Culture infuence on daily etiquette

Group 5: Huynh Thi Minh Anh
Tran Da Minh Chau
Duong Thi Nhung
Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy
Outline
I> Introduction
II> Mini-play
III> Some specific examples
-Equality
-Informality
-Individual freedom and privacy
IV> Conclusion
“You can always know who the Americans are in foreign countries. They have a way of walking , a way of dressing, and they often smile at you even if they dont’t know you!”

International Businessperson
One day, on the way to the school...
the only other person on the street was a boy. As she passed him he said “Hi” just like that

HI !
In the classroom...
In the break time...
She sees some couples are kissing and hugging







Suddenly...



David becomes her first new friend

One day David Nhung phones to Chau...
They go to the Valentine restaurant to have dinner



Chau thinks

But when the waitress bring the bill.....
David Nhung will pay for the meal....
She was shocked by some strange habits of natives.
There is a big question always exist on her mind
Why they can do that ???
Equality:

Going Dutch: is a slang term indicating that each person participating in a shared activity pays for himself or herself, rather than any one person paying for anyone else. It is also called Dutch date and Dutch Treat.
-It is increasingly common for a woman to pay her own way on a date thus emphasizing her independence and equality and reducing her sense of obligation to her date
-You should be prepared to pay your part of the bill

Queue (line up):
This behavior reflects their notion that all people are equal, in the sense that no one has the privilege of going directly to the front of a line.
First come, first served:
Related to the line up rule is the first come, first served rule.
Alternative notions,such as giving priority to the elderly,the wealthy, or males,do not normally occur to equality-minded Americans.
Informality
* Anyone say “Hi” to anyone, first names are used (“Just call me Bob”)almost immediately. People seem warm and friendly from the very start.

- This is not considered rude at all and reflects the more casual style of Americans.
- In Vietnam such a thing simply would not happen.
* Relationships between students, teachers,and co-workers in American society are often very informal

Liz, a staff member at a university international office, invited a group of Vietnam exchange students along with their American teacher and several co-workers to her home for dinner. When the guests arrived, she welcomed them by saying” Make your selves at home”. She showed them where to find the food and drinks in the kitchen and introduced them to some of the guests. The Vietnamese students then served themselves and sat with the other guests in small groups throughout house, eating and talking. The young son of the American guests enterained them with jokes. When it was time to leave, several of the American guests stayed to help Liz clean up.
Later, in describing the dinner party, the Vietnamese students remarked that such an event would almost never happen in their country.
First, they were surprised that Liz , whom they had only met twice before, had invited them into her home.Moreover they were impressed that the teachers and students and the international office co-worker and their family members socialized so easily. Even though they held positions of different status at work and were of different ages, they seemed to interact easily and naturally at the party.

Individual freedom and privacy
This value affects many aspects of typically American behaviour and attitudes ,including the attitude toward privacy.
A public display of affection
(sometimes abbreviated PDA) is the physical demonstration of affection for another person while in the view of others. Holding hands or kissing in public are commonly considered to be unobjectionable forms of public displays of affection.

In America, public displays of affection are widely accepted.
* In some American homes, parents and children do not enter each other’ rooms without first knocking.



This emphasis on privacy exists because individuals feel that their needs must be respected.
Americans may feel the need to give people their privacy or to have their own privacy at times when a person from another culture( including Vietnam) might not feel the need.
Conclusion:
Values such as the ones just descibed are the bone of American culture. They influence how many Americans think and act. One challenge of cross- cultural communication with Americans is to be able to figure out the difference between cultural behavior and individual behavior.
When you begin learn and understand more about the America culture, perhaps, you will become better aquainted with some natives, and feel more comfortable.
Understanding Americans can be beneficial.Misunderstanding them can eliminate opportunities and produce negative feelings