Introduction
What is normal? What someone interprets as norm depends on a person’s background and social expectations. These social expectations, or social norms, vary from group to group, state to state, and country to country. They act as the building blocks of culture. Social norms manifest themselves through time, vary from informal to highly consequential, and occur similarly and contrastingly in American and German cultures.
Why Is It Important to Recognize and Acknowledge Social Norms? A collection of social norms creates culture. #$#%#$%# the “enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next” (Myers). While people unfamiliar with a culture may dismiss the norms present, they need to remember that “the very existence of a social norm depends on a sufficient number of people believing that it exists” (Bicchieri). In cross-cultural situations, the same action can have completely different meanings, depending on cultural context (Cartet). For example, in America, head nodding represents acknowledgement, but not always agreement, while in other countries it always signals agreement. [CONCLUSION SENTENCE]
What Are Social Norms and How Do They Form?
While social norms build culture, “a system of
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Germans typically refer to each other using formal titles, such as Herr or Frau and Doktor or Professor until invited to do otherwise (“A Guide to German Etiquette”). In America however, the exchange of first names occurs much sooner. (USA- Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette). Americans and Germans also place different values on privacy. Germans value privacy much more than Americans. Germans often keep doors closed, because they believe that open doors portray disorder and rushing (“A Guide to German Etiquette”). Americans usually have more of an open door policy. Cultural norms often vary between