CULTURAL COMPARISON 1

Cultural Comparison between Germany and the United States

Shanie (Michelle) Cruz-Perez

Califronia State Unversity Long Beach

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Introduction

Culture has been defined as the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual

achievement regarded collectively (Plough, 2015). In the recent past, the diffusion of cultural

norms has been skyrocketed with the coming of mass media. Based on the continued cultural

spread between various countries, cultural norms may be perceived to be the same in multiple

states of the world. However, several other different cultural practices emerge daily. Thus culture

is dynamic, especially with the current global modernization. In the recent past, the culture

concept has been adopted in the area of public health to help understand what is known and done

by individuals and groups (Plough, 2015). Since culture entails meaning-making that is informed

and constrained by social contexts, it is therefore relational, learned and acquired. Since it is the

third largest country in the world, the United States' culture has been shaped by various nations.

These nations are Native Americans, Africans, Asians and Latin Americans. America as a nation

continues to influence the culture of other nations, the same way its culture has been influenced

by cultural integration facilitated by immigrants (Boeing, 2013). Germany, on the other hand, is

among the most culturally influential European nations. The country’s present culture is

composed of a mixture of generations. These generations are formed of the continued and new

social developments of the mid to late 20th century as well as the old traditions that have existed

over time (Fuller, Vossmeyer & Yong, 2014). Based on the continued cultural diffusion,

therefore, America and Germany exhibit various cultural similarities and differences in multiple

dimensions. This paper thus seeks to compare and contrast these two countries based on different

cultural aspects.
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Language

The United States has no official language according to the American government; while

the official language recognized by the government in Germany is standard German. Almost

every language is widely used in the United States, including English, German, Chinese, Spanish

and French. A significant proportion of the population, however, speaks and uses English in their

daily lives, and as an official language of business. The country is estimated to have over 300

language groups divided and spread all over the country (Kooijman, 2011). On the other hand

standard German is spoken by over 95 percent of the Germany residents and it is regarded as the

official language by the government of that country (Fuller, Vossmeyer & Yong, 2014). The

geographical isolation of United States, however, poses a barrier to language awareness as

compared to other European countries like Germany. The geographic advantage of Germany

concerning other countries makes Germans develop interests and learn languages spoken in

neighboring countries as opposed to Americans which are geographically insulated.

Food

Lunch is the most prominent meal of the day for Germans while Americans consider

dinner as their biggest meal of the day. During lunchtime, a majority of German’s take a large

hot meal that most Americans take for dinner; usually comprising of meat, potatoes and

vegetables. In the evening they take evening bread, commonly called “Abendbrot” which entails

some slices of bread together with meat or sometimes cheese (Heinzelmann, 2008). This

preference is recommended by health practitioners for good reasons. Most of the canteens in

Germany, therefore, consider including hot meals in their menu for lunch. On the contrary,

Americans prefer quick snacks like sandwich during the day and consumer their main meal in
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the evening. Hamburgers, potato chips, hot dogs and meat loafs are among the most famous and

traditional American foods that taken for dinner. However, of late the kind of food consumes in

the United States vary depending on the region. This has been influenced by the different

cultures in various parts of the country. Also, Americans love fast foods such McDonald’s,

Wendy’s, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts (Simons, 2009). These foods are highly discouraged

by health practitioners because of the health complications associated with them. Germans,

however, love taking their time while eating. Some take up to 3 hours. Therefore fast foods

outlets are very few and far away in Germany as opposed to American. Also, water is always

available for free in atypical US restaurant. This is contrary to the German’s culture whereby

water is ordered and paid for, just like food.

Social practices

Sport is a social practice that is embraced both in the American culture and in the

Germany culture. Every specific region of the United States has thousands of fans who love

either basketball, football, baseball or any other sports of their choice. Baseball, which was

developed during British colonization in the United States, is highly loved and cherished by the

majority of Americans as opposed to other sports like football, which is celebrated by many

European countries (Simons, 2009). As far as the German culture is concerned, soccer is the

most popular sport in the country; the same way baseball is popular in America. German is

known to be having one of the most competitive soccer leagues in the whole world. Most of the

Germans love and cherish soccer (Kroslak, 2011). Therefore the sport brings them together in

support of their respective soccer clubs as well as the national team. Currently, Germany has one

of the best successful soccer national teams worldwide. Therefore sport is a social practice that is
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highly embraced by both cultures, even though the preferred game is the difference that comes

out in both countries.

Social Interactions

When it comes to social interactions, Germans are known to be direct especially in a

business setting, while Americans are polite. The politeness of the Americans makes it

challenging to judge someone’s attitude towards something. Therefore it takes time for one to

learn and understand an American person compared to a German one. This is so since Germans

are always direct in their attitude, expressions and reactions towards somebody or something

(Boeing, 2013). In formal presentations, for instance, Germans will be expected to take a

considerable amount of time before saying their main point, therefore providing more details and

information than Americans do. On the other hand, an American will have to ensure that during

any official presentation, the main point is continuously re-stated as it was stated in the

beginning. This will ensure that communication is effective between people of both cultures.

About non-verbal communication, Americans prefer being non-verbally informal while Germans

try to constrain their vocal as well as body language expressions and quality. Germans are

always cautious when it comes to non-verbal communication compared to Americans. The idea

behind their choice is just to control their emotions and to remain in control of whatever they

have to say or express. However, Americans are always vocal non-verbally, and they tend to

show their satisfaction or dissatisfaction in a business setting vocally. Therefore it requires

understanding from each party if communication has to be effective in public interactions and in

preventing misperceptions from people on either side of the cultures.

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Healthcare Perception

The healthcare system in the United States is perceived to be a costly operation compared

to the German system which is relatively cheaper. Countries like Germany that have

governments and economies similar to the United States have put mechanisms in place to ensure

that everybody receives proper healthcare. Americans, on the other hand, pay more on healthcare

with fewer people covered selectively as compared to Germany, despite paying higher premiums

for the same (Boeing, 2013). Despite paying higher taxes, American healthcare system is

characterized by endless waiting lines as well as rationed care. In Germany, very little tax money

is channeled into the system. Germany health benefits are numerous, for instance, there are

minimum waiting lines, fewer premiums paid while everybody is appropriately covered, hence

one of the best systems in the world. The system has generous benefits in that there are no

deductibles before the coverage begins and all the Germans are covered the same as compared to

our system whereby there is selective coverage. Also, Americans have shorter life expectancy

compared to other European countries like Germany. The United States is ranked 36th regarding

life expectancy, compared to Germany which is ranked 12th (Boeing, 2013).Even without

insurance; medicine in Germany is relatively cheaper compared to the United States, the same

thing with the cost of visiting a doctor in the hospital.

Religion

Both the United States culture and the German culture recognize religion. However in the

United States, there is religious freedom and the country is known to embrace nearly every world

religion, which is contrary to Germany where many people tend to be irreligious. Majority of

people in the United States (80 %) are associated with Christianity.10 %, however, claim to be
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atheistic while 2% are aligned to Judaism. There are also 1% of the American populations who

are Muslims (Kooijman, 2011). In Germany, however, the Germans consider some of the faiths

embraced in the United States like evangelical to be “cults”. They fail to understand the idea

behind the religious freedom adopted in the American culture. The few German’s who associate

themselves with religion are either Roman Catholic or Lutheran (Kroslak, 2011). Muslims also

exist there even though in particular places and their number is still insignificant. Therefore both

cultures embrace faith, but in Germany, it is yet to be adopted as it has been done in the United

States.

Conclusion

As presented above, therefore, the German’s culture is vastly different from the culture

exhibited in the United States. However, both cultures still share some similarities. This research

paper has therefore compared the differences in the two countries based on various cultural

dimensions. In the United States, for instance, there is no official language since while standard

German is the official language of Germans. While lunch is the main meal of the Germans, the

American culture recognizes dinner as the main meal of the day. It is also clear that most

Americans like fast foods like Hamburger, as compared to Germans who prefer a heavy meal.

Sport has also come out clear as a social activity celebrated in both countries, with distinct

differences regarding sports preference. The paper has also examined the healthcare system in

both countries as well as its perceptual comparison. It is therefore clear that the healthcare

system in the United States is costly compared to the one in Germany. The policy in the United

States is discriminatory and rationed, thus not efficient to the Americans. However, the Germany

healthcare system has been found to be reliable and caters for the welfare of the ordinary citizen.

Also, Americans have been found to exhibit politeness as opposed to Germans who are relatively
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direct about social interactions. Finally, the paper has examined the religion of both countries

and determined that both cultures embrace it, even though most German’s still prefer to be

irreligious. Therefore for practical public communication in both countries, it is advisable for one

to understand their various cultures to avoid miscommunication. Cooperation and

comprehension can prove tricky between people of the two cultures that exhibit varying

perceptions, customs and expectations. Effective international health programs can, therefore, be

realized if public health practitioners understand and respect the culture of the country in

question.
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References

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Fuller, B., Vossmeyer, G., & Yong, J. (2014). Germany. New York: Cavendish Square.

Heinzelmann, U. (2008). Food culture in Germany. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.

Kooijman, J. (2011). Americans We Never Were: Teaching American Popular Culture in the

Netherlands. The Journal Of American Culture, 34(1), 16-25.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-734x.2011.00760.x

Kroslak, D. (2011). The Cultural Defense in Germany. SSRN Electronic Journal.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1941334

Plough, A. (2015). Building a Culture of Health: A Critical Role for Public Health Services and

Systems Research. American Journal Of Public Health, 105(S2), S150-S152.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2014.302410

Simons, W. (2009). Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and the American Culture, 2007-2008.

Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co.