

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What he or she says

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What he or she doesn’t say

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How are behaviors connected to cultural values?

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Stereotypes: 

Let’s talk about your stereotypes of Americans + Americans’ stereotypes of Chinese

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Expect to be treated as a stereotype

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Be aware of your stereotypes + willing to change

Cultural Values - Knowing Yourself and Your Culture  -

Are you aware of your own cultural values?

individualism <_________________________> group’s welfare competition <_____________________________> cooperation informality <________________________________> formality equality <__________________________________> hierarchy direct communication <____________> indirect communication

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How do your beliefs, values and cultural upbringing influence your behavior?

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Cultural glasses

Cultural Values Quiz 1.

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If you see someone smiling, it means they are happy. True or false?

If a student tells the teacher he or she does not agree with the teacher, it means the student does not respect the teacher. True or false?

If your host mother does not offer you something to drink, and instead says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Make yourself at home,â&#x20AC;? she is being rude. True or false?

Self-awareness Being aware of your own cultural values and attitudes will help you better understand the behavior of your peers, students and hosts.

Cultural Empathy - Essential Questions 

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How can I learn to see things from another culture’s point of view?

Why is this important?

If you develop this skill, how can it lead to greater harmony and understanding: 

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Within the Chinese Guest Teacher Program?

Within your classroom?

Understanding American Culture and Behavior â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is difficult to

define what an American is, because there are so many kinds of Americans.â&#x20AC;?

Veteran Guest Teacher

First Impressions of America      

Pace People Abundance Diversity Personal Choice Work + play hard

U.S. Culture and Ethnic Diversity 

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Approximately 30% of the US population claim non-Caucasian ethnicity (African Americans = 13%; Hispanics = 16%; Asian Americans = 4.2%) You will become familiar with terms such as “Latino, Hispanic, African American, Asian American” when referring to people of different ethnic groups in the US US citizens, in general, take pride in this diversity Avoid ethnically derogatory comments.

U.S. Culture and Religious Diversity 

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Representatives of most world religions are found in communities throughout the U.S. No official state church but 95% profess to some religious belief (80-85% = Christians) 40-50% of Americans attend religious services.

Religion is generally a personal matter.

Islam is the fastest growing religion.

If you have special religious needs, explain them to your hosts.

U.S. Culture and Family Diversity 

Less than 7% of families are “typical” (working father, mother at home, 2 children)

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Single parents

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Blended families

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Americans and their pets

U.S. Culture and Linguistic Diversity 

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Over 100 languages are spoken in the U.S. Many schools and workplaces are multilingual.

12% of population speaks Spanish as first or second language; Chinese is third mostspoken language.

American English is very flexible and idioms are common.

Accents vary widely.

Diversity of students in your classrooms Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ask the veteran teachers, your mentors, about the diversity of the students they taught in the U.S.

Cultural Values Individualism (Independence)  Egalitarianism (Equality)  Communication (Directness)  Time  Privacy + Space 

Focus on the cultural value of individualism 

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U.S. culture favors the individual over the group.

Individuals are expected to make their own decisions and do what is best for themselves = independence Americans tend to have many friends, not one or two close friends.

Americans are very open to new people.

Self-reliance is the ideal.

Individualism → independence Independence  Teens of all socioeconomic groups might be expected to have after-school jobs  Moving far away to go to college is supported  After graduation, sons and daughters might be expected to pay rent to their parents

Focus on the cultural value of egalitarianism (equality)  

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Respect is earned.

Everyone is assumed to have an equal chance at success.

Individuals are encouraged to express their opinions.

Supervisors tend to be accessible and want to hear your opinions at appropriate times.

U.S. is culture of informality (dress, language, social environments); casual Common use of first names (ask first) Be careful: informality ≠ lack of respect!

Greetings + Farewells 1.

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“Hey!” “What’s up?”

“See you.”

“Take it easy.”

“Come by sometime.”

Focus on the cultural value of direct communication 

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Directness and openness Politeness Assertiveness Constructive feedback Non-verbal communication Honesty ≠ harmony Silence Ask questions!

No usually mean no and yes usually means yes.

Direct + Polite Communication 1.

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“Open the door.”

“Open the door, please.”

“Would you open the door, please?”

“I want one of these.”

“May I have one of these?”

Expressing personal opinion

Focus on the cultural value of time Time is considered a resource to be spent wisely.  Efficiency is a virtue in the U.S.  Being on time is expected; being late is usually considered rude  Deadlines are very important  The need for punctuality is respected.  Looking to the future – “What do you want to be when you grow up?” 

Focus on the cultural value of privacy + space  

“Alone time” is considered important Social distance and touching 

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Example of reaching across someone

Americans prefer to have a great deal of personal space – about an arm’s length between people.

Personal hygiene + smoking Questions that violate the privacy rule

Taboos Social protocols are quite relaxed in the U.S. but there are some things that are unacceptable:       

Cover your mouth when you cough.

Americans are offended by strong odors.

Do not belch loudly in public.

Do not spit.

Do not pick your teeth or nose in public.

Do not stare.

Do not whistle at women.

What is going on in this picture?

Self-awareness Being aware of your own cultural values will help you better understand American behavior.

Good Luck!

My prediction: Travel and you will meet yourself.

I will be eager to hear about your experiences. Please keep in touch!

DeborahHefferon@gmail.com