Stereotypes, Gender Roles and Cultural Adaptation Strategies

Characteristics Associated with being American:

1. All Americans are loud/ talk alot
Freedom of speech (maybe?) we take it to an extreme?
2. All Americans are fat
McDonalds
3. All Americans are wealthy
Our economy effects the World Economy; we spend ALOT of money
4. All Americans are arrogant
"Americans don't speak English, they speak AMERICAN"
5. All Americans are ignorant and agree with Obama/Bush Administration
Decisions based on sudden impulse not intellectual thought (Iraq)
6. All Americans are materialistic
Quantity and size over quality; big, better, faster
7. All Americans believe in war
Iraq/Afghanistan
8. All Americans are sexually promiscuous
Britney Spears/ Hollywood
9. All Americans are environmentally disrespectful
Oil, etc.


Gender Roles: (observe local women)
- Always kiss left cheek first, then right
- Men shake hands with both hands, left hand on forearm
- Too much eye contact/smiling = flirting
- Longer clothing than accepted in the U.S.


Cultural Adaptation Strategies:

1.Figure out what cultural values might be involved when I encounter a conflict or something goes wrong.
2. Think about different cross-cultural perspectives to examine situations in which I seem to offend someone or do something wrong.
3.Consider ways in which different cultures might view things in different ways (e.g., how different cultures value alone time or independence).
4.Counter stereotypes others use about people from my country by using generalizations and cultural values instead.
5.Use generalizations instead of stereotypes when I make statements about people who are different from me.
6.Make distinctions between behavior that is personal (unique to the person), cultural (representative of the person's culture), and universal (a shared human concern).
7. Look at similarities as well as differences between people of different backgrounds.