You're so American!

[scorecard]

On 1/15/2023 at 11:50 AM, kiteman9 said:

       

                  Is it fair to stereotype all Americans as So American?

 

            America is often called a melting pot because its people come from many different backgrounds and cultures, and there are such a wide variety of beliefs, values, and traditions. Stereotyping an American as SO American in 2023?

     Our stereotypes and prejudices are learned through many different processes. This multiplicity of causes is unfortunate because it makes stereotypes and prejudices even more likely to form and harder to change. For one, we learn our stereotypes through our communications with parents and peers and the behaviors we see portrayed in the media. Even five-year-old children have learned cultural norms about the appropriate activities and behaviors for boys and girls and also have developed stereotypes about age, race, and physical attractiveness, and there is often good agreement about the stereotypes of social categories among the individuals within a given culture. In one study assessing stereotypes, A teacher and her colleagues presented U.S. college students with a list of 84 trait terms. They asked them to indicate for which groups each trait seemed appropriate. The participants tended to agree about the traits of which groups, which was true even for groups of which the respondents were likely never to have met a single member. Even today, there is good agreement about the stereotypes of members of many social groups, including men and women and various ethnic groups.

Americans	Blacks	Italians	Germans	Jews	Chinese
Materialistic 53.6%	Musical 27.6%	Loyal to family ties 62.7%	Intelligent 45.8%	Very religious 52.5%	Intelligent 60.3%
Lazy 30.4%	Pleasure loving 26%	Tradition loving 47.5%	Industrious 37.3%	Intelligent 49.2%	Loyal to family ties 41.4%
Individualistic 28.6%	Loud 20.7%	Passionate 39%	Nationalistic 30.5%	Tradition loving 32.2%	Reserved 36.2%
Pleasure loving 28%	Aggressive 15.5%	Religious 37.3%	Scientifically minded 27.1%	Shrewd 30.5%	Industrious 32.8%
Industrious 23.2%	Artistic 13.8%	Quick tempered 35.6%	Methodical 20.3%	Loyal to family ties 28.8%	Tradition loving 31%

    Once they become established, stereotypes (like any other cognitive representation) tend to persevere. We begin to respond to members of stereotyped categories as if we already knew what they were like. They found that individuals addressed fewer questions to members of categories about which they had strong stereotypes (as if they already knew what these people were like) and that the questions they did ask were likely to confirm the stereotypes they already had.

In other cases, stereotypes are maintained because the information that confirms our stereotypes is better remembered than information that disconfirms them. When we see members of social groups perform behaviors, we tend to remember better information that confirms our stereotypes than information that disconfirms our stereotypes. If we believe that women are bad drivers and we see a woman driving poorly, then we tend to remember it, but when we see a woman who drives particularly well, we tend to forget it. This illusory correlation is another example of the general principle of assimilation—we tend to perceive the world in ways that make it fit our existing beliefs more quickly than we change our beliefs to fit the reality around us.

And stereotypes become difficult to change because they are so important to us—they become an integral and important part of our everyday lives in our culture. Stereotypes are frequently expressed on TV, in movies, and in social media, and we learn many of our beliefs from these sources. Our friends also tend to hold beliefs similar to ours, and we talk about these beliefs when we get together with them. In short, stereotypes and prejudice are powerful primarily because they are important social norms that are part of our culture.

    Because they are so highly cognitively accessible and seem so “right,” our stereotypes easily influence our judgments of and responses to those we have categorized. The social psychologist John Bargh once described stereotypes as “cognitive monsters” because their activation was so powerful and because the activated beliefs had such insidious influences on social judgment. Making things even more difficult, stereotypes are strongest for the people who are in most need of change—the most prejudiced people.

Because stereotypes and prejudice often operate out of our awareness and because people are frequently unwilling to admit that they hold them, social psychologists have developed methods for assessing them indirectly.

Well yes, a melting pot. Pity nobody tole the white supremacists who seem to claim they are the AMERICANS.

[owl sees all]

36 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Not just the Yanks, so do other countries, UK for example... NCA. MI6, MI5, PM, NIHR, MHRA, UKHSA, NHS, etc.

True enough. But at least we sometimes use numbers.

 

Essex - EX.

Glamorganshire - GE.

Cornwall - CL.

Rutland - RD.

Dagenham Dock - DDK.

 

It's inevitable as we cosy-up ever more with the Americans.

[happydreamer]

Tipping service staff. Thats something I've found to be almost intrinsically American. 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, happydreamer said:

Just out of curiosity...where did you attend school?

Bet it wasn't Oxford.  Or even remotely close.

Ashton-under-Lyne Grammar School....200 miles from Oxford, whatever you think it has to do with it.

And you, where did you learn your version of English?  The examples you show are from the Oxford Advanced LEARNERS Dictionary...The largest and most trusted free online dictionary for learners of British and American English with definitions, pictures, example sentences, synonyms, ...555

[JimTripper]

It’s strange how fellow Americans say I’m from America when they are in Thailand. Nobody says that normally, it’s the United States. I think they answer that way because Thais only understand America.

Edited January 17, 2023 by JimTripper

[Jingthing]

23 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

It’s strange how fellow Americans say I’m from America when they are in Thailand. Nobody says that normally, it’s the United States. I think they answer that way because Thais only understand America.

Yes exactly.

I say U.S. to f-rangs though.

[Woof999]

On 1/15/2023 at 1:00 PM, mikebike said:

Are you very young? Pre "Amazon" we had a thing called "mail " ???????? and "magazines" and "catalogues"????????

...and legs and High Streets

[happydreamer]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

The examples you show are from the Oxford Advanced LEARNERS Dictionary...The largest and most trusted free online dictionary for learners of British and American English with definitions, pictures, example sentences, synonyms, ...555

Doubtful there's a difference for this definition between the two versions. Seeing as it's obviously a struggle for you to comprehend the difference between abbreviations and acronyms and coupling that with the fact that you choose to continuously argue with a native English speaker from the country in which you don't live and are not from the LEARNERS version seems more apropos.  

 

Have a fine day

[rudi49jr]

Almost all Americans that I ever met can not stop talking, they just talk all the time, about the most inane and trivial things. I was on Ko Phi Phi once, and some people had gathered on a hill overlooking the sea to watch the sunset. It was rather beautiful, it was quiet and peaceful, and when someone said something it was in a very low voice or a whisper.
Then two young American women showed up and they sat down, didn’t even look at the sunset and just continued their loud conversation, that we had already heard coming towards us for a couple of minutes as they made their way up the hill. After about five minutes of them yacking it up I asked them, very politely, if they could please be quiet, as we were trying to enjoy the sunset. They looked at me as if I had insulted them deeply, immediately got up and left in a huff.

Don’t get me wrong, I have several American friends and I love them dearly, but sometimes I wish I could tape their mouths shut for just a little while. 

[ThaiFelix]

On 1/14/2023 at 9:34 AM, Dan747 said:

It's kind of hard to admit your American with Biden as President. I was at Central BKK and a German ask me where I was from, told him America, he told me Biden is an "EMBARRASSMENT!" Says it all.

Youre confusing Biden with Trump I'm sure.  And I guess thats another American trait lol!

[Rumpelstilskin]

On 1/14/2023 at 10:20 AM, GammaGlobulin said:

Not me.

I do not care about my home country, first.

 

Nationalism is not first on my list.

 

I would rather care about cowgirls...in the sand....than nationalism...

 

 

 

 

 

Of  course N Young is from Canada but left to seek fame and fortune in the lower 48 where he thrived. Gr8 album.

[ThaiFelix]

On 1/14/2023 at 10:24 AM, bkk6060 said:

From my experience here:

Ask an American about British, they really have no opinion and don't care. 

 

Ask a British about American and they will have mostly strong negative opinions and rants.

 

So, who is obsessed with who?

No its nothing to do with obsession it's ignorance.  Most Americans have no idea whats outside the US, so difficult to have an opinion when you have no knowledge of the subject.  

 

Its the same reason why many Americans will name the state rather than the country when asked where they come from.  To many, everywhere else is insignificant compared to the US therefore everyone should know where California is or that WA stands for Washington State.

 

 

[Hummin]

14 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Youre confusing Biden with Trump I'm sure.  And I guess thats another American trait lol!

At least if some American's could swallow their pride and admit Obama was a president to be proud of, but I really do not expect that will ever happen! 

 

Trump and Biden have been a downhill since then!

[ThaiFelix]

On 1/14/2023 at 11:50 AM, Phoenix Rising said:

A dead give-away for me are guys wearing baseball caps, inside and outside, day and night. In the gym I attend there are Thais and foreigners from all over and the only ones wearing any headgear at all are the Americans.

Yep, seems to me that wearing a hat inside is really bad manners anywhere else in the world bar the US.  I think its just a reinforcement of their arrogance, just like saying they speak American while the rest of the worl knows very well its English albiet spelt attrociously..

[happydreamer]

5 minutes ago, Hummin said:

At least if some American's could swallow their pride and admit Obama was a president to be proud of, but I really do not expect that will ever happen! 

 

Trump and Biden have been a downhill since then!

He would have been better if they wouldn't have stymied him

[Phoenix Rising]

3 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Yep, seems to me that wearing a hat inside is really bad manners anywhere else in the world bar the US.  I think its just a reinforcement of their arrogance, just like saying they speak American while the rest of the worl knows very well its English albiet spelt attrociously..

Don't think it's arrogance, just doing things differently in the US and not knowing it's a bit of a faux pas in most parts of the world.

[rudi49jr]

2 minutes ago, Phoenix Rising said:

Don't think it's arrogance, just doing things differently in the US and not knowing it's a bit of a faux pas in most parts of the world.

I always wonder why so many southerners (especially Texans) wear those ten gallon cowboy hats indoors. I can understand - to a certain degree - why they wear them outdoors, but why on earth would you wear a huge hat like that indoors?

[thaibeachlovers]

18 minutes ago, Hummin said:

At least if some American's could swallow their pride and admit Obama was a president to be proud of, but I really do not expect that will ever happen! 

 

Trump and Biden have been a downhill since then!

Obama is to be proud of? LOL.

[happydreamer]

9 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Yep, seems to me that wearing a hat inside is really bad manners anywhere else in the world bar the US.  I think its just a reinforcement of their arrogance, just like saying they speak American while the rest of the worl knows very well its English albiet spelt attrociously..

A reinforcement of arrogance?  Thats a pretty strong assumption to make based on someone wearing a hat in a building.  Who the hell says they speak American?  If this is your circle of American acquaintances you might want to consider leveling up

[happydreamer]

4 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

I always wonder why so many southerners (especially Texans) wear those ten gallon cowboy hats indoors. I can understand - to a certain degree - why they wear them outdoors, but why on earth would you wear a huge hat like that indoors?

Texas has its own culture.  It's a mystery to anyone who isn't from Texas.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, happydreamer said:

Doubtful there's a difference for this definition between the two versions. Seeing as it's obviously a struggle for you to comprehend the difference between abbreviations and acronyms and coupling that with the fact that you choose to continuously argue with a native English speaker from the country in which you don't live and are not from the LEARNERS version seems more apropos.  

 

Have a fine day

You are correct in noticing that I do not live in England, but I can assure you that I am English by birth and upbringing, getting O Levels in English Language & Literature, and A Level in Language.

This thread is about Americans, who do not know the difference between the two words being discussed.

[Phoenix Rising]

8 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

I always wonder why so many southerners (especially Texans) wear those ten gallon cowboy hats indoors. I can understand - to a certain degree - why they wear them outdoors, but why on earth would you wear a huge hat like that indoors?

I think it's a statement, like wearing a yarmulke or turban.

[ThaiFelix]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Yep ... then look at the Presidents & administrations after JFK, who wanted out of Nam, along with the Fed/Central banking.  Oops, should have kept that to himself, lone shooter my A$$, stand in line.  No what followed;

Johnson ... pentagon papers ... the mistrust begins

 

Nixon ... 'I'm not a Crook'

 

Ford ... Pardon me ... OK, he wasn't there that long

 

Carter ... there goes the economy & testosterone

 

Reagan ... CIA, cocaine/guns/Contra

 

Bush 1 ... head of CIA under Reagon ... 'I had no idea'. ... oh yea, 'Read my lips'.  

 

Clinton ... "I did not ... is that a stain ... oh krap" ... start a war somewhere, take their minds off me.

 

Cheney ... head of Halliburton ... "how can I make even more money" ...  that's an easy win ... WMD ... send the army, but we'll privatize everything else, to Halliburton & subsidies, TSA, HomeLand Sercuity, Patriot Act ... "I see & hear you"

 

Obama ... what... you millionaires & billionaires made bad investments, appoint me, I'll take care of it.... "if you like your doc ... screw you", now it cost more, and you get less.

 

Trump ... actually have nothing to say negative, except 'shut the F up & stop tweetin' "

 

Biden ... we'd cut the puppet strings, but then we'd have giggles to contend with.  2 more years, 2 more years, 2 more years.

 

USA ... What's not to love ?  Freakin Comedy Central

 

Great line-up of US presidents there.  I think they have all been criminals havnt they?  Even the much loved and respected Kennedys were fathered by a bootlegger.

[ThaiFelix]

6 minutes ago, happydreamer said:

Texas has its own culture.  It's a mystery to anyone who isn't from Texas.

Always makes me laugh when they brag about everythings bigger in Texas.  Texas would get lost in Australia, even in our smaller states lol!

 

Actually, maybe the hats are bigger in Texas.  Nobody else would be that silly lol!.

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Not just the Yanks, so do other countries, UK for example... NCA. MI6, MI5, PM, NIHR, MHRA, UKHSA, NHS, etc.

Lost me....

[ThaiFelix]

13 minutes ago, happydreamer said:

A reinforcement of arrogance?  Thats a pretty strong assumption to make based on someone wearing a hat in a building.  Who the hell says they speak American?  If this is your circle of American acquaintances you might want to consider leveling up

You have never heard anyone say they speak American?  Never witness the arrogance of Americans?  You need to get out more lol!

[Hummin]

17 minutes ago, happydreamer said:

Texas has its own culture.  It's a mystery to anyone who isn't from Texas.

You mean Mexican Texas?

[ThaiFelix]

27 minutes ago, Phoenix Rising said:

Don't think it's arrogance, just doing things differently in the US and not knowing it's a bit of a faux pas in most parts of the world.

Not knowing?  I know Americans are the least travelled but surely they watch enough TV or spend time on the web etc to see NO-One else wears a hat inside??

[happydreamer]

5 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

You are correct in noticing that I do not live in England, but I can assure you that I am English by birth and upbringing, getting O Levels in English Language & Literature, and A Level in Language.

This thread is about Americans, who do not know the difference between the two words being discussed.

The assumption wasn't that you don't live in England.  The assumption was that you don't live in the United States and therefore are ignorant to the culture, references, idioms, metaphors, slang and oh yeah...abbreviations used in spoken and written American English.  

 

The conversation we're having (were having) is about pointing out the idiosyncrasies of written American English.  There was never a dispute over your level of proficiency in English.  There's plenty of people with high levels of achievement that can be wrong.  Regardless you still chose to dispute an American English speaker over what we call the two letter abbreviations for states within our country and for that matter, the LEARNERS version (as in the version for someone who needs to learn) of the Oxford Advanced Dictionary.

[scorecard]

8 minutes ago, Phoenix Rising said:

I think it's a statement, like wearing a yarmulke or turban.

Ten gallon hat (TGH). I attended an academic seminar and business competiion at Uni of Texas Austin:

 

- Uni rep met us at airport - TGH

- Taxi driver to hotel on campus - TGH

- Check-in staff at hotel - TGH

- Many seminar attendees - TGH indoors and outdoors

- Social events with local professors and bachelor / masters students - TGH indoors and outdoors including in class rooms.

- Wendies and 7/11 staff just off campus - TGH

- Very rude airline check-in staff - TGH