The Donkey and the Elephant

The Donkey and the Elephant first appeared in political cartoons as symbols of the two main political parties in the US the Democrats and the Republicans. There are not clear differences between the two parties. The Republicans tend to be more conserva­tive and to have more support among the upper classes. The Democrats tend to be more liberal and to have more support among the working classes and the poor.

TEXT 5. Read and translate the text. Be ready to discuss.

The Values Americans Live By

Most Americans see themselves as open, frank and friendly. If you ask them a question, they will answer it. They have nothing to hide. They cannot under­stand why people from other countries should have any difficulty understand­ing them. Unless, of course, there are language problems. But most foreigners do have trouble understanding Americans – even if they have a good com­mand of English. So what are Americans like? What values do they live by?

Individualism

The most important thing to understand about Americans is probably their individualism. The United States is the most individualistic (or second most, after Australia) country in the world.

Americans are trained from an early age to consider themselves as individuals who are responsible for their own situations in life and their own destinies. You can often hear such phrases as: «You'll have to decide that for yourself». «If you don't look out for yourself, no one else will».

They don't see themselves as members of a group. Even when they join groups – in fact many groups – they somehow believe they’re just a little different, just a little unique, just a little special, from other members of the same group. And they tend to leave groups as easily as they enter them.

When they meet a person from abroad who seems to them too concerned with the opinions of parents they think that the person is «weak» or «too dependent».

Their ideal person is an individualistic, self-reliant, independent person who prefers an atmosphere of freedom, where neither the government nor anybody else dictates what the individual does.

Their heroes are people who «stand out from the crowd» by doing some-thing first, longest, most often, or otherwise «best». They admire people who have overcome difficult circumstances (for example, poverty) and «succeeded» in life.

Informality

Americans are very informal. They are probably the most informal people in the world. You will see students going to class in shorts and T-shirts and teachers and university professors wearing blue jeans.

A booklet advertising a famous arts college has a photograph showing the college president, dressed in shorts and an old T-shirt, jogging past one of the classroom buildings on his campus. Americans like the photograph: «Here is a college president who's just like anyone else. He doesn't think he's too good for us».

Informality can also be seen in American's greetings. «Hi!» they will say to just about anyone, or «Howya doin?» (that is, «How are you doing?» or «How are you?»). The farewell can be as short as: «See you», «take it easy» or «come by some time» (although they often don't really mean it).

Privacy

Americans think that most people «need some time to themselves» or «some time alone» to think about things. Most Americans have great difficulty understanding people who always want to be with another person, who dislike being alone. They tend to consider such people as weak or dependent.

They often say: «If I don't have at least half an hour a day to myself, I will go mad».

If the parents can afford it, each child will have his or her own bedroom. Having one's own bedroom, even as a kid, means that you will have your clothes, your own toys, your own books, and so on. These things will be yours and no one else's.

Foreign visitors will find American homes and offices open, but what is inside the American mind is considered to be private. To ask the question «What is on your mind?» is very rude.

Equality

Equality is, for Americans, one of their most important values. As it’s stated in their Declaration of Independence, «all men are created equal». «One person, one vote», they say, meaning that any person's opinion is important. There are even laws that protect this «right to equality» in its various forms.

When foreign people of high position come to the United States they are often insulted by the way they are treated by American clerks, waiters, taxi drivers, etc. «They treat me just like anybody else!», they complain. But Americans hate treating people of high position in a different manner. A highly-placed visitor should be prepared to be considered «just like anybody else» while he is in America. In America, the words «sir» and «madam» are seldom used. Managers, directors, presidents and even university professors are often addressed by their first name.