Western Influence On American Culture

People isolate themselves with boundaries, physical and otherwise. With every boundary and border, comes every country with its population who like to believe that their country is the best country, superior to all others, and the same is true of most Americans. Even though the social scene has gotten even more diverse and globalized, many Americans have little to no exposure to foreign cultures outside of TV, movies, and the Internet. However, these depictions are often poorly written and stereotypical at best. So if that is how the U.S. views the rest of the world, how does the rest of the world view us? What would an outside opinion of Americans tell us about our own culture? What stereotypes do other nations have about us? Reading foreign
If you were born and raised in a Western country, no doubt American etiquette seems either perfectly normal or only slightly odd. A few standard practices of Western etiquette dictates a person should remember to say "please" and "thank you," to chew with their mouth closed, and to hold the door open for the person behind them. To an outsider, the social rules Westerners follow can seem bizarre and inconsistent. Travel books for foreigners visiting the United States offer a fascinating glimpse at the social etiquette we follow. As these books are written for foreigners, we are awarded the opportunity to see American etiquette as viewed through an outsider's perspective, and subsequently, see that American social etiquette is a forest of contradictions. See, Americans value honesty and exuberance, but are also kind of prudish; Americans tend to be more religious than most Europeans, and more disapproving of nudity, and alcohol; A Swiss guidebook warns, "It is forbidden to bathe topless or without [a] shirt (even kids)… or photograph partially unclothed children (even at home). It is forbidden for people under 21 to drink alcohol" (Karass). Americans also appreciate their personal space: "'Don't be overly
Through poll data from 2012, we can see that foreign nations admire America's scientific and technological edge. Be that as it may, international opinions of democracy and American culture vary by nation and by time; A Washington Post blogger, Max Fisher, writes, "It's not really surprising that people have strong opinions about America, but it is a reminder of how closely we're watched around the world and of the strong feelings that the American model and American foreign policy elicit" (Fisher, "Who Loves and Hates America"); and according to 2012 data from Pew Research, "Italy is the only European country in which a majority (58%) says they like American ideas about democracy. However, views in Europe have become much more positive on this question since it was last asked in 2007 — a time when ratings for the U.S. were generally low across the region" ("Attitudes Toward American Culture"). This is because, in 2007, many Europeans opposed the Bush administration's involvement in the Iraq War, thus, America's international popularity declined in Europe. Europe's ambivalence toward America, particularly our low approval rating in Great Britain, surprises Max Fisher: "I thought we'd be more popular in the U.K., where politicians make a big deal out of the 'special relationship' with Washington." Fisher explains this coolness from the British by noting, "It's possible that there's