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CHAPTER TWO

Unit 1

AMERICAN SOCIETY

CULTURAL POINTS

Americans are generally very polite. You'll often hear "please,”
"thank you," and "excuse me." However, they tend not to apolo-
gize as much as people seem to do in other countries, and they like
positive statements better than negative ones: "The weather's nice
today" rather than "The weather's not bad today." "Sir" and
"Ma'am" are commonly used when speaking to strangers.
Americans try to be direct and honest when dealing with oth-
ers. They are also open and friendly, even if they do not intend to
start a friendship with someone.

CLASSLESS SOCIETY

The United States society is not truly classless, but don't tell an
American that. It's true that it does not have the same centuries-old
class divisions that exist in many other countries. Instead, it has a
remarkably mobile society that rewards and admires anyone who
is able to succeed, especially if success involves making a lot of
money.
While there is a long-established class of white people of
Anglo-Saxon origin, or WASPs, who have traditionally held
wealth and power in the country, there are equally rich and
powerful people from other ethnic backgrounds. There is a more
marked division between blue- and white-collar workers, which
extends into most areas of people's lives, from where they live to
what they do in their spare time. Some activities, such as bowling
and playing pool, are seen as blue-collar, and other ones, such as
golfing and going to the opera, are seen as white-collar.
It is generally money rather than family background that marks
the difference in classes in the U.S., except for a fairly small social
circle in the Northeast.