1194659

07/05/07

US-JPN

No matter where people live, because we are scientifically exact same human-beings, we have similar lifestyles. However, each country or community has culture which has differently developed based on religions and language and so on. Therefore, our life-styles are perfectly not sameAwkward, and the very subtle differences may easily cause intercultural conflicts. In fact, I have experienced two conflicts through my life in US so far. The two big problems I've encountered wereWChoice individualism and egalitarianism. Although it's been a problem to me, it's also an assumption of Americans' lives and one that they value.

First, life-styles American people live are based on individualism. Gary Althen, the author of the first reading, says American people are trained from very early in their lives to consider themselves as separate individuals. I think American culture and Japanese culture have contrastive features because Japanese culture values group activities rather than personal one. This is based on totalitarianism. For example, in US, the human rights have been argued and developed in earlier respect of historyAwkward. It was clearly announced in the "Declaration of Independence" in 1776. I think the reason why they could establish it in such earlyAwkward is that US citizens strongly regarded themselves as one independent individual and thought they were worth obtaining an independent right. On the contrary, Japanese people who had valued totalitarianism were less than American likelyWOrder to insist on their own right since they thought that claiming the rights may cause conflicts among the group members, and that the most important {***}MissingW is to contribute to the group they belong to. The tendency was formerly stronger than now. In fact, where the human rights were officially declared first in Japan was in the Japanese Constitution, which was proclaimed after WW‡U. Namely, until US forced Japanese government to do so, we couldn't realize the importance voluntarily. There was gap of more that 150 years between US and Japan to clearly develop human's rights. I believe this interval of 150 years proves our cultural differences.

Now, how {***}MissingWthis difference madeVForm me feel uncomfortable? I have been here for nine months, but I still don't getWChoice completely accustomed myselfCut to American individualism. For example, in this semester adSpl SMC, I am taking a business law class. During the class, a lot of students raise their hand and state their opinion so many times. When I was a student in Japan, I hardly tried to or was required to state my opinion in classes. There were at most two or three times a year, yet I instead could concentrate to the professor's lecture all the time and tried to keep notingAwkward. Now, in hereAwkward, I feel their sayingWChoice opinions during the class areS/VAgreement sort of undesirable. I feel it's an interruption. Actually, in terms of Japanese culture pattern, those students who want to say something had better to talk to professors after the class. But from the individualistic viewpoint, it'Reference not clears right unless the teacher says we can't because they have a right to do so.

Second, the other difference I've confronted in US is an egalitarianism, which is strongly connected with or derived from individualism. According to Gary Althen, US people believe that "all men are created equal". Today morningAwkward, as I came to a cashier in Seven-Eleven, the cashier said "How're you doing menSing/Plu?" I said "Hi, good." It is natural conversation in US. In Japan, however, cashiers definitely would say "Good morning sir. How are you today? May I help you?" This is natural in Japan. This means there is a difference in each status between seller and buyer. The relations never brake. Sellers are never allowed to shout and not??? to use honorific words to customers, otherwise they will be dismissed. But I was actually shouted {***}MissingWby such cashiers and bus drivers sometimes when I did something wrong to them. For example, in the Big Blue Bus, when I kept standing next to the driver in order to draw a wallet out of my pocket, he exclaimed onWChoice me and warned that I had to move backward because he couldn't see the side mirror. I think this was because he tried to follow the right and duty to drive safely. Now under egalitarianism, our relation that I am greater than him is unavailable.

Again, what can be undesirable to me? It's their (cashiers and drivers) behaviorsCount/Non-Count. Even if it's the first meeting, American people may order me like "Don't smoke here!" and "Get outta here!" At such time, I first of all want to say "Who are you? Think who the customer is. I am" Recently, I'm getting accustomed, but in earlier days in US, it was very stressful. However I know it is not like most of them disregard or mock me. Althen also sayS/VAgreement that American people very often speak frankly. They speak what they conceive of openly. I also know Japanese using honorific words are merely superficial expression. Most of us don't thank to customers (Managers might say thank you truly).

In short, after I came to America, I noticed every country has different culture. ItReference not clear depends on where theyReference not clear are from, what their religions are, how they have been educated and the entire assumptions they have. Nowadays, people constantly say that we have to understand the differences among cultures. This is because we have not only personal problem like I have experienced, but also the global problem such as global warming and entire human problem such as development of genetic engineering, which can create a human without parents. Under such circumstance, I think we have to make a single value beyond all differences by understanding each other. In addition, old peopleWChoice also recognized this importance because there is a very very famous proverb "When in Rome do as the Romans do". There is a proverb that describes same meaning in Japan too.