AMERICAN CULTURE

 

Answer Sheet

Iman Setia Harefa*

 

Exercise 1

Part 1

Erica     : Welcome to America Chintya. How‘s it going? I‘m Erica Kay.

Chintya : How do you do, madam Erica. Thank you for showing me your station. Im studying radio broadcasting at the University of Minnesota. I look forward to meet your staff.

Erica     : Just call me Erica…

(A man enters a room)

Analyze

From this conversation, we can see the cultures of America.

Erica     : Welcome to America Chintya. How‘s it going? I‘m Erica Kay. (American values here is very polite to each other specially to guest and asking how about guest is very common)

Chintya : How do you do, madam Erica. Thank you for showing me your station. Im studying radio broadcasting at the University of Minnesota. I look forward to meet your staff.

Erica     : Just call me Erica… (American values here is just call their name directly)

 

Part 2

Erica : Hi Fred! How‘s it going! Glad you‘re back from vacation. We missed you here.

Fred : Hi Erica. How are you doing girl?

(He slaps Erica’s open palm with his palm)

Erica : Bad boy! You‘ve been late for 15 minutes in your first day!

Fred : Terribly sorry for that. I had a very bad jet lag.

Erica : oh Fred…meet Chintya…she‘s from Senegal.

Fred : What‘s happening girl?

Chintya : I‘m visiting your station, Sir.

Analyze

Erica : Hi Fred! How‘s it going! Glad you‘re back from vacation. We missed you here.

Fred : Hi Erica. How are you doing girl?

(He slaps Erica’s open palm with his palm)  (American values here is hitting solder, hand, or body already used there. It doesn’t mean he/she hate you but that’s the way to connect to us or to each other )

Erica : Bad boy! You‘ve been late for 15 minutes in your first day! (American values here is punctual. They very respect for time because time is money there.)

Fred : Terribly sorry for that. I had a very bad jet lag.

Erica : oh Fred…meet Chintya…she‘s from Senegal.

Fred : What‘s happening girl?

Chintya : I‘m visiting your station, Sir.

 

Exercise 2

The popularity of Western is still with us today as it portrays the image of the West into dramatized version of the life American pioneers in the nineteenth century. Western has made its way to be such appealing genre in America from era to era with its typical story portraying the life of the West.

Values

Independence. Americans strongly believe in the concept of individualism. They consider themselves to be separate individuals who are in control of their own lives, rather than members of a close-knit, interdependent family, religious group, tribe, nation, or other group.

Equality. The American Declaration of Independence states that “all people are created equal,” and this belief is deeply embedded in their cultural values. Americans believe that all people are of equal standing, and are therefore uncomfortable with overt displays of respect such as being bowed to.

Informality. This belief in equality causes Americans to be rather informal in their behavior towards other people. Don’t be surprised if store clerks and waiters introduce themselves by their first names. Many people visiting the US are surprised by the informality of American speech, dress, and posture. Don’t mistake this for rudeness or irreverence; it’s just a part of their culture!

Directness. Americans tend to value, frankness and openness in their dealings with other people. They believe that conflicts and disagreements are best solved by means of forthright discussion among the people involved. Americans believe that if someone has a problem with someone else, they should tell the person clearly and directly in order to come up with a solution to the problem.

Competition is one of the American values

Americans can be competitive and often work hard to achieve their goals. Competition often leads Americans to be very busy. Many Americans view competition is a good thing.

Here are some examples of the American value of competition:

Competition in business is due in large part to the capitalist economy. America’s business model is to compete for customers and for the best prices.

Privacy

Americans value privacy and their own space. While in some cultures wanting privacy may be seen as a bad thing, many Americans like to have alone time and may be private about certain topics.

Here are a few situations related to the American value of privacy:

In conversations, many Americans are private about certain things and do not want to talk about them, such as their age,  how much money they make, or their political, sexual and religious views. Some people do not like talking about these subjects in public because they are worried it will cause people to argue. However, if you have questions about these topics, you can ask us. Most Americans will be happy to teach you about how Americans view the world.

Time and efficiency are American values

Americans place a lot of value on their time. Americans may feel frustrated if they think someone or something has wasted their time. Some Americans plan out their time carefully, using daily calendars for both their personal lives and their work lives. There is a saying in America: time is money. This  means many Americans like to use their time “efficiently” – they want to get the most done in the shortest amount of time.

This may be different from what you are used to. When making a business deal, you may spend time getting to know the other person, maybe while drinking tea or coffee. In the United States, this is often not the case.

Here are some situations in which you might want to be aware of time:

Meetings, especially for work: You should try to be on time – probably even 5 minutes early.

Work ethic is one of the American values

Americans can be very focused on their work. Sometimes people from other cultures think Americans “live-to-work” or are “workaholics.” This means they think Americans work too much. Part of the reason Americans are work-oriented is because being busy and active is often seen as a good thing. People also tend to identify strongly with their jobs. For example, when you first meet someone, one of the first questions they might ask you is “What do you do?” They mean, “What kind of work do you do?”

Consumerism is one of the American values

As a newcomer to the United States, you may sometimes think Americans seem materialistic – focused on owning and buying things. Part of the reason for this is that many Americans value competition and work. Because Americans value competition, they want to “keep up” with those around them. This means, for example, if your neighbor got a new car, you might want a new car also. Americans call this “Keeping up with the Joneses.”