The United States is a country with various cultures, however, I believe that the individualistic culture dominates. There is a certain mindset that is common in the United States. I believe that although the United States has different cultures, these cultures are expected to act a certain way. The American Dream is one of them; being married to one person and having kids. Another is not going to college or graduating from college. There is a negative conception about individuals not going to college straight after high school or at all. I also feel that some individuals in America can be closed minded and all about themselves. Part of American culture wants America to be a specific way. The political parties demonstrate this well, as they are constantly going back and forth with bills and laws. They fight over how things should be in America. I remember when I lived in England and my peers would always mention the American political system.
I personally do not like this aspect of culture. I believe being individualistic in your own way is a positive side. I feel that it is common in the United States for everyone to have the same things and to live their lives the same way as others. Since the pandemic I believe that social media has been a huge factor in the individualistic culture. It is popular to jump on the bandwagon with style, music, food, products, etc. On social media the United States gets compared to many countries for being different. From some personal conversations it has been common to think that America is one of the greatest and differentiated countries in the world. However, that is not exactly the case. For example, I have lived in Europe before and although Europeans do things differently, they still do it their way. I feel that there is not as much pressure on how someone’s life needs to be in Europe.
I feel that individuals that are from the United States or have lived in the United States would not see this cultural aspect as a negative. However, I feel that individuals that come from more collectivist countries would see this aspect as negative. They come from an open-minded country. They are not all about themselves, they include others and mostly accept others for who they are.
This exercise helped me prepare for abroad because while writing this blog post I was thinking about how different the United States is compared to Europe. I was raised in Europe and was a teenager in America. I am interested in experiencing Europe as an adult. After doing this exercise I feel more confident to be a resident in England for the time being. I do not feel pressure to be just like everyone else. I want to broaden my horizons with European culture. I am also intrigued in comparing the two countries. I have experienced being a college student in America and will experience being a college student in Europe. I am excited to experience the differences in the cultures.