Differences Between South Africa And American Culture
Page 1 South Africa and America Culture
South Africa and American Culture
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
August 2, 2010
Page 2 South Africa and America culture
South Africa and America culture
South Africa is one of the most multicultural counties in the world it is referred as the rainbow nation due to the different ethnic groups that make up the population. Immigration has brought in white, European, Indians, Indo-Malays, and Chinese are just to name a few. South Africa has eleven different languages including the English language which is spoken throughout the country. The population of South Africa is 42,718,530. They also maintain a Republic government system. Family is the most important to the society of South Africa and it includes the nuclear family and the tribe. Their tribe is considered their community, which will provide emotional and finical support for the families. In South Africa, women of all ages including, mothers, grandmothers, and sisters, will aide with the care of an infant, it is common to see the African women carry her baby wrapped in a blanket tied to her back. (South Africa www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-africa-country-profile.html …show more content…
The role of a woman in Africa is considered to be very valuable according to African Proverbs because they bear children providing human life. A woman who cannot bear a child is said to have a life of misfortune. Another Proverbs states that a wife cannot be given to the best friends of her husband. A woman in South Africa cannot be killed because she is the mother of life and to kill women is to kill a child. A woman is to be treated with respect not as if she were a slave. Some will say that even god created woman first, and finally a women who is not married has no primary role in society. A woman who has a family and is married is guaranteed to be taken care of when she old, but a woman who loses her child in the event of death is excused for losing her role in society. (The role of African Women, www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/atr-women.htm)The male is seemly different versus the women role in the aspects of marriage. The male is said to be made finical stable before he is to be married. He has to be able to support a family and is consider to be the main provider for his family where as in the role of a woman
Page 3 South Africa and America Culture
they are destine to be married and is expected of themhttp://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/MA-Fathers_Adol_Men.pdf). African religion is a more complex behavior; the African people believe that there is a higher power that whom presides over daily life and elements of the environment. (http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm) This god is worshiped through small sacrifices and ceremonies. The African people also believe a evil deity brings illness and misfortune to earth because of this dualism between good and evil. Some Africans belief systems maintain that a person should never attempt to communicate with the beneficent deity, for fear of provoking his evil counterpart, and some believe that spiritual beings simply ignore humanity most of the time. (http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm) On the opposite side of the world there is a completely different aspect of society and how men and woman live their lives in the means of culture. The United States of America is the fourth largest country it contains fifty states and one federal government. The population of US is 280 million according to the 2000 census. English is primary language of Americans. The American flag is one of the most profound symbols that represent the American culture. It stands for freedom of this great country with fifty stars that show contribution to the fifty states and the strips the show respect to the first thirteen original colonies. (www.everycluture.com) The gender roles of the American culture are much different than those of the African culture, women of the American culture will work outside the home and aide in the finical support of the family and at the same time still maintain the primary role of raising the children. Women are said to live the “double day” of returning to home to do the domestic chores. Women are paid seventy cents to every dollar for a comparable in America. Women are more likely to take a middle management position in the work force due to the fact that they spend more time raising their children and do not spend the amount of time men do developing the skills to have a higher class paying job. Marriage for the American culture is in legal terms and is commonly preformed churches, with the right to marry whom he or she wishes where as in Africa some marriages are said to be arranged. They also receive the right to divorce. It is not uncommon to see single parents of a one income home raising and providing for their children. In some states same sex relationship marriages. . (www.everycluture.com)
Infant care in the American culture varies between classes in society; wealthy families may hire a nanny to care for the young while they tend to duties of a working society. Other may depend on a family member such as a grandmother or a aunt to care for their child.
Page 4 South Africa and America Culture A religion belief of the American culture is primarily Christian, with the right to freedom of religion there is a diverse selection of religions to practice in this culture setting of America. You may have several different religion beliefs in one city or town containing some beliefs in the Baptist belief or other with the preference of practicing Lutheran or even Presbyterian. The United States has one of the most advanced industrial economies and is the largest in the world, this more than meets the its own economic needs in regards to world finance. Some of the important manufacturing industries include; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, chemicals, electronics, and food. ( www.everycluture.com) Even though these two diverse cultures are worlds apart they seem to share some of the same social means to a society.
A women is a nurturer, who provides medical attention if need and cooks a health meal and loves her family and supports her husband where as the male would be the so called “bread winner” of the family whom provides the most finically for his family. And both cultures believe in a higher power to help with the guidance in life and that is to be respected in both cultures. One of the biggest difference in these the cultures is the means of money, the American cultures is much richer than the culture of South Africa in some parts the rely on their natural habitat to provide them with everything they would need in order to
survive.
Reference:
Retrieved July 30 from www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-africa-country-profile.html
Retrived July 30 from www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/atr-women.htm
Retrived August 2, 2010 from http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/MA-Fathers_Adol_Men.pdf).
Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/MA-Fathers_Adol_Men.pdf).
Retrieved August 2, 2010 http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm Retrieved August 2, 2010 from www.everycluture.com)
South Africa and American Culture
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
August 2, 2010
Page 2 South Africa and America culture
South Africa and America culture
South Africa is one of the most multicultural counties in the world it is referred as the rainbow nation due to the different ethnic groups that make up the population. Immigration has brought in white, European, Indians, Indo-Malays, and Chinese are just to name a few. South Africa has eleven different languages including the English language which is spoken throughout the country. The population of South Africa is 42,718,530. They also maintain a Republic government system. Family is the most important to the society of South Africa and it includes the nuclear family and the tribe. Their tribe is considered their community, which will provide emotional and finical support for the families. In South Africa, women of all ages including, mothers, grandmothers, and sisters, will aide with the care of an infant, it is common to see the African women carry her baby wrapped in a blanket tied to her back. (South Africa www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-africa-country-profile.html …show more content…
The role of a woman in Africa is considered to be very valuable according to African Proverbs because they bear children providing human life. A woman who cannot bear a child is said to have a life of misfortune. Another Proverbs states that a wife cannot be given to the best friends of her husband. A woman in South Africa cannot be killed because she is the mother of life and to kill women is to kill a child. A woman is to be treated with respect not as if she were a slave. Some will say that even god created woman first, and finally a women who is not married has no primary role in society. A woman who has a family and is married is guaranteed to be taken care of when she old, but a woman who loses her child in the event of death is excused for losing her role in society. (The role of African Women, www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/atr-women.htm)The male is seemly different versus the women role in the aspects of marriage. The male is said to be made finical stable before he is to be married. He has to be able to support a family and is consider to be the main provider for his family where as in the role of a woman
Page 3 South Africa and America Culture
they are destine to be married and is expected of themhttp://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/MA-Fathers_Adol_Men.pdf). African religion is a more complex behavior; the African people believe that there is a higher power that whom presides over daily life and elements of the environment. (http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm) This god is worshiped through small sacrifices and ceremonies. The African people also believe a evil deity brings illness and misfortune to earth because of this dualism between good and evil. Some Africans belief systems maintain that a person should never attempt to communicate with the beneficent deity, for fear of provoking his evil counterpart, and some believe that spiritual beings simply ignore humanity most of the time. (http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm) On the opposite side of the world there is a completely different aspect of society and how men and woman live their lives in the means of culture. The United States of America is the fourth largest country it contains fifty states and one federal government. The population of US is 280 million according to the 2000 census. English is primary language of Americans. The American flag is one of the most profound symbols that represent the American culture. It stands for freedom of this great country with fifty stars that show contribution to the fifty states and the strips the show respect to the first thirteen original colonies. (www.everycluture.com) The gender roles of the American culture are much different than those of the African culture, women of the American culture will work outside the home and aide in the finical support of the family and at the same time still maintain the primary role of raising the children. Women are said to live the “double day” of returning to home to do the domestic chores. Women are paid seventy cents to every dollar for a comparable in America. Women are more likely to take a middle management position in the work force due to the fact that they spend more time raising their children and do not spend the amount of time men do developing the skills to have a higher class paying job. Marriage for the American culture is in legal terms and is commonly preformed churches, with the right to marry whom he or she wishes where as in Africa some marriages are said to be arranged. They also receive the right to divorce. It is not uncommon to see single parents of a one income home raising and providing for their children. In some states same sex relationship marriages. . (www.everycluture.com)
Infant care in the American culture varies between classes in society; wealthy families may hire a nanny to care for the young while they tend to duties of a working society. Other may depend on a family member such as a grandmother or a aunt to care for their child.
Page 4 South Africa and America Culture A religion belief of the American culture is primarily Christian, with the right to freedom of religion there is a diverse selection of religions to practice in this culture setting of America. You may have several different religion beliefs in one city or town containing some beliefs in the Baptist belief or other with the preference of practicing Lutheran or even Presbyterian. The United States has one of the most advanced industrial economies and is the largest in the world, this more than meets the its own economic needs in regards to world finance. Some of the important manufacturing industries include; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, chemicals, electronics, and food. ( www.everycluture.com) Even though these two diverse cultures are worlds apart they seem to share some of the same social means to a society.
A women is a nurturer, who provides medical attention if need and cooks a health meal and loves her family and supports her husband where as the male would be the so called “bread winner” of the family whom provides the most finically for his family. And both cultures believe in a higher power to help with the guidance in life and that is to be respected in both cultures. One of the biggest difference in these the cultures is the means of money, the American cultures is much richer than the culture of South Africa in some parts the rely on their natural habitat to provide them with everything they would need in order to
survive.
Reference:
Retrieved July 30 from www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-africa-country-profile.html
Retrived July 30 from www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/atr-women.htm
Retrived August 2, 2010 from http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/MA-Fathers_Adol_Men.pdf).
Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/MA-Fathers_Adol_Men.pdf).
Retrieved August 2, 2010 http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/52.htm Retrieved August 2, 2010 from www.everycluture.com)