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Life in America - Cultural Differences: Myth or Reality?
by Gilles Asselin
Who has never dreamed of taking a long trip or coming to live in the United States at least once in his or her life? From the other side of the Atlantic, this country fifteen times bigger than France attracts, fascinates, and mystifies people. Like it or not, it's difficult to remain indifferent toward the US.
In addition to typical "Made in the USA" consumer-oriented symbols such as Coca-Cola, MacDonald, IBM, Levi=s, and others on the scale of Disney, the United States is the temple of rock and roll and country music, hamburgers, and movie production: Hollywood has and will continue to attract French movie producers. The popularity of uniquely US sports, such as baseball or football, is not shared by many other countries, and Michael Jordan has promoted basketball to the rank of sport as spectacle where magic vies with agility. All these icons and many others contribute to the making of the American myth, and are part of our vision of a young and dynamic country where the possibilities are enormous, if not actually limitless.
Once in the US, once we have "dropped our suitcases" (settled in) and are through the first few weeks, the realities of daily life might appear very different. The contrast between the rich and the poor is apparent, social disparities are blatant, and those left to fend for themselves at the fringes of society tarnish the image. Relations among ethnic groups are not as harmonious as we have been led to believe and the myth gets badly damaged. The image of an almost perfect world (it's a wonderful world!) sold by Disney and other promoters of ideal and pleasure, where everyone is beautiful and is kind, sometimes seems very distant from everyday life.
With our American friends, the warm welcome and the congenial neighborhood relations seem at times too good to be true. There is often a baseball game after a dinner party, or some other activity that keeps us busy, and prevents us from getting to know one another better. Business women wear sneakers with their suits on their way home--how bizarre!--, children are sometimes worshiped like idols and given liberties that would be unthinkable in France, where the goal is first to teach children good manners and equip them with a broad knowledge base.
All of this creates the strange feeling that somewhere, something is out of whack. Or at least is not working the same way it does in France, for sure.
What is going on? Have we been deceived by the media images we swallowed in, or more simply, have we been the victims of some kind of delusions? Neither one nor the other, to be honest. The problem is that we have taken only a partial approach to American culture, without really comprehending the precise implications of some basic values and beliefs on people's behaviors. Culture is a vast domain and it is important to clarify what we mean by this common word.
In the field of intercultural relations, we generally define culture using the metaphor of an iceberg. The 10 percent above the water level conceal the remaining 90 percent. The visible part of culture (objective culture), easily observable and accessible to anyone, encompasses elements like music, cinema, sports, cooking, traditions??everything that intrigues us in a foreign culture and gives us the opportunity to learn at the same time. This is what primarily influences our opinion of another country and all the American elements and symbols cited above are part of the objective culture. They constitute almost unavoidable landmarks and are the source of many stereotypes or biases.
The invisible part of the iceberg (subjective culture) becomes apparent when we spend a long time or reside in a foreign country. We are then facing different elements in terms of values, beliefs, assumptions, notions of ethics and, more generally, in terms of rules regarding what is, or what is not, acceptable. Working in or traveling to a foreign country gives us a chance at the same time to explore and better understand our own iceberg.
Generally speaking, this iceberg is built gradually during our socialization process and unconsciously conditions our behavior, our thought patterns, and our way of looking at the world. Each of us has his or her own iceberg, as a result of our education and upbringing, of the people we see regularly, and the society in which we live. Our iceberg is therefore influenced by the national, family, social and professional cultures??among others??to which we are exposed.
The following example reveals some deeply rooted cultural differences.
American Sociability
Returning from a trip to Asia at the end of August, I took a shuttle from Newark airport to my home. There were quite a few Americans on the bus, in addition to a small number of French and Asian people. Even before we started boarding the bus, two or three unrelated American women started talking and exchanging details of their travel experiences. Shortly after we departed, we already knew that one of them had spent the week in Santa Fe attending a painting workshop. Another told us that she was attending a teachers' seminar at Princeton University. The third one explained her difficulties getting from Toronto to JFK airport, and then Newark. Although the other passengers, mostly international, were not actually involved in the conversation, it was almost impossible to ignore it, due to the loud voices of the three women. The Asian people were quietly talking among themselves and the French were either dozing off or looking through the window. When the first American woman left us, she called out a "Goodbye everyone" that was echoed by only two or three people.
This typically American scene, where "strangers" get together for a few minutes and rapidly exchange information about their private activities, is hard to imagine in Asia or in many European countries (except possibly for Mediterranean countries). It is however a social norm in the US, implying that it is important to converse with people in order to be a sociable, congenial, and open person. Remaining apart from such a spontaneously-formed group would be considered negatively in the US. But in France, it is a good idea to limit the amount of private information you give to strangers.
We can find many reasons to explain this situation in the US. American people are extremely mobile, ready to travel to the four corners of the country. In this situation, it is important for them to make friends rapidly in order to integrate quickly in a new and sometimes strange place. There is also in the US a strong need to be liked, to be supported by one's peers, and to be seen as a "nice guy" who actively participates in the group's activities, shares his or her experiences, and avoids being the center of attention--even though a person needs to talk about her- or himself. This American attitude agrees with and supports the ideal of harmonious relations among people of diverse horizons. Someone who does not participate in such an informal discussion may be seen as snobbish, arrogant, or just unfriendly--characteristics which are not generally appreciated by Americans.
From a purely Franco-French perspective, many other interpretations and reactions are possible regarding these impromptu relationships, most of them undoubtedly negative. This negative judgment results from a lack of information about casual relationship building in the US and a more distant mode of communication with strangers in France. This creates popular stereotypes such as "Americans are shallow," which is reflected by the American stereotype of the French as "cold and aloof."
Achievement Culture and Affiliation Culture
If we are not prepared to encounter cultural differences, if we are not first aware of the nature of our own iceberg, it becomes all too easy when we arrive in a new country to find local rules and regulations absurd and to categorize people with various negative attributes. What would be considered normal in a given country or situation can rapidly become silly or inappropriate in a different cultural context. It is in fact very dangerous to judge a behavior or an idea until we really understand the mechanisms that explain it, until we understand what makes up the iceberg of our acquaintances. Hence the importance of learning local rules and customs, even though we might not fully agree with them. Following certain rules of public behavior doesn't mean that we need to integrate them into our personal frame of reference or that we need to approve them.
The business world is another area where numerous cultural differences appear between French and Americans. They can easily create misunderstandings and conflicts.
Pictured from France, the economic domination of the US is sometimes hard to swallow. But once we are "on-site," we become part of the social system and have to go along with it. Very specific rules need to be observed in order to ensure harmonious relationships with colleagues and achieve corporate goals and objectives. These rules concern, among others, respect for minorities and women, "political correctness," specific work schedules and rhythms, and management practices that are more standardized than in France; leaving less room for the French relational approach. Financial objectives are more or less the same around the world, but the rules that allow employees to achieve these goals might appear more or less compelling, once again, because of our personal system of references and the way we learned to work. The way we work, generally acquired within the first ten years of our lives, is influenced not only by our first few years of professional experience, but also by our learning at home and in school, where we first learn about the value of a job well done. From a French point of view, it rapidly becomes evident that relations and personality play a lesser role in the American workplace compared to the goals we need to achieve. The American culture is a culture of achievement, a word which is hard to transpose culturally into French. Realisation (realization) and accomplissement (accomplishment) give a close but still inaccurate idea of this term.
In the American context, the way we manage time is very important: we shouldn't waste even a minute of our time and every moment should be put to good use toward the achievement of a task or a project. This American attitude goes along with the way work is organized, which involves segmentation and an extreme division of tasks. The degree of specialization in higher education studies (Master's and Ph. D programs) and the numerous experts in many areas reinforce this tendency to segment work to make it easier to carry out. This inclination started a long time ago with the division of labor promoted by Frederick Taylor.
In contrast with basic American orientations, French culture stresses affiliation and quality of life. What matters above everything is the quality of our relations, the good vibes we develop with someone over time, and the enjoyment we have in doing something together. Notions of savoir-vivre and savoir-faire are not French by accident. Time often takes second place and quality is generally more important than quantity. In a French?American business environment, these two basic orientations can lead to very different results, especially in terms of time management and goals setting. And it's sometimes hard to reconcile two opposites!
Feedback and Self-Esteem
Another area where we find an obvious cultural difference is feedback. It is important in the US workplace to know how one is doing and how one is perceived, and feedback is generally conveyed spontaneously and generously. It can at times be negative and direct when things go wrong, but it usually tends to be extremely positive and the number of superlatives used is impressive: great, terrific, fabulous, wonderful, excellent, not to mention a more common "good job." The aim of this technique is also to maintain or reinforce employees' self?esteem and allow them to grow in the workplace. Self-esteem is a very important psychological concept in an American person's development and the strengthening of his or her personality. This is achieved through positive feedback, and self?esteem building is nurtured early on at home, in school, and in sports clubs. It isn't very surprising then to see the influence it has on human resources management.
If we compare this process with French child?rearing practices, we rapidly realize that the concept of estime de soi (self-esteem) doesn't have much meaning in French culture. "You can be proud of yourself!" (always spoken without irony in the US) is often a sarcastic way to condemn a child's behavior in France. The personality of French children develops through facing adversity and it is of primary importance to teach them early on the rules that will make them successful in a sometimes merciless adult world. There is no need to send them an overly positive message that would only flatter them and would give them a false representation of reality. The difficulty of the French school curriculum and the attitude of French teachers reinforce this tendency, leading to human resources practices that are rather tough from an American point of view. C'est pas mal, (it's not bad) is rarely considered a compliment in the US.
Another management area where several American values come into play is teamwork. This practice is now very common in a corporate environment where the goal is to accomplish more together than many individuals could do separately. The egalitarian notions of American society underlie this management technique with a need to work within a united group and a desire to include everyone in the result. French tendencies, sometimes more individualistic when it comes to expressing one's ideas and talent, do not make the task easy, especially within culturally mixed teams.
It might seem curious to the outsider that this individualistic tendency could prevail in an affiliation culture, somehow contradicting what has been said before. But the affirmation of one's ideas or theories doesn't damage an established relationship. On the contrary, and to the extent that the relationship is strong enough, it is in fact possible to challenge it, knowing it might come reinforced out of this discussion or disagreement. On the other hand, challenging the ideas of an American is often considered a personal attack. This is seldom the case in France.
The effect of cultural differences in the workplace is significant. These differences can make our life a little more difficult--unless we take time to converse early on with our international colleagues so that we can find similarities and agree on several viewpoints. An initial discovery phase is necessary, where we learn about the other person's methods and ideas--a reciprocal discovery of our icebergs--and cast aside our biases. This initial effort at understanding the other should give us a chance to create a work culture that is neither totally French nor purely American. This will facilitate a gathering of ideas and efforts, creating beneficial synergies for everyone involved.
In conclusion, it's easy to say that Americans are like this and French are like that, and that one is right while the other is wrong. And it's sometimes hard to live and work together. But whether in the street, with friends, or in the workplace, better relations are accomplished first and foremost through a desire to learn about the other person's country and culture, a willingness to communicate, and the ability to refrain from judging negatively everything that seems different and bizarre.
Cultural differences between French and Americans are deep and genuine, do not indeed reinforce the mythological images and, due to our diverging histories and civilizations, will never disappear. Why don't we take these differences seriously, but cheerfully and with a good sense of humor? This will facilitate our adaptation in a new world which sometimes seems so far away and other times so close to our French "Home Sweet Home."
Gilles Asselin, president of SoCoCo Intercultural, is a France-born intercultural trainer and consultant with more than 15 years of international business experience. SoCoCo Intercultural specializes in cross-cultural business relations between Western Europe and North America.
Reprinted with permission Copyright © 1996-2001. All rights reserved.
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