American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States, 2nd Edition

Traveling to America soon? If the thought of extended exposure among Americans seems daunting, let American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States help you prepare.In this revised edition, Gary Althen has added material to provide the clearest insights yet into the American psyche and culture, including the rewritten chapter Ways of Reasoning, which provides one of the best-organized and clearest presentations of American thought processes to date, and a new chapter on race and ethnic relations that compares how foreign visitors and Americans alike perceive American subcultures. Within most chapters Althen has included a new section, Suggestions for Foreign Visitors, adding another practical dimension to the book.American Ways covers all the basic needs of the foreign student or businessperson, covering the trends and customs of day-to-day activities like driving, shopping and verbal and nonverbal communication as well as the more esoteric customs regarding cultural values, politics, education, religion and male-female relationships. As a comprehensive introduction to American culture, American Ways will prepare you for living, studying and working in America. "It's that little tiny stuff that can affect how people get along....[T]here are lots and lots of different [cues] on an underlying, unspoken level." -Gary Althen"Althen gives advice to foreign visitors to the U.S. that is intended to help them understand the motivations, attitudes, communication styles, and actions of Americans. Emphasizing the interpretation of observed behavior, he covers ways of reasoning and American ideas about politics, family life, education, religion, the media, social relationships, racial and ethnic diversity, male-female relationships, sports and recreation, driving, shopping, personal hygiene, and organizational and public behavior. Over-generalization is an understandable danger in such a work as this, but Althen does make an effort to emphasize that there are variations among Americans, while he concentrates on the similarities.".-Book NewsContents: Preface to the Second Edition - Acknowledgments - Introduction - Part I: General Ideas About American Culture - 1 American Values and Assumptions - 2 The Communicative Style of Americans - 3 Ways of Reasoning - 4 Differences in Customs - Part II: Specific Aspects of American Life - 5 Politics - 6 Family Life - 7 Education - 8 Religion - 9 The Media - 10 Social Relationships - 11 Racial and Ethnic Diversity - 12 Male-Female Relationships - 13 Sports and Recreation - 14 Driving - 15 Shopping - 16 Personal Hygiene - 17 Getting Things Done - 18 Behavior in Public Places - 19 Studying - 20 Business - Part III: Coping With Cultural Differences - 21 Some Helpful Ideas - 22 Activities for Learning About American Culture - Conclusion - Bibliography - About the Author Machine generated contents note: Preface to the Second Edition Acknowledgments Introducion On Understanding How Much Generalizing Is Acceptable? On Asking 'Why?" How Americans See Themselves How Americans See Foreigners On Describing Americans Part I. General Ideas about American Culture Chapter 1: American Values and Assumptions Individualism, Freedom, Competitiveness, and Privacy Equality AMERICAN WAYS Informality The Future, Change, and Progress Goodness of Humanity Time Achievement, Action, Work, and Materialism Directness and Assertiveness Chapter 2: The Communicative Style of Americans Preferred Discussion Topics Favorite Forms of Interaction Depth of Involvement Sought Channels Preferred Level of Meaning Emphasized Chapter 3: Ways of Reasoning The Context The Point The Organization The Evidence The Cause Chapter 4: Differences in Customs Part II Specific Aspects of American Life Chapter 5: Politics The Rule of Law The Ideal of Compromise Politics Apart Chapter 6: Family Life What Foreigners Notice The Changing Family Raising Children Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 7: Education Guiding Ideals Social Forces Affecting American Education Issues Facing American Schools Advantages and Disadvantages Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 8: Religion The General Context Religion and Individual Americans Exceptions Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 9: The Media What Is American about the American Media? Americans' Views of Their Media Misconceptions the Media Promote Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 10: Social Relationships Meeting New People The American Concept of Friendship Relationships Prescribed by Roles Courtesy, Schedules, Gifts Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 11: Racial and Ethnic Diversity What Foreign Visitors See How Americans View Race and Ethnic Relations Austin, Texas: A Case Study Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 12: Male-Female Relationships Influences on Male-Female Relationships Male-Female Relationships in Various Settings Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 13: Sports and Recreation Sports Recreation Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 14: Driving General Information Traffic Laws Attitudes about Driving Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 15: Shopping Advertising Pricing Customer-Clerk Relationships Sales Tactics Procedures for Returning and Exchanging Private Sales Precautions for Shoppers from Abroad Chapter 16: Personal Hygiene The Basics Variations Other Issues Concerning Hygiene Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 17: Getting Things Done in Organizations Misconceptions Characteristics of U.S. Organizations Suggestions for Dealing with U.S. Organizations Chapter 18: Behavior in Public Places Rules for Behavior in Public Places Communication Behaviors Suggestions for Foreign Visitors Chapter 19: Studying Assumptions Underlying the Higher Education System Student-Student Relationships Student-Professor Relationships Roommate Relationships Plagiarism Suggestions for Foreign Students Chapter 20: Business Doing Business in the United States The Global Economy Suggestions for Foreign Businesspeople and Future Businesspeople Part III Coping with Cultural Differences Chapter 21: Some Helpful Ideas Expectations Personality Characteristics Traits and Situations Culture Shock and Stages of Adjustment D-I-E Chapter 22: Activities for Learning about American Culture Ask Questions Learn and Practice Local English Take Field Trips Talk with Experienced Foreigners Keep a Journal Learn the Names of Local and Institutional VIPs Read, Reflect View Yourself as a Teacher Conclusion Bibliography About the Author. Annotation. Traveling to America soon? If the thought of extended exposure among Americans seems daunting, let American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States help you prepare. In this revised edition, Gary Althen has added material to provide the clearest insights yet into the American psyche and culture, including the rewritten chapter Ways of Reasoning, which provides one of the best-organized and clearest presentations of American thought processes to date, and a new chapter on race and ethnic relations that compares how foreign visitors and Americans alike perceive American subcultures. Within most chapters Althen has included a new section, Suggestions for Foreign Visitors, adding another practical dimension to the book. American Ways covers all the basic needs of the foreign student or businessperson, covering the trends and customs of day-to-day activities like driving, shopping and verbal and nonverbal communication as well as the more esoteric customs regarding cultural values, politics, education, religion and male-female relationships. As a comprehensive introduction to American culture, American Ways will prepare you for living, studying and working in America. It's that little tiny stuff that can affect how people get along ... [T]here are lots and lots of different [cues] on an underlying, unspoken level.-Gary Althen Althen gives advice to foreign visitors to the U.S. that is intended to help them understand the motivations, attitudes, communication styles, and actions of Americans. Emphasizing the interpretation of observed behavior, he covers ways of reasoning and American ideas about politics, family life, education, religion, the media, social relationships, racial and ethnic diversity, male-female relationships, sports and recreation, driving, shopping, personal hygiene, and organizational and public behavior. Over-generalization is an understandable danger in such a work as this, but Althen does make an effort to emphasize that there are variations among Americans, while he concentrates on the similarities.-Book News ContentsPreface to the Second EditionAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: General Ideas About American Culture1 American Values and Assumptions 2 The Communicative Style of Americans3 Ways of Reasoning4 Differences in CustomsPart II: Specific Aspects of American Life5 Politics6 Family Life7 Education8 Religion9 The Media10 Social Relationships11 Racial and Ethnic Diversity12 Male-Female Relationships13 Sports and Recreation14 Driving15 Shopping16 Personal Hygiene17 Getting Things Done18 Behavior in Public Places19 Studying20 BusinessPart III: Coping With Cultural Differences21 Some Helpful Ideas22 Activities for Learning About American CultureConclusionBibliographyAbout the Author

Traveling to America soon? If the thought of extended exposure among Americans seems daunting, let American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States help you prepare. In this revised edition, Gary Althen has added material to provide the clearest insights yet into the American psyche and culture, including the rewritten chapter Ways of Reasoning, which provides one of the best-organized and clearest presentations of American thought processes to date, and a new chapter on race and ethnic relations that compares how foreign visitors and Americans alike perceive American subcultures. Within most chapters Althen has included a new section, Suggestions for Foreign Visitors, adding another practical dimension to the book. American Ways covers all the basic needs of the foreign student or businessperson, covering the trends and customs of day-to-day activities like driving, shopping and verbal and nonverbal communication as well as the more esoteric customs regarding cultural values, politics, education, religion and male-female relationships. As a comprehensive introduction to American culture, American Ways will prepare you for living, studying and working in America. It's that little tiny stuff that can affect how people get along....[T]here are lots and lots of different [cues] on an underlying, unspoken level.-Gary Althen Althen gives advice to foreign visitors to the U.S. that is intended to help them understand the motivations, attitudes, communication styles, and actions of Americans. Emphasizing the interpretation of observed behavior, he covers ways of reasoning and American ideas about politics, family life, education, religion, the media, social relationships, racial and ethnic diversity, male-female relationships, sports and recreation, driving, shopping, personal hygiene, and organizational and public behavior. Over-generalization is an understandable danger in such a work as this, but Althen does make an effort to emphasize that there are variations among Americans, while he concentrates on the similarities.-Book News ContentsPreface to the Second EditionAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: General Ideas About American Culture1 American Values and Assumptions 2 The Communicative Style of Americans3 Ways of Reasoning4 Differences in CustomsPart II: Specific Aspects of American Life5 Politics6 Family Life7 Education8 Religion9 The Media10 Social Relationships11 Racial and Ethnic Diversity12 Male-Female Relationships13 Sports and Recreation14 Driving15 Shopping16 Personal Hygiene17 Getting Things Done18 Behavior in Public Places19 Studying20 BusinessPart III: Coping With Cultural Differences21 Some Helpful Ideas22 Activities for Learning About American CultureConclusionBibliographyAbout the Author

"From understanding American society to making one's way through daily life, [the author] has fine-tuned and freshened this new edition ... to provide the clearest insights yet into the American psyche and culture. [The author] discusses customs, cultural values, politics, education, religion, male/female relationships, sports and recreation, driving, shopping, behavior in public, studying, business, and nonverbal communication, among other topics. To help foreigners better understand the enigmatic Americans, [the author] has greatly expanded [the] section on individualism and has reconceptualized [the] chapter "Ways of Reasoning" to become one of the clearest basic presentations of American thought processes written to date. Many of the chapters include a new section titled "Suggestions for Foreign Visitors," which adds a distinctly practical dimension for visitors to the United States. To help foreigners understand the subject of race and ethnic relations, [the author] focuses on how foreign visitors perceive racial and ethnic groups in American society and how Americans view these subcultures. A case study adds insight into this extremely complex aspect of American life"-- Page [4] of cover This title seeks to provide insights into the American psyche and character. It looks at American values, assumptions and ways of reasoning to help foreigners to understand the enigmatic Americans. This edition features a new chapter on race and ethnic relations.