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Preface to the Third Edition | p. xi |
Acknowledgments | p. xvii |
Introduction | p. xix |
On Understanding | p. xix |
How Much Generalizing Is Acceptable? | p. xxi |
On Asking ôWhy?ö | p. xxiv |
How Americans See Themselves | p. xxvi |
How Americans See Foreigners | p. xxvii |
On Describing Americans | p. xxix |
General Ideas About American Culture | p. 1 |
American Values and Assumptions | p. 3 |
Individualism, Freedom, Competitiveness, and Privacy | p. 5 |
Equality | p. 12 |
Informality | p. 14 |
The Future, Change, and Progress | p. 15 |
Goodness of Humanity | p. 17 |
Time | p. 19 |
Achievement, Action, Work, and Materialism | p. 21 |
Directness and Assertiveness | p. 23 |
The Communicative Style of Americans | p. 27 |
Preferred Discussion Topics | p. 28 |
Favorite Forms of Interaction | p. 30 |
Depth of Involvement Sought | p. 33 |
Channels Preferred | p. 35 |
Level of Meaning Emphasized | p. 43 |
Ways of Reasoning | p. 45 |
The Context | p. 46 |
The Point | p. 48 |
The Organization | p. 49 |
The Evidence | p. 50 |
The Cause | p. 53 |
Differences in Customs | p. 55 |
Variations in Customs | p. 57 |
U.S. Americans and Their Customs | p. 57 |
Customary Behaviors | p. 59 |
Specific Aspects of American Life | p. 63 |
Politics | p. 65 |
The Rule of Law | p. 67 |
The Ideal of Compromise | p. 68 |
Politics Apart | p. 69 |
Fundamental Fault Lines in American Politics | p. 70 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 73 |
Family Life | p. 75 |
What Foreigners Notice | p. 75 |
The Changing Family | p. 77 |
Parenting | p. 80 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 86 |
Education | p. 89 |
Guiding Ideals | p. 90 |
Social Forces Affecting American Education | p. 97 |
Issues Facing American Schools | p. 100 |
Advantages and Disadvantages | p. 102 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 103 |
Religion | p. 105 |
The General Context | p. 106 |
Religion and Individual Americans | p. 109 |
Exceptions | p. 111 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 112 |
The Media | p. 115 |
What Is American About the American Media? | p. 116 |
Americans' Views of Their Media | p. 119 |
Misconceptions the Media Promote | p. 121 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 123 |
Social Relationships | p. 125 |
Meeting New People | p. 126 |
The American Concept of Friendship | p. 128 |
Relationships Prescribed by Roles | p. 131 |
Courtesy, Schedules, Gifts | p. 134 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 136 |
Racial and Ethnic Diversity | p. 139 |
What International Visitors See | p. 140 |
How Americans View Race and Ethnic Relations | p. 145 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 150 |
Male-Female Relationships | p. 153 |
Influences on Male-Female Relationships | p. 154 |
Male-Female Relationships in Various Settings | p. 158 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 164 |
Sports and Recreation | p. 165 |
Sports | p. 165 |
Recreation | p. 168 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 170 |
Driving | p. 171 |
General Information | p. 172 |
Traffic Laws | p. 173 |
Attitudes About Driving | p. 174 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 177 |
Shopping | p. 179 |
Advertising | p. 180 |
Pricing | p. 181 |
Customer-Clerk Relationships | p. 182 |
Sales Tactics | p. 183 |
Procedures for Returning and Exchanging | p. 184 |
Private Sales | p. 185 |
Precautions for Shoppers from Abroad | p. 186 |
Personal Hygiene | p. 189 |
The Basics | p. 190 |
Variations | p. 192 |
Other Issues Concerning Hygiene | p. 192 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 193 |
Getting Things Done in Organizations | p. 195 |
Misconceptions | p. 196 |
Characteristics of U.S. Organizations | p. 198 |
Suggestions for Dealing with U.S. Organizations | p. 199 |
Behavior in Public Places | p. 203 |
Rules for Behavior in Public Places | p. 203 |
Communication Behaviors | p. 206 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 207 |
Studying | p. 209 |
Assumptions Underlying the Higher Education System | p. 209 |
Student-Student Relationships | p. 211 |
Student-Professor Relationships | p. 213 |
Roommate Relationships | p. 214 |
Plagiarism | p. 216 |
Suggestions for International Students | p. 218 |
Business | p. 219 |
Doing Business in the United States | p. 222 |
The Global Economy | p. 229 |
Suggestions for International Businesspeople | p. 229 |
Healthcare | p. 231 |
Cultural Underpinnings | p. 232 |
Political Ramifications | p. 233 |
Suggestions for International Visitors | p. 235 |
Coping with Cultural Differences | p. 237 |
Some Helpful Ideas | p. 239 |
Intercultural Competence | p. 239 |
Expectations | p. 241 |
Personality Characteristics | p. 241 |
Traits and Situations | p. 242 |
Culture Shock and Stages of Adjustment | p. 244 |
D-I-E | p. 246 |
Activities for Learning About American Culture | p. 249 |
Ask Questions | p. 249 |
Learn and Practice Local English | p. 250 |
Take Field Trips | p. 252 |
Talk with Experienced Expatriates | p. 256 |
Keep a Journal | p. 257 |
Learn the Names of Local and Institutional VIPs | p. 258 |
Read, Reflect | p. 259 |
View Yourself as a Teacher | p. 260 |
Conclusion | p. 261 |
References and Suggested Readings | p. 263 |
American Culture | p. 263 |
Intercultural Relations | p. 265 |
Readings for Students | p. 267 |
Readings for Business and Professional People | p. 267 |
English-as-a-Foreign-Language Texts | p. 268 |
About the Authors | p. 269 |
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