Unit 21
Features of American Campus Life (II)
-- Limited Role of Gifts
Americans give gifts mainly to relatives and close friends. Sometimes they give gifts to people with whom they have casual but friendly relationship, such as hosts or hostesses. Gifts are not usually given to teachers or others who hold an official position. Offering gifts in these situations is sometimes interpreted as an effort, possibly improper, to gain favorable treatment from that person. However, if a gift is given in an appropriate manner, Americans usually accept them graciously.
Christmas is the only national gift-giving day, when most Americans give gifts. Otherwise, gifts are given on occasions that are special to the recipient -- birthdays, graduation from high school or college, weddings, and child-births. Gifts are sometimes given when someone has a new house or is moving away. Americans give cards rather than gifts to acquaintances who are not close friends. This is especially true at Christmas, when people commonly send cards to their acquaintances and business or school colleagues.
Americans generally try to select a gift that the giver knows or supposes the recipient needs, wants, or would enjoy. The amount of money spent on the gift is something the giver can afford. Generally, people on limited budgets are not expected to spend large amounts on gifts.
Americans will unwrap a gift in the presence of the giver, and will normally express strong appreciation for it. This is considered polite. Obviously, many of these practices differ from typical Chinese practices. Chinese students will want bo be aware of these American customs, and, in particular, to be cautious about giving gifts to people in official positions.
-- Role of Alcohol
The quantity of "drinking" and drunkenness on American campuses is a major concern of educators and health officials. Among undergraduates, particularly younger ones, drinking with the aim of getting drunk is often a key component of social life. This is truer of males than of females, but females are not excluded. Police are kept busy during the early-morning hours when bars close, as students under the influence of alcohol leave te bars and sometimes engage in fighting or other destructive activities. Students from other countries generally seem far less interested in drinking, at least in public places. This sets up a significant barrier to socializing between American and foreign students.
-- Stratification
Whenever a large group of people occupy a particular space over a period of time, they tend to associate more with those who resemble themselves. On an American campus, one can find evidence of groupings based on several points similarity, such as age, place of origin, gender, field of study, socio-economic status, religion, interests and race. |