Stereotypes of Americans
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Stereotypes of American people (here meaning
Stereotypes with positive use
Generosity
According to American William Bennett a positive stereotype of Americans is that they are very generous. The United States sends aid and supplies to many countries, and Americans may be seen as people who are charitable or volunteer.[9] Alexis de Tocqueville first noted in 1835 the American attitude towards helping others in need. A 2010 Charities Aid Foundation study found that Americans were the fifth most willing to donate time and money in the world at 55%.[10] Total charitable contributions in 2010 were higher in the US than in any other country.[11]
Optimism
Americans may be seen as very positive and optimistic people.[12][13][14] Optimism is seen as the driving force behind achievement of the American Dream.
Hardworking nature
Americans may be stereotyped as hardworking people, whether in their jobs or other matters.[8][15]
Frontier mentality
Traits such as engaging in risky exploration to secure food and territory favored early Americans, as well as the willingness to move one's life in pursuit of goals such as personal freedom and economic affluence. These traits may have distilled over time into an individualism characterized by toughness and self-reliance.
Friendliness
Americans have been seen as friendly, talkative, and open to conversation.[18]
Stereotypes with negative use
Obsession with guns
The United States has a historical
Materialism, over-consumption, and extreme capitalism
A common stereotype of Americans is that of economic materialism and capitalism.[citation needed] They may be seen as caring most about money, judging all things by their economic value, and scorning those of lower socioeconomic status,[2][7] despite the fact that, as noted above, Americans are also highly charitable by global standards.[29] Total charitable contributions in 2010 were higher in the US than in any other country.[11]
Lack of cultural awareness
Americans may be stereotyped as ignorant of countries and cultures beyond their own.[7][30] This stereotype shows them as lacking intellectual curiosity, thus making them ignorant of other cultures, places, or lifestyles outside of the United States.[3] The stereotype of a decline in cultural awareness among American students is attributed by some critics to the ostensible declining standards of American schools and curricula.[31]
Racism and racialism
American people in general may be portrayed as
Environmental ignorance
Americans may be seen as reckless and imprudent people regarding the preservation of the
Arrogance and nationalism
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Antiimperialismo_caracas.jpg/220px-Antiimperialismo_caracas.jpg)
Americans are often stereotyped as arrogant people. They are frequently depicted in foreign media as excessively nationalistic and obnoxiously patriotic, believing the United States is better than all other countries and patronizing foreigners.[7][41]
Americans may be seen by people of other countries as arrogant and egomaniacal.[42][43] In 2009, then-U.S. President Barack Obama said that the United States has "shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive" towards its allies.[20][44]
Military zeal
Another common stereotype is that Americans want to be "the world's policemen", believing that the entire world needs their help – even if this results in preemptive military intervention – because they are somehow exceptional.[citation needed] This relatively recent stereotype spawned from Cold War and post-Cold War military interventions such as the Vietnam War and Iraq War, which many people opposed.[20]
The United States is also stereotyped being a country with Hero syndrome in foreign media. The Hero syndrome manifests itself when the protagonist suffering the syndrome creates supposed, implied or ostensible crises only to eventually resolve them thereby becoming the savior of the day, the hero of the moment.
American militarism is lampooned in several works, including the satirical film Team America: World Police.
Workaholic culture
While the stereotype of hard-working Americans is often a positive one, the United States has also been criticized in recent years as a
The notion that working long hours and not taking holidays makes for a more productive workforce is, in my view, a managerial myth, with no foundation in organizational or psychological science. The human body is a biological machine, and like all machines can wear out. In addition, if employees don't invest personal disposal time in their relationships outside, with their family, loved ones and friends, they will be undermining the very social support systems they may need in difficult and stressful times.
Driving habits
Americans are seen to be over-reliant on personal automobiles, while neglecting other forms of transport such as biking or public transport.
Consequences of American stereotypes
This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2017) |
Along with many other stereotypes, countries view the United States as one of the most powerful nations in the world as a consequence of its status as the sole superpower. However, this view is often coupled with the view that the United States is
See also
- American imperialism
- Americanization
- Americentrism
- Anti-Americanism
- American studies
- American Idiot (song)
- Climate change in the United States
- Culture of the United States
- Global warming controversy in the United States
- Media bias in the United States
- Propaganda in the United States
- Stereotypes of groups within the United States
- British stereotypes
References
- ^ "Measuring Stereotypes: A Comparison of Methods Using Russian and American Samples", Walter G. Stephan, Vladimir Ageyev, Cookie White Stephan, Marina Abalakina, Tatyana Stefanenko and Lisa Coates-Shrider. Social Psychology Quarterly, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Mar., 1993), pp. 54-64
- ^ a b c American TV and Social Stereotypes of Americans in Thailand by Kultida Suarchavarat, Texas Tech University, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, September 1988 65: 648-654
- ^ a b Students face US stereotypes abroad by Liz Wojnar - The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University, October 21, 2008
- ^ Cultural Stereotypes About Americans University of Tampere, A FAST-US-7 United States Popular Culture Reference File, Department of Translation Studies, April 27, 2010
- ^ "eduPASS - Cultural Differences - Stereotypes". www.edupass.org.
- ISBN 978-0-8058-5952-2.
- ^ a b c d Confronting stereotypes of culture: American Stereotypes, Mathilde Dodson, University of Washington Tacoma, The Ledger, November 21, 2005; Accessed: 18.07.2012
- ^ Oklahoma State University, The Newsline, February 2012
- ^ America the generous, CNN, By William J. Bennett, December 15, 2011
- ^ Crary, David (September 9, 2010). "Study finds Americans in generous mood". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. pp. 1A.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Eleanor (December 19, 2011). "SLIDESHOW: Which Country Is The Most Charitable On Earth?". Huffington Post.
- ^ The American-Western European Values Gap, 2 Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes Project
- ^ Americans' Optimism About Financial Future by Frank Newport, Gallup Poll
- ^ "Pervasive Gloom About the World Economy". July 12, 2012.
- ^ Students face US stereotypes abroad by Liz Wojnar - The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University, October 21, 2008
- ^ "'Wild West' mentality lingers in modern populations of US mountain regions". phys.org. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Frederick Jackson Turner: The Significance of the Frontier in American History (1893)". wwnorton.com. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "Busted: 6 British stereotypes about Americans". Matador Network. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ "The Seventh United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998 - 2000), data (PDF)". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Retrieved November 8, 2006.
- ^ a b c The American-Western European Values Gap, Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes Project
- ^ "Why do Americans love their guns?" Al Jazeera
- ^ Weiss, Haley (December 21, 2018). "The Disturbing Trend Behind America's Soaring Gun Deaths". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
- ^ Batman cinema screening shooting: a history of mass shootings in the US since Columbine The Telegraph, July 20, 2012
- ^ Schütze installierte in seiner Wohnung Sprengstofffallen Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 20-07-2012
- ^ Internacional - Polícia americana tenta desarmar explosivos em casa de atirador Jornal do Brasil, July 20, 2012
- ^ Fusillade meurtrière à Aurora : «Les tirs partaient sans arrêt» Libération, Monde, 20 juillet 2012
- ^ "List of countries by gun ownership", Knowledge Encyclopedia
- ^ Karp, Aaron (June 2018). "Estimating Global Civilian-Held Firearms Numbers" (PDF). Small Arms Survey (Briefing Paper). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2018.
- ^ "GROSS DOMESTIC PHILANTHROPY: An international analysis of GDP, tax and giving" (PDF). Charities Aid Foundation. January 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-312-14823-2.
- .
- ^ "More now see racism as major problem, especially Democrats". Pew Research Center. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Countries of the World, 2012-2014 estimated population values. World Atlas. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ Gillies, Rob (December 12, 2011). "Canada formally pulls out of Kyoto Protocol on climate change". StarTribune. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015.
- ^ "China now no. 1 in CO2 emissions; USA in second position". pbl.nl (Press release). Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. June 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals indicators: Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), thousand metric tonnes of CO2 (collected by CDIAC)
- ^ "The environmentally unconscious one; or, Why I love America - Viewpoint - The Observer - University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College".
- ^ CO2 emissions per capita 2010. World Bank. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ^ "Latest Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Shows Long-Term Reductions, with Annual Variation". April 13, 2020.
- ^ Clark, Jayne (2006). That 'ugly American' image is getting a makeover guide. USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
- ^ The End of Arrogance by Spiegel Staff, Der Spiegel Online International
- ^ America, the Arrogant? by Jonathan Merritt, June 23, 2012, Relevant Magazine
- ^ Harnden, Toby (April 3, 2009). "President Barack Obama: America has been 'arrogant and dismissive' towards Europe". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Handley, Meg (April 19, 2012). "Is America's Workaholic Culture Padding Corporate Profits?". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ a b Cooper, Gary L. (May 25, 2011). "America can learn from Europe on work-life balance". CNN. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ Reaney, Patricia (July 7, 2015). "'Americans are definitely workaholics'". Reuters. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ Milosevic, Tijana (January 8, 2011). "Workaholism in America: A European's Perspective". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Kasperkevic, Jana (September 7, 2015). "Why is America so afraid to take a vacation?". The Guardian. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ Adam Gabbatt (March 13, 2022). "'I can't move my car': Americans struggle as vehicle expenses rise". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ Julia Willing (August 4, 2021). "Americans Finally Found Out About Roundabouts And Of Course They Don't Know How To Use Them". BuzzFeed. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ John Metcalfe (March 10, 2016). "Why Does America Hate Roundabouts?". Bloomberg News. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ Glick, P. (2006). Anti-American Sentiment and America's Perceived Intent to Dominate: An 11-Nation Study. Basic & Applied Social Psychology, 28(4), 363-373.
Further reading
- Pells, Richard. Not like Us: How Europeans Have Loved, Hated and Transformed American Culture since World War II (1997) online