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Stereotypes of Americans

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 13 min

Anti-American street art, depicting Uncle Sam, with anti-imperialist slogan ('out with imperialism')

Stereotypes of American people are the popularly held generalizations of Americans and American culture.[1]

These stereotypes can be found across cultures in television, literature, art and public opinion.[2][3][4][5] Not all of the stereotypes are equally popular, nor are they all restricted to Americans; and although most can be considered negative, a few assign neutral, positive or admiring qualities to the stereotypical American citizen.[6] Many of the ethnic stereotypes collide with otherwise unrelated political anti-Americanism.[7][8]

Stereotypes with positive use

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Trait Description
Generosity According to American William Bennett, a positive stereotype of Americans is that they are very generous. The United States sends aid and supplies to many countries, and Americans may be seen as people who are charitable or volunteer.[9] Alexis de Tocqueville first noted in 1835 the American attitude towards helping others in need. A 2010 Charities Aid Foundation study found that Americans were the fifth most willing to donate time and money in the world at 55%.[10] Total charitable contributions in 2010 were higher in the US than in any other country.[11]
Optimism Americans may be seen as very positive and optimistic people.[12][13][14] Optimism is seen as the driving force behind achievement of the American Dream.
Hardworking nature Americans may be stereotyped as hardworking people, whether in their jobs or other matters.[8][15]
Frontier mentality Traits such as engaging in risky exploration to secure food and territory favored early Americans, as well as the willingness to move one's life in pursuit of goals such as personal freedom and economic affluence. These traits may have distilled over time into an individualism characterized by toughness and self-reliance.[16][17] The frontier mentality is reflected in the American voyages of exploration and the U.S. space program.
Friendliness Americans have been seen as friendly, talkative and open to conversation.[18]

Stereotypes with negative use

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Trait Description Notes
Obsession with guns The United States has a historical fondness for guns, and this is often portrayed in American media. A considerable percentage of Americans own firearms, and the United States has some of the developed world's highest death rates caused by firearms.[2][19][20][21] A 2018 article attributed the high death rates to mass shootings or inner city violence, but the murder rate in America was then on a decline, and it appeared that suicide by firearm is a large contributor to the "gun-deaths" statistic.[22] The international media often report American mass shootings, making these incidents well known internationally despite the fact that these kind of killings account for an extremely small portion of the firearms death rate.[23][24][25][26] In 2007, the United States was ranked number one in gun ownership with a rate of 88.8 guns per 100 residents.[27] In 2017, the United States again ranked number one in gun ownership with a rate of 120.5 guns per 100 citizens.[28]
Materialism, over-consumption, and extreme capitalism A common stereotype of Americans is that of economic materialism and capitalism.[citation needed] They may be seen as caring most about money, judging all things by their economic value, and scorning those of lower socioeconomic status,[2][7] despite the fact that, as noted above, Americans are also highly charitable by global standards.[29] Total charitable contributions in 2010 were higher in the United States than in any other country.[11]
Lack of cultural awareness Americans may be stereotyped as ignorant of countries and cultures beyond their own.[7][30] This stereotype shows them as lacking intellectual curiosity, thus making them ignorant of other cultures, places, or lifestyles outside of the United States.[3] The stereotype of a decline in cultural awareness among American students is attributed by some critics to the ostensible declining standards of American schools and curricula.[31]
Racism and racialism Racism had a significant presence in American history throughout the 18th, 19th, and early to mid 20th centuries. However, following the emancipation of Black slaves after the American Civil War and the civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s, Americans of all races achieved the same freedoms and legal protections as the white-majority population, and discrimination against people of minority races due to their race is now illegal - though examples of racial discrimination do continue into the present, they are statistically rare. In a 2017 survey, 58% of Americans are concerned about structural racism.[32][citation needed]
Environmental ignorance Americans may be seen as reckless and imprudent regarding the preservation of the environment. They may be portrayed as lavish, driving high polluting SUVs and unconcerned about climate change or global warming.[citation needed] The United States (whose population is 327 million) has the second-highest carbon dioxide emissions after China (whose population is 1.4 billion),[33] is one of the few countries which did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and one of three countries to refuse to participate in the Paris Agreement.[34][35][36][37] In the context of stereotyping, it is perhaps more relevant to look at CO2 production per capita; the USA compares favorably with oil-producing nations in the Middle East, with Qatar at 40.3 metric tons per capita versus the United States' 17.6 metric tons per capita, though they are behind most European countries. Germany, for instance, emits only 9.1 metric tons per capita.[38] However, the United States has reduced their energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 12% from 2005 to 2018 while, in the same time period, the world's energy-related emissions have increased by 24%.[39]
Arrogance and nationalism Americans are often stereotyped as arrogant. They are frequently depicted in foreign media as excessively nationalistic and obnoxiously patriotic, believing the United States is better than all other countries and patronizing foreigners.[7][40] Americans may be seen by people of other countries as arrogant and egomaniacal.[41][42] In 2009, then-U.S. president Barack Obama said that the United States has "shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive" towards its allies.[20][43] See also: Americentrism, Ugly American (pejorative), and Global arrogance
Workaholic culture While the stereotype of hard-working Americans is often a positive one, the United States has also been criticized in recent years as a workaholic culture.[44][45][46] In The Huffington Post, Tijana Milosevic, a Serbian who had traveled to Washington, D.C. for a degree, wrote, "In fact my family and friends had observed that I shouldn’t have chosen America, since I would probably feel better in Western Europe — where life is not as fast paced as in the US and capitalism still has a 'human face.'" She noted that "Americans still work nine full weeks (350 hours) longer than West Europeans do and paid vacation days across Western Europe are well above the US threshold."[47] Researchers at Oxford Economics hired by the US Travel Association estimated that in 2014 "about 169m [vacation] days, equivalent to $52.4bn in lost benefits", went unused by American workers.[48] Professor Gary L. Cooper argued Americans "have a great deal to learn from Europeans about getting better balance between work and life" and wrote:[45]

The notion that working long hours and not taking holidays makes for a more productive workforce is, in my view, a managerial myth, with no foundation in organizational or psychological science. The human body is a biological machine, and like all machines can wear out. In addition, if employees don't invest personal disposal time in their relationships outside, with their family, loved ones and friends, they will be undermining the very social support systems they may need in difficult and stressful times
Obesity A very common stereotype of Americans, attested across the globe, is that they are overweight or obese.[49][50][51] The "fat American" trope usually goes hand-in-hand with stereotypes of consumerism, but geopolitically, it has also been associated with expansionism and cultural imperialism.[52] In 2017, a study found that overweight Asians were more likely to be seen as "American" than non-overweight Asians, though the same was not true for other ethnicities.[53] See also: Obesity in the United States
Driving habits Americans are seen to be over-reliant on personal automobiles, while neglecting other forms of transport such as biking or public transport.[54] They are also seen to be easily confused by roundabouts.[55][56]


See also

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References

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  1. ^ Battle, Dolores E. (January 1, 2012), Battle, Dolores E. (ed.), "Chapter 1 - Communication disorders in a multicultural and global society", Communication Disorders in Multicultural and International Populations (Fourth Edition), Saint Louis: Mosby, pp. 1–19, ISBN 978-0-323-06699-0, retrieved January 25, 2025
  2. ^ a b c American TV and Social Stereotypes of Americans in Thailand by Kultida Suarchavarat, Texas Tech University, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, September 1988 65: 648-654
  3. ^ a b Students face US stereotypes abroad by Liz Wojnar - The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University, October 21, 2008
  4. ^ Cultural Stereotypes About Americans University of Tampere, A FAST-US-7 United States Popular Culture Reference File, Department of Translation Studies, April 27, 2010
  5. ^ "eduPASS - Cultural Differences - Stereotypes". www.edupass.org.
  6. ^ Todd D. Nelson, ed. (February 2009). The unbearable accuracy of stereotypes in Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-8058-5952-2.
  7. ^ a b c d Confronting stereotypes of culture: American Stereotypes, Mathilde Dodson, University of Washington Tacoma, The Ledger, November 21, 2005; Accessed: 18.07.2012
  8. ^ a b Cultural Stereotypes by Lupita Fabregas - Oklahoma State University, The Newsline, February 2012
  9. ^ America the generous, CNN, By William J. Bennett, December 15, 2011
  10. ^ Crary, David (September 9, 2010). "Study finds Americans in generous mood". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. pp. 1A.
  11. ^ a b Goldberg, Eleanor (December 19, 2011). "SLIDESHOW: Which Country Is The Most Charitable On Earth?". Huffington Post.
  12. ^ The American-Western European Values Gap, 2 Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes Project
  13. ^ Americans' Optimism About Financial Future by Frank Newport, Gallup Poll
  14. ^ "Pervasive Gloom About the World Economy". July 12, 2012.
  15. ^ Students face US stereotypes abroad by Liz Wojnar - The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University, October 21, 2008
  16. ^ "'Wild West' mentality lingers in modern populations of US mountain regions". phys.org. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  17. ^ "Frederick Jackson Turner: The Significance of the Frontier in American History (1893)". wwnorton.com. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  18. ^ "Busted: 6 British stereotypes about Americans". Matador Network. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  19. ^ "The Seventh United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998 - 2000), data (PDF)". United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Retrieved November 8, 2006.
  20. ^ a b The American-Western European Values Gap, Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes Project
  21. ^ "Why do Americans love their guns?" Al Jazeera
  22. ^ Weiss, Haley (December 21, 2018). "The Disturbing Trend Behind America's Soaring Gun Deaths". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  23. ^ Batman cinema screening shooting: a history of mass shootings in the US since Columbine The Telegraph, July 20, 2012
  24. ^ Schütze installierte in seiner Wohnung Sprengstofffallen Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 20-07-2012
  25. ^ Internacional - Polícia americana tenta desarmar explosivos em casa de atirador Jornal do Brasil, July 20, 2012
  26. ^ Fusillade meurtrière à Aurora : «Les tirs partaient sans arrêt» Libération, Monde, 20 juillet 2012
  27. ^ "List of countries by gun ownership", Knowledge Encyclopedia
  28. ^ Karp, Aaron (June 2018). "Estimating Global Civilian-Held Firearms Numbers" (PDF). Small Arms Survey (Briefing Paper). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2018.
  29. ^ "GROSS DOMESTIC PHILANTHROPY: An international analysis of GDP, tax and giving" (PDF). Charities Aid Foundation. January 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  30. ^ Fergie, Dexter (March 24, 2022). "How American Culture Ate the World". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  31. ^ Sykes, Charles J. (September 15, 1996). Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-14823-2.
  32. ^ "More now see racism as major problem, especially Democrats". Pew Research Center. August 29, 2017. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  33. ^ Countries of the World, 2012-2014 estimated population values. World Atlas. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  34. ^ Gillies, Rob (December 12, 2011). "Canada formally pulls out of Kyoto Protocol on climate change". StarTribune. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015.
  35. ^ "China now no. 1 in CO2 emissions; USA in second position". pbl.nl (Press release). Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. June 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  36. ^ United Nations Statistics Division, Millennium Development Goals indicators: Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), thousand metric tonnes of CO2 (collected by CDIAC)
  37. ^ "The environmentally unconscious one; or, Why I love America - Viewpoint - The Observer - University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College".
  38. ^ CO2 emissions per capita 2010. World Bank. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  39. ^ "Latest Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Shows Long-Term Reductions, with Annual Variation". April 13, 2020.
  40. ^ Clark, Jayne (2006). That 'ugly American' image is getting a makeover guide. USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
  41. ^ The End of Arrogance by Spiegel Staff, Der Spiegel Online International
  42. ^ America, the Arrogant? by Jonathan Merritt, June 23, 2012, Relevant Magazine
  43. ^ Harnden, Toby (April 3, 2009). "President Barack Obama: America has been 'arrogant and dismissive' towards Europe". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  44. ^ Handley, Meg (April 19, 2012). "Is America's Workaholic Culture Padding Corporate Profits?". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  45. ^ a b Cooper, Gary L. (May 25, 2011). "America can learn from Europe on work-life balance". CNN. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  46. ^ Reaney, Patricia (July 7, 2015). "'Americans are definitely workaholics'". Reuters. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  47. ^ Milosevic, Tijana (January 8, 2011). "Workaholism in America: A European's Perspective". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  48. ^ Kasperkevic, Jana (September 7, 2015). "Why is America so afraid to take a vacation?". The Guardian. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  49. ^ Cooper, Charlotte (2009). "39. Maybe It Should Be Called Fat American Studies". In Rothblum, Esther; Solovay, Sondra (eds.). The Fat Studies Reader. New York University Press. pp. 327–333. doi:10.18574/nyu/9780814777435.003.0044.
  50. ^ Nguyen, Hanh Thi; Kellogg, Guy (Spring 2010). "I Had a Stereotype That American Were Fat": Becoming a Speaker of Culture in a Second Language". The Modern Language Journal. 94 (1): 56–73. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2009.00983.x.
  51. ^ Forth, Christopher E. (2018). "France and the fattened American: animality, consumption and the logic of gavage". Food, Culture & Society. 21 (3): 350–366. doi:10.1080/15528014.2018.1451041.
  52. ^ Forth, Christopher E. (2020). "The Fat Imaginary in Trump's America: Matter, Metaphor, and Animality". Cultural Politics. 16 (3): 287–407. doi:10.1215/17432197-8593578.
  53. ^ Handron, C.; Kirby, T. A.; Wang, J.; Matskewich, H. E.; Cheryan, S. (2017). "Unexpected Gains: Being Overweight Buffers Asian Americans From Prejudice Against Foreigners". Psychological Science. 28 (9): 1214–1227. doi:10.1177/0956797617720912.
  54. ^ Adam Gabbatt (March 13, 2022). "'I can't move my car': Americans struggle as vehicle expenses rise". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  55. ^ Julia Willing (August 4, 2021). "Americans Finally Found Out About Roundabouts And Of Course They Don't Know How To Use Them". BuzzFeed. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  56. ^ John Metcalfe (March 10, 2016). "Why Does America Hate Roundabouts?". Bloomberg News. Retrieved August 10, 2022.

Further reading

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  • Pells, Richard. Not like Us: How Europeans Have Loved, Hated and Transformed American Culture since World War II (1997) online
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