By: Cassie Laing
Culture Research Project Germany and America Germany
• Their native language is • Their flag German • Ethnic groups: – German 91.5% – Turkish 2.4% – Other 6.1% • Greek • Italian • Polish • Russian • Serbo-Croatian • Spanish Figure 1 “German Flag” (“German People” Global road warrior) three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and gold; these colors have played an important role in German history and can be traced back to the medieval banner of the Holy Roman Emperor - a black eagle with red claws and beak on a gold field (German Flag) Map of Germany
Figure 2 “Map of Germany” Personal Values
Figure 3 “Value change” United States
• Native language is • Our Flag English • Ethnic groups – White 79.96% – Black 12.85% – Asian 4.43% – Alaskan .97% – Hawaiian .18% – Hispanic 15.1% Figure 3: United states flag Google images Figure 4: Map of the United States Map of the united states states Mapunited the of Americans personal values By: Barack Obama • We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. • We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. • We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. • We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. Religion in Germany • Christianity is the predominant religion in Germany with 67 percent of the population. • About 3.5 percent follow Islam • And 1 percent and divided among smaller religious groups like Jews, Buddhists, Jehovah's Witnesses and Hindus. • Remaining 28.5 percent and either atheists or unaffiliated with and religious group. American Religion • According to the 2001 Census • 80 percent of Americans characterized themselves as Christians. • Roman Catholics were 25 percent of the population. • Baptists (17%) • Methodists (7%) • Lutherans (5%) • Presbyterians (3%) • Pentecostal/Charismatic (2%) • Episcopalian/Anglican (2%) • Church of Latter-Day Saints (1%) • Churches of Christ (1%). • 14% of the population have no religious affiliation or described themselves as atheist or agnostic. Americans religion continued…
• Presbyterians (3%) • Pentecostal/Charismatic (2%) • Episcopalian/Anglican (2%) • Church of Latter-Day Saints (1%) • Churches of Christ (1%). • 14% of the population have no religious affiliation or described themselves as atheist or agnostic. German Stereotypes
• Stereotypes accepted • Stereotypes accepted by the foreigners by some Germans – Very Precise – Europe’s engineer – Stuck in the Past – Failing system – Beer Meisters – Ashamed no more – Old-Fashioned – Hard Workers – Unemotional American Stereotypes
• Stereotypes accepted • Stereotypes accepted by some foreigners by some Americans – Money Talks – Number one – Violence Prone – Microcosm – Overweight – Jealousy – Provincials abroad – World cops – Friendly folk – Work hard, play harder German Holidays
• New Years Day • Whit Sunday • All Saints’ Day • Epiphany or the • Whit Monday • Repentance Day Festival of the three kings • Corpus Christi Day • Christmas Day • Good Friday • Assumption Day • Boxing Day or Saint • Easter Sunday • Oktoberfest Stephen’s Day • Easter Monday • Day of German • Labor Day Unity • Ascension Day • Reformation Day Easter Monday Ascension Day German Holidays Date: varies Date(s): Date Epiphany or the Festival of the Three Description: A post-Easter varies annually, but Kings celebration. always falls on a January 6th Thursday Description: The Feast of the Three Description: A day Whit Sunday Kings celebrates the wise men from the to commemorate (Pentecost)/Phfingsten East, who visited the baby Jesus in the ascension of Date: varies Bethlehem. "Epiphany" refers to the Jesus Christ to Description: Commemorates the Christian belief that God revealed heaven. descent of the Holy Spirit to the himself to humankind in human form. disciples of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament of the Bible. Day of German Unity Assumption Day Date(s):October 3rd Date: August 15th Description: Commemorates the Description: Commemorates the reunification of East and West death and ascension of the Virgin Germany in 1990. Mary to heaven, in accordance with Christian tradition. German Holidays Continued… Repentance Day Date(s):Date varies annually Description: Boxing Day/Saint A day to observe fasting, Stephen’s Day All Saints’ Day contemplation, and Date: December 26th Date: November 1st examining one’s conscience. Description: A day of post- Description: celebration of Christmas Commemorate the Day and a time of gift souls of the giving. departed. Oktoberfest Dates: Autumn, date varies annually Reformation Day (usually in September) Date(s): October 31 Description: Description: Commemorates the marriage of Crown Commemorates the Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Reformation of the Saxe-Hildburghausen. Lutheran and Reformed church communities. American Holidays
• New years eve • Cinco de Mayo • Thanksgiving • Martin Luther King Jr. Day • Memorial Day • Christmas Day • Valentines day • Independence Day • New Years Eve • presidents day • Labor Day • Mardi Gras • Columbus Day • St. Patrick's Day • Halloween • Easter • Veterans Day Video of Germany and how nice it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEHFqoLpn R0&spfreload=1 Video of the United States showing the scenery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHZc6I_uE pc German Superstitions and Folklore • Actions • Bad luck – Immediately burn hair strands that have – Harming or killing cats and spiders fallen out due to combing before a bird takes the strands to the nest. Failure to – Walking between two old women do so causes the owner of these strands first thing in the morning to go blind with cataracts or to have a – Putting the left foot on the floor headache. first when getting out of bed – Take a cold bath on the start of Easter – Number 13 for a year of good health. – Glass that breaks/falls on its own – Itching on your right hand means – Breaking a mirror spending money, while itching on your – Thirteen place settings at a dinner; left hand means acceptance of money. even if there are 13 guests, a – Always empty a glass when drinking 14th place setting should be set liquids to avoid having a devilish • Weddings, Married life and family mother-in-law. – A raindrop in a bride’s veil brings good – When giving scissors or knives as gifts, luck always give a penny as well so the – If it rains all day on a wedding day, it former don’t cut into your luck. portends bad luck. – A penny sown into the bride’s dress will bring good luck – A dog running between a married woman’s legs is a premonition that her husband will hit her. German superstitions continued… • Body parts • Pregnant Women/ New Mothers – Scratching a woman’s head is a sign – To protect their unborn children that she shall suffer from beatings from death pregnant women • Good Luck should not walk on graves. – When a pregnant woman walks – Knocking three times on wood behind a criminal who is to be – Pressing thumbs (German version killed later on, her child shall of “keeping fingers crossed”) experience the same fate as the – A penny in your pocket criminal. – Birthstones • Witches and Witch craft – A four-leaf clover – When a witch poses a question, • New Year you should not reply so the witch – Keep a penny and a Fliegenpilz (a will have no authority to take type of mushroom with a red head something away from you. and white dots) inside a pocket to – To counteract a curse brought by be lucky in life and in business the witchcraft or sorcery, carve a following year. wooden figure representing the – Nail a penny on doors for a witch- witch, put nails on the statue’s free year ahead. body part that will inflict pain on the witch, and bury it. Photos can be used in lieu of effigies.
Video of German Superstitions
MDZYY https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGqDud American superstitions • Walking under the ladder • Actions • Mistletoe – Turning around clockwise seven th times disarms bad spells. • Friday the 13 – Extinguishing your birthday cake • Knocking on wood candles with the first blow will make • Crossing fingers wishes come true. – Washing the car will cause it to rain. • Bad Luck – To keep a husband loyal, sew a – Getting a coin with its tails’ side swan’s feather into his pillow. up – Throw a coin into a fountain to make – Dropping a comb while using it a wish come true. on your hair – Revealing a wish will prevent it from – Trimming nails every Friday and happening. Sunday • Body Parts – Throwing back the first fish caught into the water – Itching of the soles means one will make a trip. – Not finishing a knitting job – When a person’s left ear itches, he is – Killing a ladybug being backstabbed. If it is the right that is itching, someone speaks well of him without his knowledge. American superstitions continued… • Death • Dreams – Holding one’s breath, raising the feet, and – Dreaming of almonds means temporary closing the eyes while a hearse passes by sadness. will prevent death in the family. – Dreaming of a baby means new life. – Leaving a departed’s eyes wide open means – Dreaming of nursing a baby means he will take another person with him in deception by a trusted friend or relative. death. – An ascending balloon means frustrations – Friday funerals signal another death in the will occur in life. family. – A clean white bed means freedom from • Drowning problems. – A sailor wearing an earring will not drown. – Birds in dreams bring prosperity. – When a woman drowns, she floats face up. • Good Luck Signs A drowned man floats facing downward. – Keeping a rabbit’s foot inside the pocket • Weddings and marriage – Hanging horseshoes on top of doors – A gold wedding band, when rubbed, – Wearing clothes inside out relieves sty. – Wearing jewelry with the appropriate – To attract luck in married life, the bride birthstone must wear something old (an item linking the bride to her family and her – Beginners are always lucky (beginner’s luck) past), something new (a new item for – Keeping the lock of hair from a baby’s first happiness in her newfound life), something trim borrowed (an item considered as a symbol – Keeping goldfish in the pond of family togetherness), something – Wearing a new outfit on Easter blue(faithfulness within the marriage),and a lucky sixpence in her shoe (a coin inside – Seeing a penny with its head side up shoes for wealth and success). 1. When entering a group of people, Germans greet each one individually with a brief, but firm, handshake. Children are also included in German Greetings the handshaking formality. On leaving the group, a German will usually take the time to 1. Informal Greetings shake each person’s hand again. 2. Formal Greetings 2. Formal greetings are the norm for interactions 3. Business Greetings with older family members and anyone outside of one's family and close friends. It is considered 4. Conversation topics polite to greet older and higher-ranking people 5. Taboos before younger or lower-ranking people. A brief, firm handshake with direct eye contact is the standard formal greeting for both men and women. 3. The use of formal titles and listing of degrees extends to business cards. A typical card will normally include the person’s full name with titles attached, position in the company, degrees earned, and possibly professional associations with which the bearer is affiliated. Exchanging business cards is an important part of German business protocol. 4. Germans do not engage much in small talk, German Greetings preferring in most situations to get down to the Continued… business at hand. When they do take the time to chat, however, conversations tend to be on 1. Informal Greetings public topics rather than private ones. 2. Formal Greetings 5. Not all topics are welcome among Germans. 3. Business Greetings Personal questions about one's salary or the cost 4. Conversation topics of a possession are considered inappropriate 5. Taboos unless among close friends or family. Also, questions about World War II or the Holocaust can be misinterpreted as accusatory. Certain phrases are not only taboo, but illegal. Publicly voicing expressions related to Nazi Germany and the Third Reich, such as Heil Hitler (Hail Hitler), carry prison sentences of up to five years. 1. American men usually greet close female friends and family members with a hug and/or a kiss on the cheek. Women who American Greetings know each other well greet each other this 1. Informal Greetings way too. Men greet other men they are 2. Formal Greetings close to with a firm, short, up and down handshake. Eye contact is made and 3. Business Greetings indicates sincerity. 4. Conversation topics 2. Formal greetings are normally reserved for 5. Taboos official engagements and, at any rate, don’t differ much from informal greetings. A firm handshake and eye contact is à la mode for both men and women. When being introduced by a third party in a formal gathering, Americans will usually stand up. 3. Business greetings are generally formal, but some American businesses, especially on the West Coast, maintain a casual tone even when meeting with business partners. Since the level of formality in business greetings varies widely, Americans take cues from the setting and their host. 4. "Plain speaking" is very much an American American Greetings more, and honesty—without rudeness—is Continued… greatly valued. When Americans ask, "What do you do?" they want to know 1. Informal Greetings about someone’s job and employer— 2. Formal Greetings perfectly acceptable topics of conversation. 3. Business Greetings 5. There aren’t too many taboos to break in 4. Conversation topics the relaxed culture of the United States. In 5. Taboos formal settings such as a school classroom, failing to address someone as Mr. or Mrs. may cause offence, but would not be a serious problem. Light handshakes are generally regarded as a sign of weakness, and failure to make eye contact disrespectful or dishonest. Remaining seated when being introduced to someone in a formal setting is thought to be crass and distasteful. German National Anthem NATIONAL ANTHEMS American National Anthem
Work Cited page
• Alonso, Yolanda, et al. "Value Change And Post-Modernism: A Preliminary Study Of A German Sample." International Journal Of Psychology & Psychological Therapy 13.3 (2013): 77- 287. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. • German Flag www.cia.gov CIA, May 5 2007. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/flagsoftheworld.html • “Map of Germany” http://www.map-of-germany.org/about.htm • The Global Road Warrior. "Germany: Country Snapshot." The Global Road Warrior. World Trade Press. Web. 14 November 2014
• “Beautiful Germany- A Dream Country” Mrinmay Kumer Biswas. Retrieved November 28, 2014.