My blog assignment for this week entailed asking people in Seville what they thought of the United States and of Americans. During my weeks here, I've had small conversations whereby attitudes and perceptions about Americans slowly became more aware to me. I'd say my first experience of this in full, was when for another class I'm taking, I needed to ask a Spaniard, what they thought of Americans and what sort of stereotypes have they heard of relating to people from the U.S.
The person I seem to get the most answers from is my roommate Nicholas who is 18 years old and is originally from Ronda (A town about two hours away by car) and goes to the same university as I do, Pablo de Olavide. When I asked him to describe what he has heard about Americans, he told me that much of the comments about Americans revolves around their lifestyle. Some in Spain view Americans as overly capitalistic, superficial, and materialistic and always so focused on getting the better car or the bigger house. He stated however that he does totally buy into this view of Americans and simply values people based on how they act and not where they're from. For me, this view is what I needed to here because ultimately I'm just another student here in Spain and my being from the United States does not have to shape how others think of me.
(Though there was a funny incident when another student, Hugo, who lives in my residence, learnt that I was from the town of South Park, Pennsylvania, he laughed a bit and I did too because South Park is usually only associated with the animated comedy on Comedy Central called South Park. I was glad that at least one person in Spain can get a laugh out of my being from South Park!)
Another source from which I've received intriguing insight into the cultural differences between people from the United States and people from Spain is from Elisa Guidera who is not only the resident director for the Seville office of Spanish Studies Abroad but also is the instructor for my course taught at the centre Spanish 343 Cultural Realities of Spain. Through this course, new insights into these cultural differences were better outlined. For example, in Spain it is not uncommon for young adults to remain at home with their parents or live close by, reflecting the importance of a close-knit family in Spanish culture, whereas in the United States, much emphasis and pressure is placed on young adults to move away from their parents and be independent. Tying this to my earlier interview, there is a perception that American society is individualistic, concerned only with their own success regardless of family connections but this overlooks both in Spain and in the United States, shifting family and social dynamics which in both countries are leading towards redefined social relationships into so-called "modern families". Overall, the perception of the United States is founded a belief that there a gross over-emphasis on economic advancement which can lead to an overlooking of other aspects of life including relationships but Spain too is entering a time where there is more of a forcing apart of usually tightly knit families in the wakes of economic concerns and a greater degree of liberalization in social policies which are redefining how people see themselves, and how they see and are seen by others
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
How Others See Us
Before my arrival to Spain, I knew that because I am an American, there would be an instant stereotype. I figured that most people would assume that Americans are loud and obnoxious and to some extent that is true,but after talking to my host mother and her daughter, I realized there was more to it. My host sister was quick to stereotype our diets as burgers and pizza. She also stated that all American food is unhealthier than Spanish food. In America, I cook all of my food and eat a well balanced diet. While I eat a burger or pizza every once in a while, I certainly do not eat it everyday. Spanish food is a lot less processed and fresher, but it does not always mean that it's healthy.
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| A crepe with gelato, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. So healthy right? |
She was also quick to point out our work ethic. She said that everyone works all the time leading to a lot of stress. I can't argue with her on our stressful environment. Piti, my host mother, pointed out that our concept of family is very different. She assumed correctly that most families don't sit down together to eat meals because we are too busy, which is the total opposite of Spain. She also pointed out the difference in the youth here. Here the youth have way more fun than the youth in America. There is more to do plus the age of drinking and going to discotecas is 18 so many young people can enjoy themselves, unlike America where you have to wait until 21.
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| One of the many festivals that occur in Spain. Carnavales de Cádiz. |
Monday, 2 March 2015
How Others See Us
Monteverde is a tourist town. There are big charter buses driving by constantly, retired people with binoculars pile out, snapping pictures and digging through their backpacks. This is how the average Costa Rican sees Americans. There is very little interaction besides being a guide, no culture exchange occurs. I asked a woman who has lived her whole life in Monteverde, and she said Americans are described as extranjeros (foreigners), gringos (white people), rubios (blonde people), machillos (another word for blonde), and despistados (confused people). They also see us as very liberal, especially the students. While the people I asked told me I'm not an example of the description they gave for Americans, probably hoping not to offend me, I asked a Costa Rican friend who blatantly told me yes. I wear shorts, which no Costa Rican ever does. All the tourists are wearing shorts, so we stand out. Also, I'm blonde. While there are natural Costa Rican blondes here in Monteverde, it's because the town was established by Quakers, so they're of that descent. Those people are hard to find though. Another way I fit the description is that I wear sandals everywhere. Even the Europeans don't wear sandals as often. I never take my Chacos off, which is probably partly the biologist in me. I'm a student who is studying in a tropical forest, so it makes sense for me to wear running clothes and sandals all the time, but a Costa Rican would wear pants and boots.
Even though I like to think I don't stand out as much as the bumbling retirees with their backpacks and blazing white sneakers, I probably am just as noticeably out of place. I'm fine with that though, because as I interact more with the people, I know that I'm not just another despistada, I'm participating and immersing myself in the Tico way of life. ¡Pura vida!
Even though I like to think I don't stand out as much as the bumbling retirees with their backpacks and blazing white sneakers, I probably am just as noticeably out of place. I'm fine with that though, because as I interact more with the people, I know that I'm not just another despistada, I'm participating and immersing myself in the Tico way of life. ¡Pura vida!
Sunday, 1 March 2015
How Others See Us
I wasn't too surprised about their impressions of people from the US and I appreciated their honesty. They explained to me that their first assumption is that we are spoiled. Their second related assumption was that our parents pay for everything.
They were also surprised when I explained to them that my school has only about 2,000 students. Their image of college students in the US are huge schools and lots of partying.
They also view young adults from the US as more independent than the young adults in Ecuador. It's more common for ecuadorians to stay at home while they attend college and not move out of their parents home until they get married.
Our discussion ended with us agreeing happily that we're a lot more similar than we are different. We are all college students with similar interests and hobbies despite the fact that we live so far away.
Intercultural Negotiations
Growing up in the forested farmland of northwestern Pennsylvania I thought I would be prepared for the rural remoteness of Costa Rica. However during my first weeks in Costa Rica I was met with several surprises. Although the design of my program at first restricted my view of Costa Rica to the forests of Corcovado and Santa Rosa along the Pacific slope. First I noticed the climate. Coping with the heat, I began to appreciate that it was completely acceptable for me to be shirtless during classes and even while presenting to my fellow students. At home shirts are generally required when entering into most public buildings. In a small town where our bus pulled over, I anxiously ran back towards the bus thinking my shirt necessary for entrance into the local general store. While in the store I witnessed my TA, a native Tico, stroll in casually with his full, bare chest exposed. As our field trip continued over the next couple weeks I gratefully accepted being shirtless, as a way to keep cool and maintain some clean shirts.
Intercultural Negotiations
Intercultural Negotiations in Townsville
I have been in Australia for a little over two weeks now and have been put out of my comfort zone, been placed on my growing edge, learned intricate details about everyday life here and realized it is significantly different then what I know from the comfort and culture of my home environment. This all is very positive for me and I have been enjoying every minute of engaging with my peers here and discovering through experience and conversation with them, the differences in every day life here in Australia compared to back home in the US.
I have not had one specific encounter of the difference in life here compared to the life I live back in the states, but rather, I have had a continuation of small experiences and observations over the last two weeks that have set the culture here apart from the culture that I know.
I would like to start out by stating that the drinking age here is 18 which in itself creates a different environment. Here, drinking alcohol is not taboo like it seems to be in my home culture. Here, there is an organization called Red Frogs which is operated throughout the country, where people come in to the College during nights which are expected to have large amounts of partying. They stay sober the whole night and wander around checking up on everyone making sure they are safe, healthy, and having a good time. They offer free food and water to everyone, they don't judge you, and if you feel uncomfortable, are not having a good time, or need medical attention, they are right there to help. Also, downtown at night, there are tents set up with trained medical staff in the tents handing out water, and proveding a place for people to rest, get food, and stay safe. People just seem to look after each other here. Everyone feels as though they have the duty to have each other's back.
So far, from what I have experienced here in North Queensland, people are genuine, polite, laid back and swallow their pride. While running through the Brisbane airport to reach my connecting flight, I encountered the nicest airport security officer. I was in a rush and asked if I needed to take my laptop out of my backpack. Instead of looking at me like I was going to blow up the entire airport, she just answered my question with a pleasant smile and proceeded to assist me in taking the laptop out of its case. I have never experienced that type of hospitality in a security line at and airport. The kindness and politeness continued as I began to meet people here at James Cook University. Everyone is interested in hearing my story, and helping me find my way. Walking down the street, I am always greeted by others with a pleasant smile and every other student I have meet had been nothing but friendly and inviting. In the dinning hall, people make it a point to sit with anyone who is sitting alone instead of just gawking at them or ignoring them. It is so refreshing to be in an environment where people don't hold grudges and are open to meeting new friends and hanging out with new people.
In the reading, I thought it was very interesting how they discussed the importance of understanding another person's culture to be able to fully communicate with them. Along with the politeness and friendliness, people here are a lot more liberal with their language as well have a peculiar sense of humor. For me, it is somewhat difficult to hear some of the language that people here toss around on a daily basis, but I also am aware that it is important to put into perspective that people here are of a different culture, have had different life experiences and are born in a country with a very different historical background then mine. Finding the ability to overcome cultural differences and understand the Aussie way is nothing less then crucial for me to fully appreciate the personalities of the kind hearted Aussie people.
I have been in Australia for a little over two weeks now and have been put out of my comfort zone, been placed on my growing edge, learned intricate details about everyday life here and realized it is significantly different then what I know from the comfort and culture of my home environment. This all is very positive for me and I have been enjoying every minute of engaging with my peers here and discovering through experience and conversation with them, the differences in every day life here in Australia compared to back home in the US.
I have not had one specific encounter of the difference in life here compared to the life I live back in the states, but rather, I have had a continuation of small experiences and observations over the last two weeks that have set the culture here apart from the culture that I know.
I would like to start out by stating that the drinking age here is 18 which in itself creates a different environment. Here, drinking alcohol is not taboo like it seems to be in my home culture. Here, there is an organization called Red Frogs which is operated throughout the country, where people come in to the College during nights which are expected to have large amounts of partying. They stay sober the whole night and wander around checking up on everyone making sure they are safe, healthy, and having a good time. They offer free food and water to everyone, they don't judge you, and if you feel uncomfortable, are not having a good time, or need medical attention, they are right there to help. Also, downtown at night, there are tents set up with trained medical staff in the tents handing out water, and proveding a place for people to rest, get food, and stay safe. People just seem to look after each other here. Everyone feels as though they have the duty to have each other's back.
So far, from what I have experienced here in North Queensland, people are genuine, polite, laid back and swallow their pride. While running through the Brisbane airport to reach my connecting flight, I encountered the nicest airport security officer. I was in a rush and asked if I needed to take my laptop out of my backpack. Instead of looking at me like I was going to blow up the entire airport, she just answered my question with a pleasant smile and proceeded to assist me in taking the laptop out of its case. I have never experienced that type of hospitality in a security line at and airport. The kindness and politeness continued as I began to meet people here at James Cook University. Everyone is interested in hearing my story, and helping me find my way. Walking down the street, I am always greeted by others with a pleasant smile and every other student I have meet had been nothing but friendly and inviting. In the dinning hall, people make it a point to sit with anyone who is sitting alone instead of just gawking at them or ignoring them. It is so refreshing to be in an environment where people don't hold grudges and are open to meeting new friends and hanging out with new people.
In the reading, I thought it was very interesting how they discussed the importance of understanding another person's culture to be able to fully communicate with them. Along with the politeness and friendliness, people here are a lot more liberal with their language as well have a peculiar sense of humor. For me, it is somewhat difficult to hear some of the language that people here toss around on a daily basis, but I also am aware that it is important to put into perspective that people here are of a different culture, have had different life experiences and are born in a country with a very different historical background then mine. Finding the ability to overcome cultural differences and understand the Aussie way is nothing less then crucial for me to fully appreciate the personalities of the kind hearted Aussie people.
Intercultural Negotiations: Townsville, Austrailia
In many ways, Australian culture is similar to American - same language, very similar music tastes, food is very similar. Through these similarities, myself and other Americans and foreign students I know are able to use what Hybels calls "Nonassertive Assimilation" or the idea of finding similarities across culture in order to effectively connect with another culture as a whole (69). Personally, I have done this the easiest through enjoying similar music to the Australians I've met. Despite this, there are still distinct differences that can be noticed.
Although the language is the same, at times it feels like I speak a completely different language. A lot of time I'll be having a conversation and have to stop for a second to think about the meaning of the slang used before I respond. For example, a paintball event I was talking to one of the older students in my hall and he was telling me about how I needed to purchase a "cricket box" for the game. I was confused and it took us a bit to get on the same page about what it was. As it turns out, a cricket box is a term used for what we call a cup (piece of protective sportswear). argues that "the better the communication, the greater likelihood of success." (56). This is definitely true in the case I just mentioned. If the conversation I was having was in a more important or vital situation, the fact that we had to take so much time trying to understand the lingo of each other's english dialect made the communication effort unsuccessful.
In addition to the language difference, the way the residence halls are set up are completely different from what I'm used to. At JCU we have what they call "colleges" which are the equivalent to residence halls at Allegheny. However, there is a fair amount of pride and competition between the halls, and unlike Allegheny, students stay in the halls they choose for all of their years at JCU. There are sports teams for each college and chants that students say when they are competing against other colleges. When comparing the residence halls at JCU to the residence halls at Allegheny, the colleges at JCU are similar to fraternities in the US because of the pride, competition, and togetherness they form on campus.
Another big difference between the United States culture and the culture of Queensland is the beaches. In order to swim at the beaches in Queensland you need to stay within designated "Jelly nets" to separate the swimmers from the marine stingers. This is really important and when I walk up and down the beaches I see tons of signs saying don't swim outside of the nets and warnings about marine stingers. Also, as shown in the picture below, there are bottles of vinegar all over the beaches incase someone does get stung.
Although the language is the same, at times it feels like I speak a completely different language. A lot of time I'll be having a conversation and have to stop for a second to think about the meaning of the slang used before I respond. For example, a paintball event I was talking to one of the older students in my hall and he was telling me about how I needed to purchase a "cricket box" for the game. I was confused and it took us a bit to get on the same page about what it was. As it turns out, a cricket box is a term used for what we call a cup (piece of protective sportswear). argues that "the better the communication, the greater likelihood of success." (56). This is definitely true in the case I just mentioned. If the conversation I was having was in a more important or vital situation, the fact that we had to take so much time trying to understand the lingo of each other's english dialect made the communication effort unsuccessful.
In addition to the language difference, the way the residence halls are set up are completely different from what I'm used to. At JCU we have what they call "colleges" which are the equivalent to residence halls at Allegheny. However, there is a fair amount of pride and competition between the halls, and unlike Allegheny, students stay in the halls they choose for all of their years at JCU. There are sports teams for each college and chants that students say when they are competing against other colleges. When comparing the residence halls at JCU to the residence halls at Allegheny, the colleges at JCU are similar to fraternities in the US because of the pride, competition, and togetherness they form on campus.
Another big difference between the United States culture and the culture of Queensland is the beaches. In order to swim at the beaches in Queensland you need to stay within designated "Jelly nets" to separate the swimmers from the marine stingers. This is really important and when I walk up and down the beaches I see tons of signs saying don't swim outside of the nets and warnings about marine stingers. Also, as shown in the picture below, there are bottles of vinegar all over the beaches incase someone does get stung.
Hybels, Saundra and Richard Weaver II. "Intercultural Communication." Communicating Effectively. 10th Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 54-77.
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