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Resources on United States Culture
by Darla Deardorff, Jane Dunham and Lyubov Kichinga
- 101 American Customs. H. Collis, Passport Books, 2000. Delightful collection of American customs, wonderfully illustrated with quirky cartoons.
- 101 American English Proverbs. H. Collis, Passport Books, 2000. Delightful collection of American proverbs, wonderfully illustrated with quirky cartoons.
- American Cultural Patterns.
A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Edward C. Stewart and Milton J. Bennett.
Intercultural Press, 1991.
A popular study of American beliefs and
behavior.
- American Ways. Gary Althen, Intercultural Press, 1988.
A basic,
easy-to-read review of American attitudes by a foreign student advisor.
- (The)
American Ways. M. K. Datesman, J. Crandall, E.N. Kearny. Prentice Hall,
1997.
A popular cultural reader which focuses on traditional mainstream
values in the United States.
- (The) Clash with Distant Cultures. R.J.
Payne. SUNY Press, 1995.
An analysis of the impact of cultural values
on the use of force and negotiations in American foreign policy.
- Class.
Paul Fussell, Ballantine Books, 1983.
Not only does Fussell insist that
the United States has a class system, he describes in minute detail the elements
that separate the strata. A most amusing book and thoroughly practical
for anyone who seriously wishes to rise socially.
- Coping with
America. Peter Trudgill, Basil Blackwell Inc., 1985.
A charming and
practical book for the traveller by an Englishman. Mr. Trudgill is
amused by Americans, but affectionate. His observant eye notes many
baffling and subtle details.
- Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. E. D. Hirsch, Jr., Vintage Books, 1988.
Hirsch
laments the loss of basic cultural knowledge among American children.
The appendix consists of a list of the terms a literate American should
recognize.
- Cultural Misunderstandings. Raymonde Carroll. The University Chicago Press. 1988.
If you're just going to read one book
on cultural differences, this is the one ( especially if you have
married into another culture). Compares French and Americans, but the
points are universal.
- Culture Shock! USA. Esther Mannin. Graphic Arts Publishers.
Excellent in-depth guide to the culture of the United
States, including logistical information.
- The Dance of Life. Edward T. Hall, Anchor Books/Doubleday, 1983.
An anthropologist
explains why time is perceived so differently in various cultures and
why Americans go by the clock.
- The Decline of Pleasure. Walter Kerr, Simon & Schuster, 1962.
A wry look at the American refusal to relax and enjoy life.
- Democracy in America. Alexis de Tocqueville, Vintage Books, 1945 (first published in 1835).
De Tocqueville wrote about the uniqueness of America, and
many of his observations remain apt today.
- Discovering American Culture. C.L. Delk, University of Michigan Press, 1997.
ESL text which
introduces students to the American personality and values, traditions
and beliefs in American culture.
- Distant Mirrors: America as a Foreign Culture. P.R DeVita and J. D. Armstrong. Wadsworth, 1993.
Perceptions and interpretations of the United States by foreign
scholars.
- Domestic Manners of the Americans. Fanny Trollope,
Oxford University Press, 1984 (first published in 1832).
Mrs. Trollope,
a lively writer, found Americans ignorant and parties dull, but she
grants that the USA was a fine country to get ahead in.
- In Search of Self: Toward a Cross-Cultural Psychology. Alan Roland, Princeton University Press, 1988.
A psychoanalyst who worked with
American, Japanese, and Indian patients discovers very basic
differences in family attachments.
- Living in the USA. Alison R. Lanier, Intercultural Press, 1996.
Much practical information, such as
how to buy a car, send a telegram, rent an apartment, and find a
bathroom.
- Lost in Translation. Eva Hoffman, Penguin Books, 1989.
A beautifully written account of life in America by a Polish-bom
refugee.
- More Like US. James Fallows, Houghton Mifflin, 1989.
A
book dedicated to stopping America' s drift towards a rigid,
class-bound system. Fallows believes the United States is losing the mobility
that once made it great.
- People of Plenty: Economic Abundance and The American Character. David M. Potter, University of Chicago Press, 1954.
Recognizes how much of American behavior is simply an
outgrowth of affluence.
- A People's History of the United States.
Howard Zinn, Harper & Row, 1981.
About the people history books
usually ignore and what their lives were really like.
- Speak American: A Survival Guide to the Language and Culture of the USA. D.B. Johnston, Random House, 2000.
Friendly, pocket guide to all the
essentials of surviving your encounters with Americans.
- Two
Years in the Melting Pot. Liu Zongren, China Books, 1988.
Anyone
suffering culture shock will find solace reading of Liu's distress in
America.
- The Yin and Yang of American Culture. Eun Y. Kim. Intercultural Press, 2001.
Websites
World Values SurveyThese surveys were designed to provide a comprehensive measurement of all major areas of human concern, from religion to politics to economic and social life.
Pew Research Center for the People and the Press
The Center is an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues. Their purpose is to serve as a forum for ideas on the media and public policy through public opinion research.
Fulbright Scholars Describe Perceptions of U.S. Abroad
Ten visiting Fulbright scholars from seven countries tell in a town meeting how the United States is viewed in their home countries.
EduPASS
Social customs and cultural differences in the United States.
Salisbury University
American customs and the things you need to know about.
