Name goes here
International Marketing
U.S. Culture
September 15, 2015

When we look down a busy street, we can see rows of cars, people walking and talking, advertisements, lights, and architecture. The cars are all different makes and models, the people walking are dressed differently and talking differently, the advertisements are bold and in-your-face, the lights can be for the cars or another signal to get your attention, and the architecture is shaped by the structure and soundness of the building and what it is designed for. All of these facets are a symbol of our culture. Our culture is passed down from our elders on to us through life norms and the morals and values learned. This culture has been our way of life and unsurprisingly, is all that we know. But why?

I, like most Americans, root to another continent. I am always curious about where we, people, come from originally. Although I cannot trace my heritage, I can trace my name etymology. I am classified as a legal American citizen is by jus soli. More simply stated, I was born here, and this is what I call my home. It is all I know. Since I know this about myself, it allows me to be more open minded to other cultures, languages, and inquire about their traditions.

Most people in the world share a common sense of universal values, they are a set standard, i.e. trustworthiness, honesty, et cetera. These universal values are also in every major religion in some form. Along with the universal values, there are non-ethical values. Non-Ethical values vary in priority from person to person, depending on their own agenda. Where these values come from is most likely a plethora of sources and events that have occurred. This could range from preferential religion, parents principles, friends, and many other outside influences.
Culture is as much apart of us as the air we breathe or water we drink. The language that we used to communicate to one another is derived from our culture. Despite English not being the official language of America, over 90% of Americans speak the language. Depending on what area of the country someone is in, the vowels and constants could be pronounced differently. For instance, a person in San Francisco may not talk the same as someone from mid-Florida, Boston, or South Texas. Each person would be deemed speaking English, and after a few tries, I’m sure everything could be understood.

The clothing that Americans generally wear are stylish first with functional as a second thought. More women will wear uncomfortable shoes if it makes their legs look longer or match their outfit perfectly. We observe what our parents and friends wear and model ourselves as a blend between the two. As young adults, we create idols in our head about who we want to be like and pursue that throughout our adulthood. America is home to Hollywood, which puts out more fashion shows and movies than any other country in the world. Hollywood constantly pushes upon us what we should think is important. Often what they are pushing, is what they are selling. We would be hard pressed to find a bigger influence in our fashionable lives than Hollywood.

Although Hollywood impacts our fashion lives, they don’t effect our music as much. Many people listen to the same genre of music they are surrounded by. Nashville is known for its multiple music styles with Country music being the most popular. The Midwest listens to more pop music, while the west coast is geared towards techno and gangsta rap. Our music is apart of our culture because it is apart of us, we grow up with it and look to it for relate ability, inspiration, or emotional soothing. The music we hear is a reflection of our environment that we surround ourselves with.

A major difference between American cultures and other ones is the food we eat. The stereotypical American meal is a hamburger, fries, and a coke. In actuality, there isn’t much healthy eating to it. When other cultures come over to America and start a restaurant, they have to be savvy on the way Americans eat. The traditional pizza isn’t what they serve in Italy, in fact, Italians don’t use pepperoni. Pepperoni is a cheap substitute for prosciutto, which is a fine delicatessen ham. Chinese restaurants change their food to cater more towards Americans with the ingredients they use, such as sugar, steak, or octopus. The food we eat here is relevant to the local resources. The style in which we cook that food is passed down from generation to generation through teaching.

Americans constantly try to find the X Factor between quality and cheap. Americans love the quality of a product and want it to last forever, but are more often drawn away by a cheaper product that will last a third of the total life of the quality product. The Chinese have discovered this and increased exports to America over the last three decades. The products are becoming cheaper and cheaper. However, some Americans will not buy Chinese products because they feel the American brand is superior and buying a Chinese product will trade away American jobs. There is nothing wrong with their mindset, it is what they have been taught and witnessed throughout their lives. The Americans that put cheap as a priority often end up spending the most money on replacements and replacement parts. As the saying goes, the cheapest one is the one that costs the most.

Americans hold privacy as being just as valuable as social gatherings. Americans like to be by themselves and often need time to decompress or get their psychological thoughts together. During the child rearing, kids hold a close relationship with their parents, however during adolescence the bond begins to break. Once the child reaches full adult, the bond is very loose if not severed entirely. We call this act, individualism. We do not strive to be around a specific person all the time, like some other cultures.

Our informalities are abundant as well. The way we speak to each other isn’t formal, the way we dress is predominantly casual, way we sit in our chair, lean on a wall, pay attention, et cetera. We have this chronic need to be more comfortable in any given situation, even when we are by ourselves. This is most likely stemmed from the casual culture that we live in. It is like mold growth; each generation gets more and more casual.

Americans like to use their time efficiently and view time as a tool. We believe that time is a resource just like money and we often compare it directly to money. Americans admire a well-organized person that remains punctual. This person is considerate of others with a great attitude and going places in life. In contrast, Europeans view time as something that is insignificant.

When it comes to being direct and assertive, Americans are among some of the most blunt people. To complement our time efficiency, we like to use our words in the most meaningful way, without the fluff. Our verbal tone will often signify if we are unhappy, angry, or feeling another emotion. We generally don’t mind being honest and don’t feel a sense of embarrassment about it. Some cultures go out of their way not to offend other people, and Americans don’t care if they do offend people (generally).

When businesses choose to conduct business in the United States, they are often looking to expand their empire. American culture doesn’t promote as much paid time off as a lot of the other industrialized nations do. Americans typically work five days a week and forty hours a week. This is appealing to foreign investors when they take in the cost of shipping merchandise, paying employees in their home country, and the risk of loss. When they do plan to set up shop here, in America, they are presented with contracts and lawyers, instead of the good faith of a man. Sometimes establishing a business in a foreign country does not go smoothly. The venturing company may fail to examine the politics in the area, the fluctuations of economy, the working class, or the laws recognizing the differences between sex, religion, handicap, and age. To combine with these things, the company must fulfill its legal obligation of the contract. If they fail to do so, there are international laws in place to subject that company to rectifying their mistakes. However, international is still new and rarely enforced. Some countries allow for “lubrication”, this means that companies are allowed to pay foreign city officials if it is customary. If the payment is not customary, then the native company can be subjected to fines. There are a few different laws that discuss the payments of officials and which countries they can go to. North Korea is not one of them.

The politics can heavily sway as to whether the business will be successful or not. There are different government styles in China, Taiwan, Russia, Australia, and the U.S. The politics in Russia would keep most foreign investors away. The President is head of the state and the Prime Minister is the head of the government. The government partially controls a lot of the operations of businesses with laws and shifting policies. The government has an interest in any business that is state owned. People of Russia will not have the extra money to spend on luxuries due to the low GDP per capita.

My Iraqi experience has shown me something that I wouldn’t have been able to have before. A piece of my mind has been unlocked. I look for both sides of the argument, advantages and disadvantages. I look at people and wonder where they come from and their life experiences. I am able to relate more to people. I am able to understand more in the classroom. I fully appreciate traveling, meeting new people, and understanding multiple cultures and lifestyles.

Sources:

http://www.umsl.edu/~intelstu/Admitted%20Students/Visitor%20Handbook/keyvalues.html

http://www.desaragroup.com/2013/03/20/the-importance-of-culture-when-conducting-business-overseas/