The modern culture of the USA and Germany is based on some patterns and manifests itself most often in everyday practices that ordinary people go through. Greetings, communication, language and courtesy, food and alcohol culture, and attitudes towards the property. In general, German culture is individualistic and based on the values of success and achievement. Germans value other people’s freedom, distance, and other people’s time. The essay will touch upon the communication culture between Germans and Americans at the level of formality, food culture, consumer culture, social morality, and religion.
Americans are happy to shorten the distance during communication and address people by name, even if they met recently. Their everyday language, English, does not involve levels of familiarity when using pronouns. The Germans often use the surname, not the names, especially for a recent acquaintance. In English, the word ‘friend’ is often used as a vague concept for acquaintances and people with whom the speaker communicates at some level of trust. The same word in German means a more profound connection for Germans, and they use it with caution. Thus, the German culture of communication is most focused on maintaining distance and, perhaps, because of this, it seems less friendly.
The food culture in Germany is tied to European traditions and cuisines that surround Germans. Usually, the Germans have few rituals related to food, but in contrast to the Americans, they almost always use a knife and fork. Americans are much less whimsical in food, and they pay less attention to cleanliness. Thus, the Germans are characterized by accuracy and attentiveness in food; they are more oriented towards European cuisines and often prefer to eat German dishes.
American culture is the heyday of consumption, where people are offered the maximum convenience for buying specific goods or services. German culture is less intended for consumption, and even here, the discipline is most characteristic: special hours and days for shopping, the inability to pay by card in all places. American consumer culture does not require a rational approach to shopping, as all payment methods are available everywhere, while Germans must think through several points before shopping. Thus, German culture is less prepared for widespread and extensive consumption than American culture.
Lutheranism seriously influenced social norms in Germany and the discipline preached by its followers. The Germans are reserved and disciplined people; they show tolerance for sexual minorities and nudity. American culture is less restrained in these matters, and it would seem that the personal choice of abortion is still debatable and emotional for society. Thus, for the Germans, those taboo topics that are common in America do not matter much; social norms are blurred, but at the same time, tolerance is not emphasized.
Modern Germans are not religious compared to Americans, and many of them officially leave the Church and do not read the Bible. Although the Church’s position in the media is clearly defined, and the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) is represented in the Bundestag, Germans do not attend Church and prefer to spend their time with their families (Braun, 2017). Americans are more religious and often study Christian literature attentively. Thus, the Germans preserved religiosity as a symbol of a party and temples, which now play the role of cultural heritage, while Americans often sincerely study religious literature and believe in God.
In conclusion, German culture is based on discipline and order. Unlike the Americans, the Germans appreciate the distance and will not get close to a person ahead of time. The German food culture is based on European cuisine, and it is also characterized by cleanliness and a neat attitude. In Germany, the culture of consumption is less developed than in America. German social norms are based on calm tolerance and a person’s free choice; this culture is individualistic (Country comparison, 2021). Religion is well-integrated into the culture of Germany, but ordinary Germans are rarely sincere followers of Protestantism.
References
Braun, K. (2017). Decolonial perspectives on charitable spaces of ‘welcome culture’ in Germany. Social Inclusion, 5(3), 38-48.
Country comparison. (2021). Hofstede Insights. Web.