Cultural Differences between U.S. and U.K - Essay Example

? Culture Analysis The purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast the different aspects of the US culture from the perspective of a UK citizen. Initially, the paper deals with the analysis of characteristics like language, folktales, values nonverbal communications styles, government, education, healthcare, and business of the US culture. The latter part of the essay, however, deals with the prejudices and misconceptions among the British about the culture of the US. Also, it gives consideration to the measures that may have to be required in order to sustain the effectiveness of the workplace whereby both UK and US citizens operate. Introduction Culture is the name given to a pattern of human activity which is significant because of a certain set of practices, symbols and beliefs. This definition implies that the culture belonging to a specific region is a manifestation of the art, literature, and customs, religious and spiritual beliefs of the people living there. In other words, culture is a simply a way of taking about collective identities. (Kuper, 3) Since the way of living for people is different for different areas, cultures differ across the globes. The purpose of the paper here is to study the similarities and differences of two cultures and help take into account the measures that can be used to remove the differences. Since the paper is written from the perspective of UK Citizen, it is important to first discuss the different characteristics of the country at hand, which is the US. Characteristics of the US Culture US culture can be termed as a Western culture because the presence of the influence from European countries can be felt. Although initially it was very much like European cultures, it has developed into a separate one, in terms of different music, values, folktales, dialect etc. Initially the culture was also biased towards some races too. Today, however, the US culture has become more and more racially and ethnically diverse because of the presence of people from different regions across the globe. Some characteristics of the US culture are as follows. Language Although the US has no official language, a majority of the population (in around 30 states) is fluent in English. Other than English, there are more than 300 languages, out of which Spanish is the most famous, that are spoken either by the natives of US or the people who have migrated from different areas around the world. Although US, like UK, has essentially the same language, the dialects are very different in both countries. The English spoken in the US, more commonly known as the American English, is similar to the language spoken in the UK in many ways. But dealing with a language which is similar to one’s own and yet has different turns of phrase, unexpected meanings and unfamiliar nuances is a problem that is often experienced by British who have gone to America and also by many Americans working in Britain. (Doke, 2004) The dialect of UK English is quite firm while that of US English is more informal. Often, for a UK citizen, it is hard to guess what an American is saying because Americans seem to nibble through the words as they speak. Even if the dictionary section is compared, there is a huge amount of difference. Firstly, it seems that Americans make little use of the letter ‘U’ so when the British spell ‘labour,’ Americans spell ‘labor.’ The same goes for other words like colour, behaviour, programme, centre etc. There is also a difference in the meanings of different words or phrases that are spoken in everyday language in both countries. For instance, a ‘1st floor’ in the US might mean the ‘Ground Floor’ in Britain. Similarly a ‘fag’ in UK is a term used for cigarettes while in the US; the same word is used for a gay person! (US2UK) It is amazing how the meanings can differ in two dialects of the same language. Folktales Most of the folktales in the US are the result of a very rich mythology of the Native Americans. The folktales are not just simply stories but are tales that carry a message. Through the folktales, the Native Americans have helped their culture develop and stay alive. So the tales are basically a set of the beliefs, sacred rituals and a way of living of the indigenous people of America. Although there are many folktales, most of them are divided into ‘hero stories,’ in which one person usually accomplishes something unusual through his/ her effort and willpower, and ‘trickster stories,’ which discuss the different trickster figures that might have emerged in the native tribes. (Native American Legends, Folk Tales, and Stories) Since these folktales have been passed on from generation to generation, they are sacred to the natives. In UK, there is more emphasis on more modern folklores like Robin Hood and King Arthur. Values Most of the values of Americans are based on the notion of individual freedom. Since the advent of Stuart, there has been an emphasis on individual liberty and freedom. The result of this is that almost every American dreams to be his/ her own boss. Individual freedom is so stressed on in the American society that it can be safely called the cornerstone of American values. This is true to some extent in Britain too, but it obviously is more important in the US. Americans believe in all that they can be, that is why they take a wise approach as far as learning is concerned. Education is a lot stressed upon and given a lot of weightage. Also, learning from the class and learning from other extra-curriculars are both considered essential. As far as the family is concerned, the basic purpose is to maximize the happiness of each individual. But when the notion of individual freedom and liberty comes in, the nuclear system may not be as good as it sounds. Americans are also very concerned about their privacy. While individualism might cause many Americans to not make friends easily, the respect of one’s privacy might cause them further to not be so friendly. That is why the Americans are not very famous for being friendly, unlike the British. Nonverbal communications styles Direct eye contact is one of the most important nonverbal communication style in the US, especially during conversations and business settings, while for the British, staring at someone like that is an intrusion of his/ her privacy. While dining, the left hand has to be kept in the lap (or at the table during meals), and the right hand has to be used to eat. The left hand might be allowed on the table, but only the wrist can be kept. This is somewhat same in the UK culture. In both the UK and US cultures, lines and queues are treated with respect. Also, while meeting, women hug each other briefly and men may kiss the cheek of the women briefly in both UK and US.  Government The United States of America is a federal republic, in which the president is elected for tenure of four years or maximum eight years, as the president can only be reelected once. The Congress consists of 100 members who are selected for tenure of six years, however almost 33 seats are vacated every two years for new congress members to come in. the House of Representatives consists of 435 members who are elected on a two-yearly basis. In addition, the US has a properly written constitution. In contrast, the UK is a democracy headed by a constitutional monarch. Although the monarch is mostly a ceremonial head, he/ she is called the head of state while the prime minister is called the head of the UK government. The government in UK is divided into two houses, House of Commons and House of Lords. . Additionally, UK does not have any written document called the constitution, but that does not mean that laws are not implemented Education Most of the education in the US is funded by the government itself. The students are given the choice of either attending public or private schools. The education system of the US has been divided into three different levels, namely the elementary level, the junior high level and the high school level. After the high school level, students are enrolled in universities that are also called ‘colleges’ in common jargon. UK also provides education itself to some extent, but the schools are divided into infant schools, primary and secondary schools. There are also a different set of schools like the grammarian (more academic) schools and the secondary modern (more vocational) schools. Healthcare Healthcare in the US is mostly the responsibility of the private sector. Health insurance is considered a must for all individuals but since it is provided by the private sector, many people are left uninsured. Other than the private sector, programs like the Medicaid and Medicare are also some of the government’s initiatives to provide health insurance, in particular to disabled and old individuals. Since the healthcare is in the hands of the private sector, the medical costs in the US are quite high. What makes it even worse is that the quality of healthcare is not ample for the amount of money used. That is why US has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the entire world. The system of healthcare in UK is the complete opposite of that in the US. The healthcare in UK is provided by the public National Health Service. The objective of this service is to provide free medical care to all the residents of UK. The funding for the healthcare is done through the revenues collected in taxation. Although the public system is responsible for all the residents free of charge, the private sector also provides hospitals to those who can afford. Business Although the United States has a lot of large corporations, 52 percent of the business is done through small firms. This can be explained through the importance of individual liberty and freedom in the US culture. The need for individual freedom causes a greater probability of Americans having firms that are owned by single individuals or families instead of partnerships. This is opposite of the British system of business, where partnerships are given more importance. Now that the characteristics of the US culture have been greatly emphasized on, it is important to discuss the impact of the study of the US culture might have from the perspective of a UK citizen. Perspective of a UK citizen In Britain, one of the most common notions about the Americans is that they are very racist. This, to some extent might be true if the history of America is taken into account because for years, there have been problems among the Blacks and the Whites. Although a certain degree of racism does exist even today, Americans are not as racist as they might seem to be. In reality, most Americans are very ‘accepting’ as America is dominated by many immigrants. The emergence of new immigrants, from different regions of the world, has made the Americans more tolerant, as far as the race and ethnicity is concerned. On religious grounds, it might be said that Americans are a little biased towards Muslims. Another often misunderstood perception about Americans is that they are not friendly or outwardly friendly. This, although may be true to some extent, is a hasty generalization without any credible backup. The study of the US cultural values reveal that Americans might ‘seem’ to be unfriendly because of the importance they give to other people’s privacy and also due to the excessive stress on individual liberty. It is also believed that Americans are very good at insulting the British rather than making friends. Americans are considered as competitors rather than allies most of the time. This notion is wrong because the British also are very good at insulting the Americans. In fact the British are also very racist when it comes to both Asians and Americans. Despite of pondering over generalizations, it is important to realize that the values of both Britain and America are not something very different. Although the extent of the importance towards individual freedom differs in both cultures, other values are almost consistent. For instance, the family is considered the most important building block of the entire society. The ultimate goal in a family is to consider the happiness and utility of each of the individual in both cultures; however, this might be confusing in American culture, if individual freedom is to be taken into account. Both cultures have almost similar business and workplace ethics, privacy concerns, and educational desires. The need for tolerance towards the other culture becomes much more important when it comes to the workplace. What is usually observed, when US and UK expatriates work, is that the Americans get frustrated on the British need for consensus when it comes to the decision making processes. Also, the Americans are keener to speak in meetings even when they have little or no information, unlike the British. The British, on the other hand, perceive the United States as having a ‘hire and fire’ culture so they do not interact more often with the Americans. This is what the British say about the Americans, "Whatever you do, don't do that (hire and fire). Learn the culture before you do anything. Americans are not very good at understanding culture.” (Doke, 2004) The British also have distrust towards the Americans because of their fine and clear distinctions in language and expression. Since the workplace environment is very important for the productivity and growth of a company, it is pertinent to remove the differences between UK and US expatriates. The first and foremost step should be to provide a cross-cultural training course. The advantage of such a course can make both the British and the Americans more tolerant towards each other, due to a deeper understanding of both cultures. For instance, British may not consider Americans ‘attention-seekers’ in meetings if they understand the driving force of individual freedom. Similarly, the Americans might also understand the need for consensus. Secondly, the Human Resource department of firms should try to indulge both the US and UK citizens in certain activities that can make them feel more comfortable than they are already. This can include group activities that are done for the sake of fun. These activities can help them become friends which might help them to understand each other better. To conclude, the US culture might not seem to be as similar as it seems to the UK culture. There are differences in values, language, education, and governments. However, these differences are not to be taken seriously when UK and US citizens interact in the work place. Instead of degrading each other’s culture, it is important for both UK and US expatriates that they should be tolerant towards one another. Criticizing a culture is a generalization that does not have any positive impact. Works Cited Doke, DeeDee. "Perfect Strangers: Cultural and Linguistic Differences between U.S. and U.K. Workers Necessitate Training for Expatriates." HR Magazine (Dec 2004). Print. Kuper, Adam. Culture: The Anthropologist's Account. Harvard UP, 2000. Print. Longman, Bruce. "A Guide on the Differences between American and English Culture." Http://us2uk.tripod.com/. Bruce Longman, 2006. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. "Native American Legends, Folk Tales, and Stories." Http://www.ocbtracker.com. 22 Sept. 2004. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. . Thompson. Outlines & Highlights for Society In Focus. Boston: AIPI, 2006. Print. Read More