AMERICAN PEOPLE & SOCIETY

Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, Ph.D.

USSH, VNU-HCMC
Email: [email protected]
 Learning materials
• Required readings
Althen G. American ways – A guide for foreigners
in the US, Intercultural press, 2003
(Chapter 1-2, 6, 10-12)
• Supplementary readings (optional)
Datesman M.K. American ways, Pearson
Education, Inc. 2005 (Chapter 1-2, Chapter 10-12)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/
01/03/what-does-it-mean-be-real-american/
 Contents
• Part 1. General ideas about American culture
Chapter 1: American values & assumptions
Chapter 2: American communicative styles
Chapter 3: Ways of reasoning
• Part 2. Specific aspects of American life
Chapter 6: American family life
Chapter 10: Social relationships
Chapter 11: Racial and ethnic diversity
Chapter 12: Male-Female relationships
 Overview of 10 periods in
American history
1. Christopher Columbus 1492- European Settlers – British laws
2. 13 colonies – Revolutionary – Declaration of Independence
3. Colonists won 1783- Constitution – G. Washington
4. Europeans – Industrial revolution – 1840‘s
5. Civil War (North & South)- 1861 – Abraham Lincohn – 1865
6. Great power -1917- WWI- Women‘s right to vote
7. Great Depression- 1929- President Roosevelt – 1933
8. WWII- Japan- Hawaii 1941- Atomic bombs- 1945
9. Cold War- Soviet Union- Korean war Civil rights- 1950
10. Space Age (1st men to the Moon)- Vietnam war- Computers-
Women‘s liberation (1960-1980)
 Possible reasons for migrating to
America after Columbus’s discovery
• To expand the colony • For religious reason
system • For political reason
• To start a new life on new • For economic reason
land (Economic reason)
• For adventurous reason
• To look for gold (cultural exploration)
• For Adventure THE RICH + THE POOR
• To get political freedom
• To get religious freedom
(Puritans)
 American society: A nation of
Immigrants (from various continents/races)
Others (Latinos/
NW European/white/ Hispanics) Native Ame/Indian
Anglo-Saxon (English, German,
French, Dutch, Swiss,….)

American African/black
people

SE European/white
(Italian, Spanish,
Turkish, Hungarian,…
Northern Asian
(Chinese, Korean,
Japanese,…)
The Middle-east SE Asian (VN,
Philippines,
Cambodian, ….)
Enlargement of the USA
 Immigration to the US
• 1600s: English as the 1st & largest immigrant group, (Reasons:
religious, political freedom, adventure, job opportunities, gold,
etc.) - White European
• 1760s-1840s: industrial revolution, Irish, German, French,
Swedish arrived for jobs (poverty, war, discrimination in Europe)
• 1620-1820-Civil war: black slaves from western Africa
• End of 19thC: from SE Europe (Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Greek,
Turkish, Romanian...), industrialization & westward movements
• 1900s: Asian (Chinese, Japanese): 1881 -1920
• WWI: travelling difficulties => immigration declined
• WWII: limited before and welcomed immigration after the war
(Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Philippinos,
Cambodian, Indian, Mexican, Latinos/Hispanics,...)
 Immigration to the U.S.
Year Top 3 countries of origin
1880 Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom
1930 Italy, Germany, United Kingdom
1960 Italy, Germany, Canada
1980 Mexico, Germany, Canada

1990 Mexico, Philippines, Canada

2000 Mexico, China, Philippines

The number of first- generation immigrants living in the US

has quadrupled, from 9.6 million in 1970 to about 38 million
in 2007 (Mexico, India, the Philippines)
 Order of immigration waves
1. Native Americans (Indians)
before 15th C: about 1.2%
2. The European white
Americans (17thC): 72 - 73%
3. The African Americans (17 –
19thC): About 13%
four epochs of immigration:
1-The colonial period (17thC 175,000 4. The Hispanics/ Latinos
Englishmen)
2- The mid-nineteenth century
(16thC-20thC): 12-13%
(northern Europe)
3-The turn of the twentieth (Southern
5. Asian Americans (Late
and Eastern Europe) 19thC-20thC): About 4 - 5%
4- Post-1965 (Latin America and Asia)
 The dominant culture
• The White + Anglo-Saxon + Protestant
The WASPs = White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (75% of the
population in the early America) looked for individual
freedom, equality of opportunity, higher material
standard of living
Strongest influences on American culture came from
northern European cultures, most prominently from
Britain, Ireland, and Germany
American culture which encompasses traditions, ideals,
customs, beliefs, values, arts, folklore and innovations
developed both domestically and imported via
colonization and immigration from the British Isles
 The first settlers
Realities in their home countries Reasons for coming to America
• Control of Kings/Queens • Looked for political freedom
• Control of Anglican Church • Looked for religious freedom
• Hierarchical society (different • Looked for equality of
social classes) dominance of opportunities
high class/ nobility/
aristocrats – more
privileges/more power
• Looked for jobs, wealth,
• Poor farmers, lack of land opportunities to get rich in
• Failure of crops, unemployed the new land
• No opportunities to get rich
 Migration reasons & prices paid
• Economic reason, natural disasters/wars...:
- See the US as “the land of opportunity“: equality
- Hope for better employment, wealth (from rags to
riches)
Price to be paid: hard work and competition
• Political & Religious reasons
- Individual freedom (free from control of Kings,
Gov, church)
Price to be paid: self-reliance
6 American traditional core values
The prices to pay –
American first values accompanied values
• Individual freedom • Self-reliance
• Equality of opportunity • Competition
• Material wealth • Hard work

1. Individual freedom & self-

reliance
2. Equality of opportunities &
competition
3. Wealth & hard work
People of different races American values
• The black
• Democracy (as a result of
• The white
equality)
• Asian
• Competition
• The native Indians
• Family
• Hispanics / Latinos
• Heroism (Self-reliance)
• The Middle East (Jews)
• Patriotism
• …….
• Wealth, prosperity
• Success
• Work hard
• Freedom (individual)
• Simplicity
• Tradition
 Metaphors of the US society
Melting pot
Salad bowl
Pizza
Mosaic
 Meanings of Symbols/Metaphors
• Melting pot • Different ingredients get
“melted”: change the flavor
(different groups have lost/given
up/change their cultures to
integrate themselves into the
dominant culture): assimilation,
Americanization (non-western)
• Salad bowl or • Mixed salad: ingredients do not
Pizza (single most change flavors (different groups
popular food in maintain their cultural
the US today) identities): cultural diversity
 Cultural pluralism
• Traditional values are combined with immigrants‘
own language & cultures
• Recent developments tend towards cultural
diversity, pluralism and the image of a salad bowl
(more bilingual or multilingual/ bi-cultural or
multi-cultural upbringing, interracial marriages)
• Sense of national Identity: being an American
• Traditional dominant cultural values still affect
thinking, feeling, acting of many American people
Important note about American culture
• Americans acknowledge few generalizations
that can safely be made about them, in part
because they are so individualistic and in part
because they think regional and other kinds of
differences completely distinguish Americans
of various groups from each other
(American ways – Guide for foreigners in the US,
p. xxix)
 Chapter 1: American (commonly
held) values & assumptions
1. Individualism, freedom, competitiveness, privacy;
2. Equality;
3. Informality;
4. The future, change, and progress;
5. Goodness of humanity;
6. Time;
7. Achievement, action, work and materialism;
8. Directness and assertiveness
 1.1. Individualism, Freedom,
Competitiveness, and Privacy
Individualism, Freedom,
Competitiveness Characteristics
• Individuals responsible for • Pay little attention to groups
their own life/destinies (self- • Be proud of their accomplishments
reliance) >< interdependence • Be more involved with their peers
• Learn to make decisions/be • Act competitively
independent from childhood • Little concern about cooperation
• Self-fulfillment, self-identity, • Superficial, short-term relationship
self-improvement, self-help
• Place importance on written rules,
(mature) >< subservience to
procedures, and deadlines
the family and the community
• Suspicious of authority
• Individual freedom: heroes
from rags to riches (skills) • Be alone sometimes, care for one’s
own problems
 Privacy
• “some time alone” to Americans’ houses, yards,
think about things or and even their offices can
recover their spent seem open and inviting,
psychological energy yet, in Americans’ minds,
• Own rooms, own place, there are boundaries that
own things.... other people are simply not
• “private thoughts” that supposed to cross (p. 14)
might never be shared
with anyone
• Rules of “confidentiality”
 1.2. Equality
• Declaration of
Independence “all men • Underlying assumptions
are created equal” (may (1) no matter what a person’s
violate the ideal in initial station in life, he or she
practice) has the opportunity to
• Any person’s opinion is as achieve high standing
valid, worthy of attention (2) everyone, no matter how
• Equality in terms of unfortunate, deserves some
gender, age, wealth, social basic level of respectful
position (distinction in a treatment
subtle way, high status
with loud voice…)
 1.3. Informality
• Clerks may introduce • informality in speech,
themselves by their first dress, and body language
(given) names and treat • Idiomatic speech, slang
customers in a casual, (formal speech reserved
friendly manner for public events formal
• Informal relationships situations)
between students, • Superficial friendliness:
workers, coworkers informality & equality
• “Make yourselves at
home”: easy and natural
interaction at parties
1.4. The future, change, and progress
• Looking ahead instead of • The idea that people in
the past general can somehow
• Set goals for the future and shape their own futures
work systematically toward seems naïve, arrogant, or
them even sacrilegious
• Changes = Improvements in • Live in harmony
the future
• Physical and social
environments are subject to
human domination/control
>< fatalistic (fate, God)
 1.5. Goodness of Humanity
• Rehabilitation (physical
• Assumption: human nature and social)
is basically good, not • Belief in Democratic
basically evil - Training Government
• Self-improvement (individualism, freedom,
 “extension classes,” night and equality)
classes, correspondence • Voluntarism (“service
courses, televised courses, clubs” that raise money)
on-line courses • Educational Campaigns
 “Non-formal” educational • Self-help (stop bad habits)
opportunities: workshops,
“Where there’s a will,
seminars, training programs
there’s a way”
 1.6. Time
• Time is money: wise use • “efficiency experts” to
for constructive, future- review their operations
oriented activities • Check emails quickly,
• “well-organized” Fast-food
(Schedule, list) • Quick pay (not queue in
• Efficiency (future, lines)
change) and time)
• Daily planners >< enjoy
the human interactions
• “machines running
around”
 1.7. Achievement, Action, Work,
and Materialism
• Admiration for achievers • Measure a person’s success
• Achievement motivation in life by referring to the
• “Protestant work ethic”: amount of money acquired,
hard worker to the title or position
• ACTION (doing things): get • Luxurious life: materialism,
restless and impatient, consumerism
making plans or
arrangements
• Unable to relax and enjoy
life’s pleasures?
 1.8. Directness and Assertiveness
• Words, tone of voices, or
• Frank, open, direct
facial expressions reveal their
• “Let’s stop playing feelings (not mask emotions,
games and get to the less concern for face)
point”
• RELUCTANT:
• “assertiveness-training
- Personal/sensitive topics
classes.”
- Say no without offending/
• Often speak openly and
hurting
directly to others about
things they dislike - Not well acquainted with
(constructive) somebody for acceptance of
direct discussion...
 Chapter 2: Communicative styles
• Preferred Discussion • Channels Preferred:
Topics Verbal & nonverbal
• Favorite Forms of Communication
Interaction • Level of Meaning
• Depth of Involvement Emphasized
Sought
 2.1. Preferred Discussion Topics
• Small talk topics (first • AVOID topics (taboo topics):
encounter): - Politics and religion!: avoid
- Weather arguments
- Jobs - Too personal (earnings…)
- Physical surroundings - Body and mouth odor, bodily
- Past experiences functions, sexual behaviors,
- Social life, school life body weight (look slim:
compliment!)
- Hobbies, families, children
(brief, polite) Communicative style, not level
of intelligence!
- Sports, cars INDIVIDUALISM, PRIVACY, INFORMALITY
 2.2.Favorite Forms of Interaction
1. Repartee: No one speaks 4. Self-disclosure: reveal
too long, takes turns little about personal lives
frequently (impatience) (only close relationships:
Concise: “getting to the women>men)
point” (time)
-Not extreme with respect
2. Less ritual interaction/ to the amount of self-
interchanges (sincerity) disclosure that takes place
3. Avoid arguments: change in interpersonal encounters
topics, not end (eg. Dating)
relationship (individualism) PRIVACY, INDIVIDUALISM
NOT TOO POLITE, BUT NOT
AGGRESSIVE! (calm, no fists)
 2.3. Depth of Involvement Sought
• Few close relationships, • “compartmentalized
friendships friendships”: friendship
• More acquaintances (low relationships entail doing
mutual obligation) something together
• Occupants of roles: a (not waste of time, not
roommate, classmate, depend on others!)
neighbor, colleague from Difficulty becoming “close
work, teacher... friends”
(personal life >< ability in Value: Self-reliance!
roles!): FREEDOM, PRIVACY, Individualism
PRACTICAL-MINDEDNESS
 2.4. Channels Preferred
Verbal communication Non-verbal communication
(low context culture) • Appearance: fads & fashions
• Convey message: spoken words• Body Movements and Gestures:
> non-verbal behaviors rapid pace,>space, holds the chest
forward, swings arms vigorously!
• Speak up! Clear & clever
(emphasis, clarity) Wave hands
expression/articulation (large
(get attention, informal!) Head
vocabulary): presentation skill
movement: misunderstand!
• Japanese, VNese: high context
• Facial Expression: show real
• Written words (Formal emotions (smile = politeness,
agreements, contracts, and happiness, cheerfulness,
decisions, official notices, amusement >< confusion,
procedures, deadlines) > spoken embarrassment (Asia)
words but uncomfortable with
• Eye Contact (listen: look longer)
long silence (10-15 seconds)
• Space &Touching (not too close)
 Advice to foreign visitors
• Be aware of wide range of human actions and
reactions (nonverbal communication) which are
largely culturally based
• LEARN & PRACTICE American non-verbal
communication habits
• Be careful with intercultural encounter! (clues
from situations)
• Avoid interpreting meanings, evaluation on your
own ideas about appropriate nonverbal behaviors
(misinterpretation of space distance as coldness)
2.5. Level of Meaning Emphasized
• More attention to the • Acting “naturally” when
factual than emotional they engage in small
content of messages talk with a person they
• Listen for the “facts”, have just met
overlook mood • Not judge level of
(suspicion of emotions) intelligence
 Chapter 3: Ways of reasoning
(Self-study)
• “The Context,”
• “The Point,”
• “The Organization,”
• “The Evidence,”
• “The Cause”
 Guiding questions about
American family
• What is the American family structure like
nowadays?
• How did American values affect American
family life?
• How is the relationship between parents &
children?
• What are the roles of the husband and wife?
Thank you for your attention!
Questions ?