- Shitij, 26, sales and marketing worker, New Delhi, "A lot of (consumer) products. The way its often described to me is that Americans have a very "open mind", and that we can handle having a lot of different people around, even when we don't agree. )After you find more information about the Nacirema and gained a new perspective, then complete []. Many American kids and teenagers leave home for extended periods of time, often for summer camps or travel. It's cars. C. It is important for Asian Americans to learn American culture as quickly as possible so they don't feel like outsiders. First off, there are a variety of flavors, from White Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice, Mint, Caramel and the list goes on. Every once in a while, an outsider comes along with a new vision or a new way of doing things that revolutionizes a . . Cushman (2009) used an active learning methodology to explore minority students' insider knowledge and make outsiders aware of their lack of knowledge relative to America permeated their lives - through comics and Coke, through Hollywood and Neil Armstrong, and via the internet, iPhone and Facebook. All Rights Reserved. Enter Al Jazeera, which recently sent a correspondent to Cleveland, a city it called Americas infant mortality capital. The question it pursued fused the local and the global: why rates of premature birth and infant death in many neighborhoods exceed those of developing nations.. but don't tell them (laughing)." If we ask for a high price, they don't bargain. It is told in a first-person narration style, with the narrator being a 14-year-old boy. Here are some of the best: 1. At another moment, she sits beside an 11-year-old as he plays the game, asking him, simply enough, what he likes in it. - Summer Abu Ltaif, outside the American University of Beirut, "I think everyone is very tolerant there, in a way that there are all kinds of people, whether from different ethnicities, different countries, different religions. WHAT IS THE FIRST THOUGHT THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "AMERICA"? As is tradition. American culture is clearly more advanced than all other cultures. No, this isn't the standard bottle of wine in the States, but it's a common sight at any American supermarket or wine store and something you'd rarely encounter in the wine countries of the world like Italy or France. For example, the average American may be used to big tips and even bigger portions, but to foreigners, that's all far from the norm. 2022 Galvanized Media. Lastly, the best part is the toppings. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/05/business/media/an-outsider-looks-at-life-in-america.html. - Antara Rao, 18, student, New Delhi, "I have traveled all over the United States in Greyhound buses as a tourist. - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, juice seller, Havana, "It is a world imperialist power country. The most peculiar act, however, has yet to be done. Time to forget about any work you have to do, and treat the weekend as a weekend. In Japan, open-mouthed, teeth-exposed laughter is thought to "sound like horses," and is considered impolite, and in particular, unladylike, in the same manner Americans consider coughing . This one might seem obvious, but what if I told you that having a cup of hot cocoa is more than chocolate powder in warm milk? (She believed) that the people's voice should be heard." Americans love their red, white, and blueeven when it's not the Fourth of July or Veterans' Day. 1) Outside Marketing Firms Bring Fresh Thinking. The Outsiders was written by a teenager about teenagers. There are few countries in which you'll encounter a billboard or bus ad for a divorce attorney or see several personal injury spots while watching half an hour of daytime TV. 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! Reducto_Absurdum, Americans are obsessed with straight, white teeth. Jun 25, 2018. But its way of seeing is foreign, the perspective of the curious outsider for whom nothing is obvious and whose questions are big and nave and, in their navet, important. In addition, for some reason, the tree must be a rather large tree with lots of foliage. What identifies an American? Concept of building up the courage to ask someone to a ceilidh is simply ridiculous. 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. Stay up to date with what you want to know. - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines, "Many things their arrogant ideology of a powerful country and above all they have a language that is practically universal and almost everyone depends on that language. How big the country is and the amount of time you guys are willing to drive. Americans are also seen from afar as generous tippers, friendly, uncomplicated, rich and the standard bearers of freedom, equality, creativity and technological power. I was wearing a T-shirt that said, 'You Can't Get This In The States.' -- Nionvox, and extreme violence/gore is considered normal, and shown regularly on TV. The small and thin trees with exposed branches are often not given a second look and are left with the person selling the trees. - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway, "Everything in America is high tech!" So when it is too cold for an ice cream party, you can have a hot chocolate party instead! There was a bit of a culture shock when I first went there because the way people dress there is very much different from the way we dress here. It is so much work to get a hold of the tree and to decorate it, and it seems very important, yet at the end of the day many of the trees are thrown away. 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., Now without the photo below (but maybe skewed by the photo above) and in the context of the rest of the paper, many students do not recognize this as our daily habit of brushing our teeth. Now that you have you hot chocolate, it is time to relax. Uhh, that's a huge country. The first is that, for the longest time, reporters from foreign news organizations sent reports back to the countries that dispatched them, and those reports were seldom seen locally. 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. And they are a people that like having a lot of fun and their brands: McDonald's, all of that, makes the American identity or North American we call them North Americans rather than Americans, because we all are Americans." Throughout the novel The Outsiders, readers can see just how harshly culture can change people. fawkesandthehound. And yet the "Ugly American," it would seem, isn't all bad. Old charges of Al Jazeeras giving a platform to Islamists resurfaced. The fellow in line asked me in a very American accent, 'Y'all can't get what in the States?' One child was given a circle with a hole in it, which was in a rectangular case, and he put this circle into a box and proceeded to stare at the screen and hold a device attached to the box by a wire. This is baffling to many foreigners, especially since, by the time they're in their 30s, they've been drinking legally for more than two decades. To non-Americans the fact that we have a choice of, what kind of bread we want our sandwich on, and what kind of cheese we want on said sandwich, along with what kind of dressing, is just mind blowing. Trick-or-Treating. Y'all get snow up there.'" However, often is not noticed or realized how extreme some people are willing to go to conform to the expected norm of American society, until one looks at the demands that society places upon us from the outsider's perspective of American culture. In this game you can.. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider America gave birth to these two soulful genres and in my personal opinion from my search that is that the world is very glad, as these genres gave birth to rock, pop, rap, and hip-hop. Anthropologists conduct their research in the field with the species, civilization, or groups of people they are studying. Why is so much trouble taken to offer the items to people, wrapped and put under this gaudy tree only to be given away? You get a vision of their culture and their way of life. Now, besides the few, awesome things, I will end with what was a bit of a mixed review from non-Americans. Such houses, I have observed, draw peoples eyes as they pass by. Once they get home, they have to lift it once again off the car and into their house. At one moment, she is playing the game while addressing viewers, and, standing before us, begins to beat an innocent man with a golf club: fresh, jarring, thought-provoking television. Red Solo Cups are the symbol of college keggers and backyard barbecues alikeand yet, they're rarely seen outside of the U.S. At Slate, Seth Stevenson gave a good explanation of the appeal of the plastic cup: Its opaque color makes it impossible for authorities to casually tell what's in the cup; its sturdy design makes it virtually spill-proof; and its newly created square bottom makes it easy to hold. 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. - Knut Braaten, 43, handyman, Oslo, Norway, "I think there obviously is the American dream, the idea that unifies them all. 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. The novelty here has at least two dimensions. In most other countries, when you buy a drink, that prince is for a single cupful of your beverage of choice. Hash browns or home fries? 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. Though the conditions of pre-Columbian America and 15th-century Iberia are beyond the scope of Latin American history proper, they must be given consideration in that connection. The only normal part of the holiday seems to be the family gathering for dinner on Christmas day. 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. What we know so far about the Chinese spy balloon and other objects shot down by U.S. Overweight people, Donald Trump, elections, shootings." Like, for example, in real life, you cant kill people. Sure, fried chicken is hardly a foreign conceptbut try explaining chicken-fried steak or deep-fried Oreos to a non-American. The Outsiders was actually published when the author was only 17 years old. Even when it's the dead of winter, coffee shops are still serving up iced coffee. - Shitij, 26, sales and marketing worker, New Delhi, "They believe in democracy, in freedom; they are willing to die, kill, et cetera, for that. 1. Whether it be through something small or something quite significant, it's a . It is a great country and would love to live there. The paper, written by University of Chicago trained anthropologist Horace Miner was originally published in 1956. Loudness. We should not ethnocentrically impose our own beliefs and opinions, which are products of our own enculturation. A society that has more things than our society." Do they think of our wide range of geography and national wonders? Now, I am not saying that America doesnt have its own cultural cues and certain ways that we act that makes us unique. Don't get me wrong, dental hygiene is important, but not everyone needs a perfect Hollywood smile. Given that the school-age Asian American population doubled in the . And what do you think of when you think of a typical American? 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. The Socs live on the west side and are known as the west side rich kids who have all the breaks. 33 "Normal" Things in the U.S. That Freak Everyone Else Out, Why the World Pronounces "Z" as "Zed" And Americans Don't. used by the People to entertain and amuse themselves.". 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. And he said, 'Oh Canada! To outsiders, Blacks may appear terse or disinterested. One habit was found to help keep the brain healthy over time. I encourage others to take a step outside, in any situation, to see the broader view of things because what you find may surprise you. What one culture does and believes to benormal, others may see as unusual. I prefer hanging out with Canadians or students from Europe, because at least they are quite polite." We don't know what lemonade is: In many countries, lemonade is not the iconic sugary drink that American kids sell at stands in summer. A journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. There are no Americans as such. Anyone can have a good idea, so you could expect the distribution of U.S. patents to resemble the demographics of the workplace. The paper,written by University of Chicago trained anthropologist Horace Miner wasoriginally published in 1956. After doing a little adventuring on the web and seeing all different kinds of opinions and views from people all over the world, I came to love my country even more. Americans are, apparently, much friendlier than most people around the world. Al Jazeera America, since going on air on Aug. 20, has worked hard to fight off suggestions of foreignness. Fenrir89, I get made fun of all the time in Russia for having an attachment to my college. 2. What I've concluded from my time here so far is that most of the people in Europe consider Americans good-hearted, but completely insane people. I kind of like doing some things that I know I cant do in real life, the boy replies. I've seen that many times they are very charismatic, friendly but that does not mean that they share the political thinking of the United States (government)." This termas well as terms used in the United States such as "Native American" and "American Indian"refers to hundreds of culturally diverse groups who inhabited the Americas before Europeans settled there. It has gone beyond the usual New York-Washington presence of overseas networks, with plans for bureaus in Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Los Angeles; Miami; Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans; San Francisco; and Seattle. Baby Showers. Driving everywhere. 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. The concept of dancing cheer squads that help support sports teams (or compete against each other) is pretty odd for most non-Americans. They are taken to a store where, when presented with a slip of paper, can be exchanged for currency. It seems that the boxes were for them all along, not another being or deity. 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. "Body Rituals Among the Nacirema, " by Horace Miner, is an essay written about the Nacirema, or American people, from an outsider's perspective. But if you were to use this pronunciation in conversation with an English speaker from another country, they'd probably give you a puzzled look. 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. So what does this foreign gaze, as presented on Al Jazeera America, reveal? They just don't get the idea of loyalty to the school. - Gennelyn Escopete, 33, DVD street vendor, Manila, Philippines, "There is a lot of misconception about their politics. If you're a member of B, then . In restaurants in many other countries, your server runs your credit card through a machine table-side. What is even more confusing is that these items in the boxes are often not kept. But to watch Al Jazeera Americas reports is to discover that the truth lies somewhere in between these visions the network as fundamentally foreign versus the network as all-American. 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. Does the eating of the man-shaped biscuits represent some sacrifice? xhr.send(payload); document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { Cultural relativism is not the same as moral relativism, however. Once they do, everyone admires the tree even more. - Ziva Meizels, retiree, Jerusalem, "I think their patriotism, you know, God bless America. Build a pillow fort on your bed in any clear space using four chairs, an abundance of blankets and all the pillows you can find. Included 600 grams of cheese. I thought you had to go to a dedicated gun store for that. Americans are nothing if not by the book about the little things, so most foreigners quickly learn that it's wise to keep some form of ID on them at all times if they plan on having a drink. The point is that we have many amazing things in this country, but how much of it is concretely ours? But one thing for sure, they cannot make beer." Many are so flabbergasted by the amount of choices we have in, not only our restaurants, but our grocery stores as well. Those who choose to study and observe people can take two approaches to in recording ethnographies; a subject orientated perspective or an outsiders perspective. Wrapping up in a warm blanket with a hot drink and some calming music is one of the best ways to spend and indoor kind of day. All of the Trump stuff in the U.S. has been depressing you would like to think people are smarter than that but definitely surprising and depressing to see how much support he has and how much support his ideas have." For example, we can look at Christmas from the perspective of someone who is not a part of American culture. Now without the photo below (but maybe skewed by the photo above) and in the context of the rest of the paper, many students do not recognize this as our daily habit of brushing our teeth. Americans go nuts with air conditioning, cranking it up on hot days to the point that you might actually need a sweater. Our collective workaholism is totally bizarre to outsidersand quite frankly, we can see why. I think sometimes we take our freedom and our way of life for granted, not realizing how great it really is. Non-Americans of reddit, what aspect of American culture strikes you as the strangest. Body Rituals Among the Nacirema Essay. That . In the U.S., every food order requires several decisions. The spectacle of the Tupinamb men in the French court, as described by Montaigne, could be said to be an instance of "reverse colonization," a phenomenon in which those who embarked in a colonial . - Marren Cahilig, 21, bartender, Manila, Philippines, "It is powerful." 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. The general consensus is that American's are very optimistic dreamers and have been; that we believe that anything is possible with hard work and perseverance. To be fair, most Americans don't either. - Ayumi Takeoka, 41, housewife, Tokyo, First published on August 4, 2016 / 5:32 PM. - Karin Cohen, 25, bookshop worker, Jerusalem, "The first thing I think when I hear United States is a world power." Views differ considerably, however, among the country's religious communities - 72% of Lebanese Christians say the spread of these ideas is a good thing; only 23% of Sunni and 13% of Shia . WHAT MAKES AMERICANS AMERICAN? Go to many other countries and the smallest differences in culture, language, and background will almost automatically cause some major issues. A star, or in some cases an angel or other figurine is put on top of the tree, and it seems to be an honor for the person who is allowed to put it there. The "emic" approach is an insider's perspective, which looks at the beliefs, values, and practices of a particular culture from the perspective of the people who live within that culture. They believe in the right to have a good life and to help others to have a good life, and I think that's part of what makes them Americans." Instead, it's meant as a simple greeting, similar to "Hi there!" Contents. The channels subjects and reporting are unassailably American. When a young girl there was asked about the low-level warfare that engulfs her neighborhood, her answers heart-sinking simplicity seemed to vouch for this approach of chronicling America as though seeing it for the first time. An outsider can clearly observe behavior but they cannot understand it while conversely an American would not be able to observe an attitude but they would be able to understand the . Lawrence Wetsit misses the days when his people would gather by the hundreds and . Few embrace the spread of American culture in the predominantly Muslim nations surveyed, although many Lebanese (41%) do want American ideas and customs. But, besides the Willy Wonka level of sugar, we use a substantial amount of cheese in everything. Search CNNs Web site on the subject, and the links almost invariably carry you to content about beleaguered places like Madagascar. - Pedro Ivan Gonzalez, 35, Havana, "I think the way they are talking and dealing with personal relations is quite direct. The photo below shows different tools for cleaning ones teeth yes, even the sticks. NEW YORK Al Jazeera wants to make its name as American as pizzaburgers. - Ksenia Smertova, 21, student, Moscow, "America? They just like speaking their mind, which is a reason that I don't feel quite comfortable going around with Americans." - Rosa Moscoso, 42, Havana, "A country of freedom, particularly freedom of thought. There are two gangs in this novel, the "greasers", and the "Socs". Supersizing Food. One of the hardest (or at least most expensive) things about being an outsider traveling in the United States is tipping. Basically, I am wondering what non-Americans think of our culture, and of us in general. As the stage moves on, Claudette has managed to separate a little more of herself from wolf culture by saying "I used my new motor skills. White or wheat? (2) the interlocking nature of oppression; and (3) the importance of Afro-American women's culture. Cultural relativism can be seen with the Chinese culture and their process of feet binding. [] https://thesocietypages.org/toolbox/nacirema/ (Links to an external site.) Interpersonal relations among Americans are much more practical, in contrast to the complicated way that we Chinese people treat each other." Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. 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. People are nice but superficial. . Americans go nuts with air conditioning, cranking it up on hot days to the point that you might actually need a sweater. Tipping. Despite the fact that these people are so punctiliousabout care of the mouth, this rite involves a practice which strikes the uninitiated stranger as revolting. Money rules everything. However, young people both in and outside the U.S. are particularly fond of American popular culture. Let's move to the music, more specifically, blues and jazz, which are two personal loves of mine. It's like your entire concept of beauty hangs on it. I want an outsider's perspective on why this country is so fucked. But seriously, don't do it. When done well, this is in the finest tradition of foreign correspondence: a genre that soars when offering sharp, deeply reported answers to seemingly dumb questions dumb because they are so basic and self-evident that the smugly well settled never think to ask them, any more than fish inquire about the water. "My one piece of American culinary advice: order the medium," one New Zealander wrote in a piece for Stuff. cota main grandstand; chocolate pudding with 2 percent milk Amazing article that will definitely help people better understand how others may view their culture. You can describe American culture in general, as Miner does, or you can describe an American subculture, such as a specific geographical group (e.g., New Yorkers), a . Because there is no such ethnicity. And it's a country with quite advanced technology industries. The foreign gaze makes Al Jazeera America treat nothing as obvious. 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So, traveling down any city block, suburban street, or rural road, a foreigner will probably encounter at least a few American flags flying high, which likely isn't the norm in their home country.