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Microcosms of American Culture american flag food - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Anecdotal Testimony It is very clear that Americans overuse many goods and services available to them. I think pollution is a good example of how we overuse. We drink beverages out of plastic containers that we know are bad for the Earth, often failing to recycle them. Our tendencies to overuse eventually end up harming us. The pollution in the ocean is causing fish to die. If this issue got serious enough, we would have no fish to eat and our favorite vacation spots would be filled with trash.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule Many Americans are taking precautions to prevent the overuse of goods. This could mean many people on diets to prevent overeating or the people that opt to use reusable items such as grocery bags, water bottles, and straws. There has been a huge push for recyclable items within recent years as we are recognizing this cultural trait and trying to prevent any negative impacts that may follow it.
  - - - Anecdotal Testimony We long to be modernized to the point of using more resources than most of the world without really even noticing. We don't just use resources to build cities and large structures, but we use energy in our everyday lives. Many Americans power their cars and houses solely with fossil fuels. As Americans, we are constantly on the go, using more resources than other countries that have a more laid back, slower pace.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule In places such as Hayesville North Carolina, we do not have the same longing for modernization. Much of our mountainous land is controlled and regulated by the TVA, assuring that it stays in its unbothered, natural state. You will not find large shopping outlets or interstates in Hayesville. The locals residing in Hayesville enjoy the unurbanized, slow pace.
- - - - Anecdotal Testimony When the danes arrive in Hayesville annually, we often notice that they avoid contact with us. This is not them being rude, this is just a cultural difference. As Americans, we normally engage in small talk, even with strangers. In Vasadi's Youtube video, she explains that she found this weird and although we're just trying to be nice, questions such as "what have you done today" or "what are your plans" are a little too personal for her whereas these are perfectly normal questions for us to be asked by someone we don't know.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule It is common among younger and growing children to be rude to each other. This rate has grown since social media usage has increased. Cyberbullying is even an issue in High School as we have recently discovered. It is easier than ever to create a social media account and bully peers because your identity can be essentially hidden.
  - - - Anecdotal Testimony When you look at things such as American meal portions and the sizes of our architecture, it is no wonder travelers find that we "live largely." Often it shocks people that we order a meal and the portion of the meal is large enough to take leftovers home. This says a lot about our obesity problems and our drive to be modernized.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule If you were to go to a small town such as Hayesville, Murphy, or even Franklin, you would see very soon how we differentiate from this "living large" stereotype. Our buildings are often smaller, as we do not need to have as much space due to smaller populations.
- - - - Anecdotal Testimony From a young age, we are taught to be independent. We are taught to learn to pack our bags, turn in our schoolwork without the aid of a teacher, and use our own time to get better at what we love to do. We are sent to a college or the workforce at 18 to test this independence we have learned We depend on being independent because things such as how to write checks, pay bills, and open up a bank account are not taught in school.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule At the end of the day, we all depend on each other. I depend on farmers, truckers, and grocery store employees to purchase and eat food and they all depend on my purchase for a paycheck. We all symbiotically work together to stay alive.
  - - - Anecdotal Testimony Even in young kids playing sports, it is clear that we are taught to be competitive. When applying for colleges this is even more prevalent. Some schools are labeled as prestigious accepting less than 10% of the students that apply. This drives high school students to do well in school, knowing that they are certainly not guaranteed a spot at any college or university.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule Many high school students does not experience this same pressure to be competitive. Some students would rather go straight into the workforce, allowing them some slack in what classes they choose to take. They still work very hard in school, but they don't feel the same pressure to take AP and honors classes to boost their GPAs.
- - - - Anecdotal Testimony Americans love their country. We love to celebrate our Independence. Often times, you see American flags hanging from U.S. citizens houses. I believe that this is a symbol for their love and respect for America.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule In the past few years, our country has had a few outbreaks that cause this patriotism to die out a little bit. One recent example would be the protests that turned into brutal raids. Our country was almost divided in a sense. People were destroying business and U.S. citizens were killed.
  - - - Anecdotal Testimony As America is viewed as a melting pot, we are not afraid to come to a compromise with our cultures. We are willing to change. I think of the south; Traditionally, the south has a background of slavery and racism. There have been songs, books, and movies that are now unable to be purchased due to these issues. This was their culture that they can no longer revisit but due to the circumstances, they don't mind the changes.
      - Anecdotal Exception to the Rule Some Americans however, are less willing to change. This is where our country starts to divide. There are tribes that want our cultural practices to stay the same as we have always known them and some that want to try new things.