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One of my required college courses for my Culinary Arts degree is one on Interpersonal Communications, and I've got some homework to do that I need some help with. Basically, I just need someone from a different culture other than American to answer two questions (I know many of the Dakka-ites here hail from the UK and Australia, so it shouldn't be a huge problem to find someone with another culture than me). I'll post them here if anybody would like to help me out. I greatly appreciate it.

Q1: What are three perceptions you have about the American culture?

Q2: What is one thing that you would like Americans to know about your culture to help better understand it?

Oh, and I also need a name to put on the paper, but if you give me a fake one I won't know the difference. I hope I'm not asking too much of anyone here, but it would be a great help to get someone to answer these questions for me. Thanks!

I'm a Confederate living under American military occupation - do I count?

Just me? OK, then!

Question 1: I'll give 3 good perceptions, and 3 bad ones - use whichever you want .

The Good.

1. Americans are very idealistic, and have very clearly defined beliefs.
2. Americans are generous of spirit, and friendly.
3. Americans are steadfast allies.

The Bad.

1. Americans can be overbearing and loud, with a generally superior attitude (WE'RE NO.1! USA!, USA!, USA! etc.)
2. Americans are capable of outrageous displays of materialism (bling, SUVs, 'greed is good' etc.)
3. Americans can be sentimental, and over-demonstrative.


Question 2.:

Where to start?
Well, we don't live in castles, London is nothing like it is in 'Mary Poppins', we don't say things like 'cor blimey, guv'nor' or 'cheerio!'. We also don't all know each other. We DO drink a lot of Tea. And alcohol.

I suppose the main thing would be that the UK is more similar to the USA than it is different. Much of American culture has it's origins in Britain.

You actually put #1 bad as a "bad" thing?

I will give you #2 though. Bling just being stupid as all hell and SUV's generally not being as good as they are touted to be. 3 is just because so many of us are Patriotic (at least those who aren't just here for free benefits and criminals hiding from their own countries laws).

I'll give you the rest though Alba.

Commissar Molotov wrote:I'm a Confederate living under American military occupation - do I count?

If I do you do...

@Albatross: What a kind post on your part!

Do you think you could use your culinary arts to make alcoholic Tea? If you could, all Britain would be your bitch.

As for three perceptions

Good

1. Can be a very kindly people
2. Take an active interest in their roots, more so than British people
3. Can be incredibly open minded

Bad

1. Can be incredibly insular
2. Populace don't seem terribly well informed about world events.
3. Bit too quick to resort to threats on the world stage.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Do you think you could use your culinary arts to make alcoholic Tea? If you could, all Britain would be your bitch.

Consider yourself mine then!

That has to be drunk by the shot.

I want a nice steaming hot mug of Rosy Lee which also gets me munted.

Nice try though, and I do fancy tracking some down.

Damn, that sounds delectable.

In a glass over ice with a lemon wedge or two.

Maybe I can find an online distributor. Nothing that cool up in Mn I'm afraid.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:That has to be drunk by the shot.

Who says!?!?!

Worry not, I have more products up my sleeve!

Hey, Firefly Vodka - from my very own state of South Cacky-Lacky!

Careful, Brits - it's "sweet tea" flavored, which means it's very heavily sweetened, just like we drink our iced tea (did'ja ever wonder why we crackers get so darned fat?)

No, I just assumed it was all the lard you consumed.

But I do wonder where the term 'Cracker' comes from?

P.S. apologies for derailing the thread. Just in one of those moods tonight.

@Fate - So, you'll take all the good points, but none of the bad points? How very American!

Three perceptions eh? Okay, but I won't pull punches.

-Tend to be very brash and full of themselves and feel the need to communicate this to the world, unlike say the French, who are even more arrogant, but don't feel the need to shove it in people's faces.

-Tend to be much more open then we do over here, but it's more of a superficial openness.

-They seem to be the only ones to send me stupid questions on Ebay whenever I have something for sale. IT SAYS REGION 1 IN THE LISTING! IF YOU'D READ IT, YOU'D KNOW THAT! ARGH!

What would I like to them know about my culture? That happiness is only a wetherspoons pub breakfast away.

Albatross wrote:@Fate - So, you'll take all the good points, but none of the bad points? How very American!

You misread. I gave you 2 out of 3 bad points.

1 isn't so bad.

Depends if you're American or not

Why would anyone ever admit to NOT being American?

Even if I was British I'd claim to be American.

Only because that would explain why you can't handle your bevvy, you big girls blouse!

I assume bevvy is alcohol?

Only time I can't handle my liquor is when I'm sucking down Long Island Iced Teas like they are water.

For those who don't know it is basically a 12-16oz glass filled with gin, rum, tequila, vodka with a splash of coke for color and possibly even a dash of triple-sec.

Eurgh! Poncy poncy poncy! A Cocktail?

You'll get poncilities drinking that.

Have a pint like a real man.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Eurgh! Poncy poncy poncy! A Cocktail?

You'll get poncilities drinking that.

Have a pint like a real man.

You know, I only understood te last part of that.
Modquisition on. lets make some space for people actualy responding shall we?

I'm mostly an American, but here goes...

Locclo wrote:
Q1: What are three perceptions you have about the American culture?

Obsessed with masculinity. Reason is secondary to righteousness. Feeling good is better than being good.

Locclo wrote:
Q2: What is one thing that you would like Americans to know about your culture to help better understand it?

We all speak English. The fact that I use words you don't know doesn't indicate a deficiency on my part, but on yours.

Q1: What are three perceptions you have about the American culture?

1: The only western country where >50% of the population attend a religious service each week.
2: There is a belief that anyone can make it and if you work hard or work smart you will be rewarded.
3: Firearms are so ingrained in the culture, there will never be meaningful firearm restrictions. (When I was in the security clearance lines at US airports in 2007 EVERY time the conversation with US citizens somehow always ended up about guns and how shocked they were we don't have them readily available in Oz)



Q2: What is one thing that you would like Americans to know about your culture to help better understand it?

ANZAC/ Anzac day

dogma wrote:I'm mostly an American, but here goes...

Is that like being sort of pregnant?

Maybe. My entire life has featured an American citizenship, but I've spent about 40% my time in other nations. If culture occurs by osmosis, then I've not absorbed only American globules.

Fateweaver wrote:I'll give you the rest though Alba.

No, no, no.

This is Alba;


This is Albatross;


It's best not to confuse the two, especially when the one I'd like to have posting here isn't. No offence Albatross, but well...


Oh, and the question!

Q1:
1. American culture is vast, and varies greatly, so any generalisation will normally have a wealth of opposing examples - see my next two points for examples.
2. Americans are outgoing, and largely devoid of cynicism - it's why when cynicism does hit Americans tend to be very bad at it (and yet there's a really strong counter-culture movement that's produced most of my favourite movies).
3. Americans know a lot less about us than we do about you (except, again, there is a strong field of international studies - the Americans that do know about the rest of the world tend to know a lot).

Q2:
We're a lot like you. A little more cynical, and patriotism is generally frowned on, but other than that there isn't much to tell us apart.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:No, I just assumed it was all the lard you consumed.

But I do wonder where the term 'Cracker' comes from?

P.S. apologies for derailing the thread. Just in one of those moods tonight.

I could be wrong, but as far as I know, Black Americans call us white folk that for slang/insulting. A good buddy of mine calls me that, infact thats where I got the name KingCracker. Too many beers is the sum of how that came up lol


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Yea no offence Albatross, but your no Jessica Alba

I just call Albatross Alba because I get lazy and don't want to type the last 5 letters. Don't worry, I could never confuse the two.

Locclo wrote:Q1: What are three perceptions you have about the American culture?

Kind of a mix of both good and bad

1. Ready to help countries hit by disaster (although only after heavy news coverage and then its that same song every time)

2. Extremely patriotic (sometimes to the level of obnoxiousness, but pride in a country is alright, just not at insane levels )

3. At times they're like that really loud dumb fat kid at the back of the class, never shutting up about their shiny new toy car or how they totally got 10 out of 10 on the spelling test because the teacher wrote them on the board. Other times they're actually pretty good and helpful. Plus I guess they kind of opened up communication around the world with the invention of the internet. Sometimes the belief that they're special and can achieve anything they put their minds towards is beneficial and actually leads to something, not all the time though. But it's that self confidence that has lead them to doing good stuff. If they simply gave up when everyone told them their idea was stupid there might not have been cars or computers or the internet. I guess it's really just a hit and miss sort of thing.

4. Way too obsessed with guns but that might just be Texas.

Locclo wrote:Q2: What is one thing that you would like Americans to know about your culture to help better understand it?

We're not all just like Crocodile Dundee/Crocodile Hunter

Three perceptions, correct or not:

- Americans love their military waaaay too much. It's something like half the world's military spending for less than a twentieth of the population .

- Lots of languages and cultures, especially around New York and less towards rural southern areas.

- Very patriotic, sometimes to the point of American Exceptionalism (which is annoying) and generally won't have a great knowledge of the rest of the world.

What do I think Americans should know about Australian culture?

As far as I can see there are two Australias. An indigenous one that has been kicking around for ~50,000 years with a tiny population and the one the rest of the world sees with immigrants, cities and politicians. One Australia was kind of just plonked on top of another, and to this day no-one seems to understand how to solve the problems this has created.


Oh, and I believe cracker as a derogatory term for whites came from white American slave drivers cracking whips. Or something.