Culture Talk!
James Luyirika-Sewagudde, Jr.
&
Jennifer Gruber
Culture Talk!
•
Your Expectations of the U.S. and California
•
•
•
Values and Culture
What is Culture Shock?
Your personal beliefs, ideals & views
What do Americans Look like?
What do Americans eat?
The Allure of California…
Common
Stereotypes…
Common
Stereotypes:
Most Americans are wealthy.
Everything is big.
We are a consumer culture.
Common Stereotypes:
Most Americans are uninformed about global politics,
geography & current events
Common Belief:
Most Americans own at least one gun.
Common Belief:
The U.S. does not take care of its
homeless, poor and elderly
How do Americans Communicate?
Where do these stereotypes come from?
•Mass media (news, Internet)
•Hollywood (films, television)
•U.S. Government’s policies and actions
•Americans living/traveling abroad (tourists, students, government
officials, military personnel, professionals)
Culture Talk:
• Values and Culture
What is culture?
•An integrated system of learned behavior patterns
characteristic of a particular society.
•It is the total way of life (being) – how people think,
feel and behave.
•It is the lens through which we view and respond to
the world.
Values & Culture
USA
India
Opinion
USA
India
Way
Of
Life
Values & Culture
USA
India
Punctuality
USA
India
Contacts
Values & Culture
USA
India
USA
India
Queue
when
waiting
Sundays
on
the Road
Values & Culture
USA
India
USA
India
In the
restaurant
Meal
concept
Values & Culture
USA
India
Handling
of
Problems
USA
India
Family
System
Culture Talk:
• What is culture shock?
W curve of cultural adjustment
It may be culture shock if…
•You’re feeling alone and isolated;
•You’re sleeping too much;
•It is hard to sleep;
•You feel tired often;
•Locals (people) make you angry;
•You are finding lots of “faults” in Chico…
•You feel like a failure
•You want to return to your home
Benefiting from ‘the shock ’
•Get out and get ACTIVE and INVOLVED!
•Share your own culture, don’t just try to blend in.
•Ask questions!
• Remember that “different” is not a synonym for “bad”;
it’s just different.
EXERCISE:
What are your personal beliefs, ideals & views on….
•Respectful behavior in a classroom
•Alcohol and drug use
•Maintaining a healthy lifestyle
One last word on communication in America…