Ponyboy Curtis is the narrator of this story, and it is through his . Through this exercise, students hopefully see both their own and other cultures in a new light one that understands how we are all so embedded in a culture that it is difficult not to see dramatically different rituals as exotic or weird. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Todd Beer, PhD, is a faculty member in the department of Sociology and Anthropology at Lake Forest College, a wonderful liberal arts college north of Chicago. The amount of older people I saw on my trip wearing college gear was insane. It's cars. Anyhow, in the morning, more boxes appear, and children act very wild, almost savage-like. I can imagine that persons evaluation would be something like the following: During this holiday called Christmas, families take great care to ensure that they decorate their houses and various shrubs with wires. Mehta, 34, health insurance agent, New Delhi, "Has a very liberal culture, great people and a country that drives innovation." 600 Words3 Pages. Uber-Friendliness. Uhh, that's a huge country. In a Reddit thread asking the weirdest things Americans do, many users discussed how strange they thought it was that the US advertised prescription drugs. The paper,written by University of Chicago trained anthropologist Horace Miner wasoriginally published in 1956. Part 1: An etic view of African American race from an outsiders perspective is believed as religious and demonstrates a unique lifestyle. - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway, "Everything in America is high tech!" BANGKOK -- The rest of the world may think Americans eat a lot of burgers, have huge shopping malls and are ruled by an arrogant government. It is a great country and would love to live there. D. When Asian Americans speak about their experiences as minorities, they help younger generations feel comfortable in (New York: Penguin . A lot of dresses, and cars, and all that. What am saying, or asking rather, is what makes us American to non-Americans? as well as other partner offers and accept our. It was reported to me that the ritual consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures.. In America, however, these advertisements are everywhereand unsurprisingly, they confuse foreign visitors. I think it comes from two places: sports, and a sense of community. Families also make sure they get a hold of a rather sizable green tree, butthey go outside of their property to find such a tree. From our portions to our PTO, here's where we differ from the rest of the world. However, while the quarter makes senseseeing as its value is equivalent to one-fourth of a dollarthat's the only coin whose name is at all logical in terms of its worth. By looking at our own cultures as outsiders we can see that we are under the same influence of the power of culture as others are. How big the country is and the amount of time you guys are willing to drive. "Long winter nights and the seclusion of the reservation. From an etic perspective, American practices probably seem just as strange or unusual to outsiders as other cultural practices sometimes appear to us before we understand the cultural context behind them. The report reflected the networks seeming vision of the United States more generally: as a nation dynamic and promising and, at the same time, brutal in ways that distinguish it from its rich-country cousins. - Men Xuezhi, 54, doctor, Beijing, "I don't like American guys who always pursue their own personal interests. Does the eating of the man-shaped biscuits represent some sacrifice? It's not that we're lazy, per se; it's just that we like to be comfyand despite the weird looks we get from European tourists, being cozy simply trumps looking put together sometimes. In fact, Al Jazeera may represent something quite new in the business (though not unprecedented): the foreign gaze for domestic consumption. In some of my classes, as part of a paper exploring the concepts and influenceof culture, I ask students to explore a ritual within their own culture but from an outsiders view as if they were witnessing the practice for the first time and trying to understand it. They have to lift it up and tie it to the top of their vehicle, and then drive very slowly so the tree will not fall off the car. they aren't actually looking for an answer. In most other countries, you take the time to at least park the car and walk through the front doors of the place you're patronizingnot in America, though! Instead, their purple Skittles taste like blackcurrantand while this fruity flavor used to be popular in America, legislators banned the fruit itself in the 20th century because it served as a vehicle for a wood-destroying disease known as white pine blister rust. Why have an 8-ounce steak when you can have a 20-ounce one? I created a Chill Pill playlist on YouTube for some relaxing vibes. And for more on why we pronounce this letter differently, check out Why the World Pronounces "Z" as "Zed" And Americans Don't. By Beth Anne Macaluso, Adam Schubak and Kara Ladd. Miner takes the approach of explaining the body ritual among the Nacirema from an outsider's point of view, with no real understanding of the American culture. - Summer Abu Ltaif, outside the American University of Beirut, "I think that they are formed by an ideology. An odd ritual occurs the night right before Christmas: children hang socks above a structure that houses a fire although they look far too large to be anyones sock. Sometimes it doesnt fit very easily through the entrance to their house, and many members of the family have to help get the tree through the doorway. For foreigners, the excessively large cracks in the stall doors in public restrooms are just plain confounding. "A black-and-white look at the world. To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click hereto follow us on Instagram! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Persons from religious perspectives other than Christianity, which emphasizes "individual salvation," may see the individual as equal to all living things, as on a journey toward individual fulfillment, or even as . cultural frames of reference" and "learn to step outside of their own thinking in order to examine it and also to acknowledge others' thinking" (pp. This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. Jeroen Seynhaeve / View all { 18 } / Vertaal naar Nederlands Traditional ways of evaluating cultures, and managing value clashes between these cultures, fail to generate desired results. 2. Many said they found it to be one of the weirdest things about being in the US. The reality doesn't match the ideal. There are no Americans as such. BANGKOK -- The rest of the world may think Americans eat a lot of burgers, have huge shopping malls and are ruled by an arrogant government.And yet the "Ugly American," it would seem, isn't all . This might be less surprising these days thanks to the ubiquity of Starbucks, but Americans originated the practice of ordering coffee to go, and it still strikes many Europeans as bizarre behavior. While I dont think its exactly a secret that a stereotype of Americans portrays us as arrogant, ignorant, loud and so on. 2 - A Chinese Golden Lily Foot by Lai Afong, c1870s. Boy was I wrong. I hate to put even more pressure on . These wires are attached to a side of the house and only come on at night. Okay, so besides us Americans in general, what about the other stuff, like our food, drink and entertainment? Water, whiskey, sodaif it can be sipped, we put ice in it. Yes, we Americans admittedly like to go big or go homeand when foreigners come to visit, this is a concept that they quickly notice. Reducto_Absurdum, Americans are obsessed with straight, white teeth. Although the insight of an outsider can clearly observe another's culture, I do not agree with him or her criticizing it as if it is his or her own country. What do they think of when they think of America? I thought you had to go to a dedicated gun store for that. the United States, along with further themes such as African-American culture, racism, religion, slavery, a sense of home,[5] segregation, migration, feminism, and more. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Soon, weekends can be filled with park trips and beach adventures, but for now, the weather is temperamental, so a movie night can suffice. -- Source, Amount of cheese Americans can intake at a time. The paper, written by University of Chicago trained anthropologist Horace Miner was originally published in 1956. -- KevinDevogel, That the price on things in your stores are not the actual price but the price without tax and such -- 77-97-114-99-111, You guys can't separate nudity from sex. Independence. Even though winter is ending soon, it does not mean the cold is. The difference is one of cultural ownership and general acknowledgement, of giving credit where it's dueespecially when credit is long overdue to a historically oppressed people. In most other countries, when you buy a drink, that prince is for a single cupful of your beverage of choice. Foreign tourists might be surprised to find out just how many other destinations in the U.S. have restaurants that are open around the clock. For those who are used to a more leisurely meal with little interruption, all of those check-ins and the waiter's eagerness to bring the bill can be a bit grating. That . 'Get away!' I screamed." (234) Claudette resists the urge to use wolf like communication to talk to Mirabella to stop chasing her, and instead uses human communication . Many American kids and teenagers leave home for extended periods of time, often for summer camps or travel. This extraordinary insight highlights the power that outsiders have, forcing us to see ourselves from an altogether different perspective. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. She was a happy person, better than my Chinese roommate there were three of us in the room. Curious about which things are considered freaky by foreigners' standards? How big the country is and the amount of time you guys are willing to drive. The only normal part of the holiday seems to be the family gathering for dinner on Christmas day. He also emptied my friend's fridge, saying he's used to eating and drinking whenever he feels hungry or thirsty. An emic view of culture is ultimately a . Whether we're dropping by the post office or shopping for groceries, we Americans are surprisingly comfortable with wearing our clothes typically reserved for bed out in public. If movies aren't your style or you need a quieter way to relax, pick up a good book. It is told in a first-person narration style, with the narrator being a 14-year-old boy. Why is so much trouble taken to offer the items to people, wrapped and put under this gaudy tree only to be given away? Ethnocentric views are often closely tied to racism. The collector's view of the artifacts as pieces of art is a product of his own cultural background and does not take into account the cultural relativity of the artifacts. Our collective workaholism is totally bizarre to outsidersand quite frankly, we can see why. But seriously, don't do it. Scouring forums and blogs, I found that most found Americans very friendly, caring, welcoming, and open people who live in a geographically diverse nation! It's the many electronics we have the bridge in San Francisco." The Associated Press sent reporters across the world to ask ordinary people about their views of America. Holidays are integral parts of different cultures and by looking at them through the eyes of an outsider, we can see how culture influences perspective. Flashnewb, many Chinese people do not understand how America can function so "well" since the people here are all so different. 15 Unique Aspects of American Culture. Don't get me wrong, dental hygiene is important, but not everyone needs a perfect Hollywood smile. In S.E. Let's move to the music, more specifically, blues and jazz, which are two personal loves of mine. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { So what does this foreign gaze, as presented on Al Jazeera America, reveal? The only way to properly do this is to be comfortable, because why relax when you could relax? - Liu Xiaodan, 30, hotel manager, Beijing, "America is a country that produces a massive amount of cultural output such as Hollywood movies, music and many other (forms of) entertainment." Those who choose to study and observe people can take two approaches to in recording ethnographies; a subject orientated perspective or an outsiders perspective. Costco, Wal-Mart, and other big-box stores that you need a map to navigate are a particularly American thing. I had a friend who drove for 16 hours to visit family for the weekend. The concept of dancing cheer squads that help support sports teams (or compete against each other) is pretty odd for most non-Americans. The culture can largely be referred to as Western culture, as much of it is shared with the Western world, but there are still influences that come from Asia, Africa and Latin America. In restaurants in many other countries, your server runs your credit card through a machine table-side. fawkesandthehound. 1 - A Chinese woman with her feet unbound. It's a wonderful country and there is high security, standard of living is very high. Now that you have you hot chocolate, it is time to relax. Like so much else in the United States, we go big with our roads, which are a huge contrast to the tight city streets of most European towns and winding mountain roads found in much of the rest of the world. Cheese is life people. Many people's vacation days tend to pile up as the months of 50-hour workweeks roll on.