ESL 21b

Essay 1.2

Intercultural Differences

    Each country has its own culturesSing/Plu, and people have various differences such as

their customs, behavior, the way of thinking, values, assumptions, and so on.Cut In the

article " American values and assumptions ", author Althen discusses the concept of

values and how American people have their values and assumptions about individualism,

competition, privacy, equality, informality, time, directness, etcCut. I've been here in the

United States almost three years and notice that there are several differences in people's

values and assumptions between Japan and the United States. This easySpl will be about

major differences between Japan and the United States such as informality, directness,

and individualism.

    American people are quietSpl informal in their general behavior and in their

relationships with other people. For instance, people usually call each other by their first

names rather than family names. Its inCut everywhere and everyone does it. In Japan, people

don't call each other by their first names unless they are relativeSing/Plu or close friends.

AmericanSing/Plu are so well known isCut related to their informal, egalitarian approach to

other people. "Hi!" they will say to just about anyone, or "Howya doin'?"(that is, "How

are you doing ?" or "How are you?").(Althen) In Japan, it is kind of difficult to find a

person like American . People are muchWChoice shy and formal, and they don't usually greet or

talk to people they don't know. Informality, this is a big difference between Japan and the

United States.

    AmericanSing/Plu are very direct. They generally consider themselves to be frank, open,

and direct in their dealings with other people, (Althen) and show clearly expressAwkward feelings

and requests. When they want something they say "Yes" and when they don't they say

noPunctuation. Furthermore, if they want something different from what is offered, they ask for it.

Its American's common idea that people should explicitly state what they think and what

they want from other people. Therefore, their words, the tone of voices, or the facial

expression will usually reveal when they are feeling angry, unhappy, confused, or happy

and content. On the other hand, Japanese are indirect, and tend to hide their opinions or

thinking. In many Asian countries, people are taught that they should mask their

emotional responses and requests, but here in the united States, people don't think it is

improper to show or display their feelings.

    For Americans, the idea of individualism has strong, positive connotations. The

most important thing to understand about AmericanSing/Plu is probably their devotion to

individualism. They are trained from very early in their lives to consider themselves as

separate individuals who are responsible for their own situations in life and their own

destinies. They are not trained to see themselves as members of a close-knit

interdependent family, religious group, tribe, nation, or any other collectivity. (Althen)

If I compare teenagers between Japan and United States, I feel American are much more

independent, self reliant, mature, and responsible for one self.

    Every country has its own values and assumptions and people grow up in

different cultures, society, and environment, and learn different values and assumptions.

To know a people is to know what value and assumption they live in