BÀI GIẢNG DẠNG VĂN BẢN (SCRIPT)

Môn học: VĂN HÓA ANH MỸ

Unit 8: ATTITUDES (USA)

8.1. Stereotype and change

8.2. Conservatism

8.3. Being different

Slide Nội dung

1 Hi all, this is Unit 8: the US attitudes.

1. All Americans are rich

One of the most widely believed stereotypes I encountered while traveling
was that all Americans are rich. Not just "I can afford to not haggle at the
night market" rich, but "multiple cars and houses back home" rich.
This stereotype is fueled in part by America's powerful global economic
standing. But despite the country's reputation, plenty of Americans know that
the wealth of the country doesn't always transfer to all its citizens, and there
are millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet.
2 2. Americans are overly patriotic.
Americans have a reputation for being overly patriotic. Many first-time
visitors to the US are surprised by the preponderance of American flags
waving from our schools, offices, and homes, and it's pretty common to hear
Americans proclaim their country the greatest on Earth.
3. Americans are ignorant about the world.
Hand in hand with Americans' supposed superiority complex is an ignorance
about the rest of the world, according to the stereotypes I heard while
traveling.
It's an unfortunate reality that many Americans who travel lack knowledge of
the culture and customs of the country they are visiting, and worse yet,
sometimes they don't seem to care enough to learn.
Americans can combat this stereotype by engaging with people from other
cultures abroad and making an effort to see things from their perspective.
4. Americans can only speak English.
The United States is notoriously monolingual, perhaps more than any other
country in the world.
This reality might not hold up to scrutiny: An increasing number of
Americans, especially young ones, are able to communicate in a language
other than English. On top of that, the underlying data might be flawed — the
US Census Bureau may not be asking the right questions when it asks about
language proficiency.
Travelers can't be expected to become fluent in the local language of every
country they travel to, but learning a few key phrases can go a long way
toward building relationships with people you meet and earning their trust.
5. Americans are entitled.
American tourists also seem to have developed a reputation of entitlement.
Too often, Americans who travel to other countries expect locals to cater to
their cultural preferences and worldviews. The same Americans may
demand, rudely, that the locals speak English.
It's important when you travel to remember that you are a guest in another
country and should respect the customs and traditions of your host nation.
6. Americans are obsessed with work.
This stereotype may have some basis in reality — Americans work an
average of 47 hours a week, one of the highest figures in the world.
 Meanwhile, in many European countries, the average is below 40 hours a
week, and in Germany and Sweden, it's closer to 35. On top of the crazy
hours, the United States is the only developed country in the world
that doesn't guarantee any paid vacation for its workers. And what little paid
leave American employees get, they often feel pressured not to take full
advantage of.
Given that reality, it's no surprise Americans have developed a reputation
abroad for being slaves to their work.
7. And they don't even understand soccer.
For some, this is the worst American stereotype of them all. Somehow,
despite soccer being the most popular sport in almost every country and
having an estimated 4 billion fans worldwide, Americans have largely
resisted its charm.
Despite soccer's slowly growing popularity in the US, the general lack of
interest in the sport in America came as a shock to many non-Americans I
encountered while traveling.
1. American conservatism is a broad system of political beliefs in the
United States.
American conservatism is a broad system of political beliefs in the United
States that is characterized by respect for American traditions, republicanism,
support for Judeo-Christian values, moral
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universalism, business, anti-communism, individualism, advocacy
of American exceptionalism, and a defense of Western culture from the
perceived threats posed by socialism, authoritarianism, and moral
relativism. Liberty is a core value, as is with all major American parties.
American conservatives consider individual liberty—within the bounds of
American values—as the fundamental trait of democracy; this perspective
contrasts with that of modern American liberals, who generally place a
greater value on equality and social justice and emphasize the need for state
intervention to achieve these goals. American conservatives believe in
limiting government in size and scope, and in a balance between national
government and states' rights. Apart from some libertarians, they tend to
favor strong action in areas they believe to be within government's legitimate
jurisdiction, particularly national defense and law enforcement. Social
conservatives oppose abortion and favor restricting LGBT rights, while
privileging traditional marriage and allowing voluntary school prayer.
2. American conservatism originates from republicanism.
American conservatism, like most American political ideologies, originates
from republicanism, which rejected aristocratic and monarchical government
and upheld the principles of the United States Declaration of
Independence("All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty
and the Pursuit of Happiness") and the United States Constitution (which
established a federal republicunder the rule of law). Conservative philosophy
is also derived in part from the classical liberal tradition of the 18th and 19th
centuries, which advocated for laissez-faire economics (also called economic
freedom and deregulation).
3. The conservative tradition has played a major role in American
politics and culture since 1776.
Historians such as Patrick Allitt and political theorists such as Russell Kirk
argue that the conservative tradition has played a major role in American
politics and culture since 1776. However, they stress that an organized
 conservative movement with beliefs that differ from those of other American
political parties has played a key role in politics only since the 1950s. The
recent movement is based in the Republican Party, however some Southern
Democrats were also important figures early in the movement's history,
especially regarding crime control and labor unions, though most Southern
Democrats were liberal.
1. Americans are more likely to believe they control their own destiny.
In a 2014 survey, 57% of Americans disagreed with the statement “Success
in life is pretty much determined by forces outside our control,” a higher
percentage than in any of the European nations polled. (At the same time, it’s
worth noting that on this and other questions there are
differences within Europe too. For example, on this question, the United
Kingdom looks a lot like the United States.) Americans are also especially
likely to believe that an individual who works hard can find success: 73% said
hard work is very important for getting ahead in life compared to a European
median of 35%.
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2. Americans tend to prioritize individual liberty, while Europeans tend
to value the role of the state to ensure no one in society is in need.
Nearly six-in-ten in the U.S. (58%) believe allowing everyone to pursue their
life’s goals without interference from the state is more important. Majorities
in all European nations polled in 2011 said guaranteeing that nobody is in
need is more important.
3. There is greater tolerance in the U.S. than in Europe for offensive
speech.
A solid majority (77%) of Americans believe citizens should be allowed to
make statements that are offensive to people’s religious beliefs, a
 significantly higher share of the public than in any of the European Union
nations included in our 2015 survey. In Poland, Germany and Italy, fewer
than half think this kind of speech should be legal. Similarly, Americans are
more likely to say offensive statements about minority groups should be
permitted.
4. Religion is significantly less important to Europeans than to
Americans.
Just over half in the U.S. (53%) say religion is very important in their
life, nearly double the share who hold this view in Poland, which registered
the highest percentage among EU nations polled in 2015. In France, only
14% consider religion very important. Globally, there is a strong relationship
between a country’s wealth and its level of religiosity. Nations with higher
levels of gross domestic product per capita tend to have lower percentages
saying religion is very important in their lives. However, the U.S. is a clear
outlier to this pattern – a wealthy nation that is also relatively religious.
5. Americans and Europeans don’t always agree on questions about
morality, especially on issues related to sexuality..
For instance, while just 30% in the U.S. think sex between unmarried adults is
morally unacceptable, this is nonetheless significantly higher than what
our 2013 poll found in Europe. And while adultery is widely frowned upon in
the EU – except, notably, in France – Americans are even more likely to say
having an affair is morally unacceptable.
5 That’s the end of Unit 8. See you again in Unit 9.