The story:
"(The) vastness and landscapes surpass expectation, the richness of an ordinary home seems astonishing, and above all, the friendliness of the people to strangers is unforgettable...If you grasp what makes Americans tick, your stay here - whether long or short - will be far more interesting and your culture shock shorter lasting." - Esther Wanning in her introduction to Culture Shock! USA. Business travel, cheaper airfares, more holiday destinations and greater affluence, all make the world a smaller place. The broadening of travel experience means that, for some there is the risk of culture shock - the reaction, positive negative or indifferent - which occurs soon after we have been dropped into a new cultural milieu. Whether visiting as a tourist or for a long-term stay, Culture Shock! USA will provide you with a fun-filled crash course on the dos and don'ts. The book entertains the reader through topics such as language, food and entertaining, social customs, festivals, relationships and helpful business tips. In addition, it offers many explanations of daily sights and scenes which might confuse or even deter the visitor from a desire to learn and live within surroundings that are sometimes totally alien and uncomfortable."

Extract from book:
The Contradictions
The alert visitor will quickly note much that seems contradictory in American life. Freedom of the press has not produced a well-informed public. Despite our wealth, we have people sleeping in the streets. Americans are friendly, but neighbors don't stop to chat. Supplied by the world's richest farmlands, America's cuisine leaves much to be desired.
The social commentator Paul Goodman aptly wrote, "America has a high standard of living of low average quality." Despite the luxury and conveniences Americans enjoy, our lives are not very elegant. Equality has a way of leading to mediocrity. When half the population goes to college, one cannot expect the colleges to maintain the same standards as in countries where only the elite attend. Television shows are expected to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Mass produced goods are not finely crafted.
Not all contradictions are reconcilable. We are anti-royalist but fascinated by royalty. We are suspicious of government but re-elect incumbents over and over. We are a religious people (compared to other westernized societies) but many of our much-revered founding fathers were not. ....
......
Teacher Respect
Teaching is not a high-status occupation in the United States. This is in keeping with the pay scale, which is poor compared to other professions. (In another country one could be respected and poor, but rarely in America.) Furthermore teaching has been traditionally been a woman's field, another strike against it. And in all truth, many teachers are not well-educated, having frequently been trained in teaching methods rather than in academic field.
Teachers are treated shabbily inside as well as outside the schools. They are seen as the foot soldiers who must carry out the constant flow of orders descending from school boards, politicians, principals.and parents. Every year, in the worst schools, teachers are injured by students. Students' rights remain paramount, teachers must be prepared to justify their actions in all matters. ...


Buchdaten:
CULTURE SHOCK! USA: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette by Esther Wanning
Sprache: Englisch
Broschiert - 248 Seiten - Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company
Erscheinungsdatum: 2003
ISBN: 1558680551
Preis: € 14,07

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