US Culture Essay (Essay Sample)

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Briefing
According to the U.S Census Bureau, United States is the third largest country in the world with more than 320 million people. Being a country of immigrants, the United States culture has been influenced and shaped by cultures of the Latin Americans, Africans and Asians. This demonstrates its topical diversities and various subcultures in different parts of the country. There exist cultural clashes between the east coast and west coast of the United States (Bulmer 79). Comparing Boston city and San Francisco brings out the cultural differences. Though both cities are politically liberal and are similar economy cities they are culturally different.
Bostonians are less individualistic while San Franciscans more individualistic. The east coast, Boston, is older and more cultured compared to the west coast, San Francisco, which embraces a freer lifestyle. 60% of Boston residents are natives of Massachusetts and 16% are from other countries while in San Francisco 38% of the residents are from California and 33% are foreign in-borns (Gudykunst 59). Tradition vs freedom in the two cities indicates the cultural gap that exists. The culture of free lifestyle is observed in Universities in the west coast as compared to Universities in the East Coast. Bostonians embrace traditional values more compared to San Franciscans. For instance, there is a perceived feeling by Bostonians that people should behave and observe cultural values such as dressing with decorum in the city whereas San Franciscans opine that people have the freedom to behave the way they want.
Cultural products of the two cities are also different. Newspaper headlines and venture capital firms operate differently too. Boston’s Newspaper, Boston Globe, often refers to community and groups while San Francisco’s Chronicle favours subjects on notable individuals in society, innovation and creativity. For instance a headline in the Globe can be "Corruption in society" while the Chronicle may have "Americans break the world athletic record." In capital venture markets, Boston firms tout their reputation and experience while firms in San Francisco emphasis on their pioneering spirit. In San Francisco, firms are free to partner with other firms across the globe with similar and unique ideas.
Comparing New York City and Los Angeles also indicates the striking socio-cultural differences in the United States. The two cities are geographically near yet very far culturally. Los Angeles has a diversity index of 84.5 while New York has a diversity index of 80.1. This indicates that Los Angeles has a more diverse culture than New York. There are more than 800 languages spoken in New York. Besides, 66% of its residents are natives while in Los Angeles; only 30% of its residents are natives (Hart 66). This makes Los Angeles the most diverse city in the United States. There are more than 200 languages spoken in Los Angeles. To demonstrate the height of their cultural diversity, Los Angeles has towns such Chinatown and Little Tokyo in addition to a variety of annual festivals such as the Korean festivals.
To address the socio-cultural differences within the cities in the United States, cross-cultural interactions should be emphasized (Gudykunst 102). There is a rise in interracial relationships which have altered the initial social fabric in the United States. He further notes that since 2011, there has been an increase in the number of babies born by the ethnic minority groups. United States Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2043, no single ethnic group in the United States will comprise the majority of population of the United States.
Moving to from the United Kingdom to United States may be an enjoyable and challenging experience at the same time. The greatest worry is how to deal with the stereotypes of a foreign culture and adapting to the new socio-cultural environment. Getting an understanding on how corporate governance and labour laws of the federal, state and local governments function is crucial. This will help you get an insight into the working environment of the United States for better adjustment.
Anecdotal observations and research indicate that a foreigner going to work in the United States is likely to receive help in some cities compared to others (Hart 77). These differences can be attributed to socio-cultural differences. They further elaborate that to understand these differences an ecological analysis should be done. Each city should be treated as a single subject in a correlational research design so as to measure the differences.
The United States is well endowed with culture and its citizens are amazing. It has a reputation for having the most famous art galleries, museums and dynamic lifestyle in the world. It has a diversified culture. Attending various cultural ceremonies which held at various places in the United States will help you adapt with ease. The United States and the United Kingdom have varied cultural practices. These events will give you opportunities for socio-cultural integration to enable you adapt.
Besides, somebody moving from the United Kingdom to United States ought to have a firm understanding on the notion of simpatia in the U.S (Gudykunst 23). Simpatia cultures have a socio-emotional orientation towards other people. They are concerned with the social well-being of other people. They exercise an implicit prerogative of being polite and helpful to strangers. Research indicates countries ...