The American Culture (At a Glance) By Decrypters (Group No. 2)

History After the discovery of America Slaves Political Rule

United States of America  Known as the “melting pot”  It’s a federal Republic  Bordered with Mexico on the South, and Canada on the north  Capital: Washington, D.C.  National Bird : Eagle  Dialling code: +1  Founded: July 4, 1776

United States of America  ISO code: USA  Area: 9,826,675 sq. km.  President: Barack Obama  Population: million (2014)

Religion  Nearly every known religion is practiced in the United States, which was founded on the basis of religious freedom.

Flag  Stars = the 50 States  Stripes = the 13 colonies

50 states of USA

Language  There is no official language of the United States, according to the U.S. government.  While almost every language in the world is spoken in the United States, Spanish, Chinese, French and German are among the most frequently spoken non-English languages.

North vs South Americans 1. Route (N) 2. Theater (S) 3. Fire (N) 4. Sure (N) 5. Data (N) 6. Crayon (N) 7. Lawyer (N) 8. Syrup (N) 9. Pajamas (S) 10. Caught (S) 11. Oil

Where They Do That At? Pronounced As “Way Day Do Da Aa?”

 Americans come from many nations

New York City

The Statue of Liberty  Given by France after the American Revolution  Represents freedom and democracy  Torch:symbol of enlightenment  Crown (25 windows): symbolizes gemstones and heaven ’ s rays shining over the world  Crown spikes (7): seven seas and continents  Tablet: a book of law  Broken chains: freedom as movement forward against  oppression and servitude

Salient points on America  New York City is America’s largest city.  Chicago is the second largest city, Los Angeles is third, and Philadelphia is the fourth largest.  Only one percent of the population cannot read or write.  There are two major political parties in the United States, the Democratic and the Republican.

Mass media The top five daily newspapers based on circulation are  The New York Times  The Wall Street Journal  USA Today  Los Angeles Times  Daily News of New York

Mass Media  Three privately owned networks that offered free programming financed by commercials - NBC, CBS, and ABC - controlled 90 percent of the TV market.  There are 335 public television stations across the United States, each of which is independent and serves its community’s interests.

Work Culture

Work or Business Culture  The United States, the work environment is both professional and causal.  Address your boss,supervisor,manager or even the precident of the company with his/her first name.Donot call them ''sir'' or ''boss''.  Don’t be surprised if you see people bring their pets to work!  The work culture and dress code here are different than in India.  Schedules are flexible, and the atmosphere is informal. Continued..

 Offer a firm handshake,lasting 3-5 seconds,upon greeting and leaving.Maintain good eye contact during your handshake.  Good eye contact during business and social conversations shows interest, sincerity and confidence.  A smile is a sign of friendliness, and in rural areas you may be greeted with a "hello" rather than a handshake.  Ask permission to smoke before lighting a cigarette or cigar. Due to health concerns, you may or may not be given permission. Work Culture

MEETINGS:  American involves a lot of meetings.  These meetings need not deal with big decisions, but are more like discussions, opinions and ideas are shared, and objections are made.  The office environment is informal.  If you dont understand the something, ask for clarification.  If your answer is ''yes'', clearly say ''yes''. If your answer is ''no'', clearly say ''no''.Nodding your head one side to other or up/down is very confusing. Continued..

 There is no apparent hierarchy between managers and their subordinates.  Employees are treated as equals, and independent views are welcomed. TIME MANAGEMENT:  Time is money.  Americans are very particular about time management.  They come to office early and leave on time. You will rarely find them working late hours, or on weekends.  They always preplan for the weekends, and they value their privacy. Continued.. Work Culture

US holidays and festivals

Other holidays Groundhog Day (February 2nd) International Women's day (March 8th)‏

Other holidays Easter day Mothers day (2nd Sunday of May) Fathers Day (3rd Sunday of June)

American Behavior Generally, Americans are very polite, friendly and helpful, but have no patience with interference in their private lives. You may find it difficult to discuss everything with an American friend, at least, when you are getting to know each other.

Do’s At work or anywhere. Don't nod your head up and down. Moving your head side to side is found to be very confusing, and its mostly taken as NO. Never call a black person a "Negro/Nigga" or any thing else. Never, ever talk in your native language in presence of Americans during a gathering.

Don'ts Don't say "The Phone was engaged", as engaged means getting engaged. Instead say "There was a busy tone". Don't say "I'll ring you back." or "I'll give ring you later". Here ring is the engagement ring, rather say "I'll call you, or buzz you". Don't offer chewing gum, or a breath freshener to others. It gives them a message that they have a bad breath. Your intention may not be but it is easily mistaken..

Salary Plans  Paid vacations are usually two weeks. Other company benefits include sick days and personal days.

Retirement Age  Americans usually retire at the age of 65, but may retire earlier if their pension plans permit it.

Reference environment-usa.html