American Сulture. Жукова Е.Ф. - 14 стр.

talk for a few minutes, and then his neighbor says, “Oh excuse me. I see a friend of
mine on the other side of the room.” Then he leaves. John wonders why he left so
quickly. They were just starting to have an interesting conversation. John decides to
ask the host if he can give him a hand.


Chapter II. Social Relations and Family Life


   Some people, when they first arrive in America, say that Americans are very
friendly, but after living there for a while, they change their minds. One international
student explained that when he first came, people were very friendly. They helped
him get settled, took him shopping, invited him for dinner, and called to see how he
was. After two or three weeks, however, they stopped doing these things, and he was
confused and disappointed.
   Americans tend to do what is necessary to help people when they first arrive.
They “go all out” doing many things to help new arrivals get settled and often make
them feel like part of the family. The newcomers expect this warm hospitality to
continue in the form of a solid friendship. However, Americans expect that once
people are settled and have been there for a few weeks, they will begin to do things
for themselves and become independent.
   Like other aspects of culture, friendship is perceived differently in various parts
of the world. In this chapter, we will discuss friends, neighbors, and acquaintances.
We will talk about how to make friends in America and how to communicate with
them during both troublesome and happy times. As we discuss friendship in the
United States, compare it with friendship as it is experienced in Russia.


1. Friendships Across Cultures
   The word friend in America has a broad meaning, including everyone from a
casual acquaintance to a long-time best friend. The following chart describes some of
these levels of friendship.

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