Living in the usa

The United States has always prided itself on being a “melting pot”, a changing, developing heterogeneous society. U.S. society has traditionally stressed individuality. In the U.S. there are as many exceptions as there are rules. One hard rule is: “Expect the unexpected”.

Americans tend to guard their personal space. Generally people stand 61cm apart. People in the U.S. shake hands when they are first introduced. Touching the elbow or kissing the hand are considered too intimate. Americans are friendly. Strangers may smile to you and say ‘hello’ or ‘how are you?’ They may not say ‘good-bye ‘or ‘thanks’ in rushing. People in the USA also tend to be informal. They use a lot of slang. There are also differences in American and British English.

People wear different types of clothing in different situations. Students often wear informal clothing, professors dress in more formal, yet comfortable clothing.

Americans consider themselves individuals. They value independence and self-reliance. Children are encouraged to think and do on their own. Directness is a desirable trait in the US. People often respond to questions in a frank manner. They tend to value personal achievements. This lends to the competitive nature of US society. Some people take great pride in their possessions as measures of their success. They value time, so they are often rushing around that creates a very rapid pace of life.