Hello folks. Today I would like to write on an interesting topic. If you are already in U.S or planning to come to U.S, it is very important to know the cultural norms of the United States, so that you won't get into any serious troubles. In fact it helps you understand Americans more quickly and assists in your career growth.
Gender Equity : All people in the United States are to be treated as equals. In other cultures women may fall into what is viewed as "traditional" or may be treated as second-class citizens.
Dating : It is a common place for people in the United States to g through a series of romantic attachments before settling into a marriage. Dating is generally seen as a way to test which type of person you will want to spend the rest of your life with, without committing to do so. In the United States, to assist this process there are companies who provide dating or "matchmaking" services to people seeking partnership. Although these services provide people with partners, arranged marriages are not common in U.S Culture.
Dating in non-western world may be seen as inappropriate because a person should only have on intimate or romantic attachment for their lives.
Body Language : People in the United States on the whole tend to speak with their bodies, such as using their hands when they speak and do not view it as distracting.
In other cultures people tend to do less speaking with their bodies and do not make such dramatic movements.
Physical Contact : Depending on the situation light physical contact such as pats on the back, head or shoulders can be seen as harmless. Touching in inappropriate places or touching a person against their will, even if you think its innocent, is wrong. Physical contact between men is generally reserved for greetings, which may be simply a handshake, or a pound hug. It is not typical for men & men or men & women to kiss on the cheek when greeting.
In other cultures, physical contact may be reserved only for members of the same sex or between spouses in private. Physical contact may be reserved solely for greetings or goodbyes.
Public Displays of Affection : In the United States it is commonplace to see people who are romantically involved hug, hug, hold hands, or have their arms around each other.
Public Displays of Affection in other countries may be considered shameful to do in public or is meant to be private.
Manner of Dress : In the United States people may be more casual(informal) with how they dress, especially in school settings,. Americans have a tendency to be more revealing with their attire but this is not a reflection on their attitudes.
In other cultures a certain dress code may be required in school and may be more conservative (less revealing) in their personal lives.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) Culture : In the United States LGBT Culture is widely accepted, in fact some states in the US have passed laws allowing same-sex marriage and civil unions.
In other cultures GLBT Culture may be illegal, taboo, "frowned upon" or simply never spoken of. Then again it may be accepted on the whole.
Hope that helps. See you next time with another interesting post.
Share this with your friends: Tweet
You may also like to read:
- Eligibility Criteria to get your SSN (Social Security Number)
- 100 Most likely asked Visa Interview Questions
- F-1 Visa Interview with Six Backlogs
- Video: Guidance on filling U.S DS-160 online form
- Read all Visa interview Experiences
- After effects of choosing a wrong grad school
