Expectations about Cultural Differences between Germany and the United States

While there are a great many similarities between cultures around the world, the differences are usually the most easily recognizable. How people present themselves, address one another, interact with authority, and carry on their daily lives provide a unique window into a culture that only first-hand experience may give. It is one thing to read of a nation in a textbook. It is entirely another matter to go out and live it.

Detail: Personal Expression in Berlin

There is little doubt that every individual hopes to express him- or herself as he or she pleases, but the manner of expression varies greatly across borders. In the United States, differentiation is most often produced through variations of color in the clothes and styles a person wears. Brighter colors tend to be worn by enthusiastic, exuberant people, while more muted colors are worn by the more reserved. In Berlin, it seems that expression comes from the type of fabric worn. Warm and friendly people wear more cotton and wool. Light-hearted and spirited people wear linen, while the “brooding intellectuals” and the “culturally misunderstood” wear leather and heavy fabrics. This differentiation between the two cultures likely comes from the nature of society. Berlin is very industrious, with industry and factories dominating the market. This naturally lends itself to a more monochrome color palette of slate and grey. Pops of color tend to be expressed with the hair. In Miami, color is everywhere. The laid-back and tropical atmosphere lends itself to a more vivacious color scheme.

Discussion

The photo captured below is from a billboard beneath the Inn-Berlin, a hostel on the outskirts of the city. The image of the advertisement (rather than the language) is what prompted its position here.

In the United States, homosexuality in advertising is still generally taboo. There are a few markets more readily accepting, but for the most part, these ads appear only in select channels. To see this ad placed in a hostel accommodating travelers from around the globe, and located within a residential neighborhood, seems outlandish in American standards. There is even a church across the street. What this tells us is that Berliners embrace diversity and new ideas with more alacrity than their American counterparts. That is not surprising coming from a country that gave birth to the Protestant Reformation₁ and a city with the third-largest gay population in the world₂.

When communicating across multiple cultures, it is important to be mindful of differences in tradition and mindset. With such an interconnected world, even ads for local businesses may be disseminated across continents.

Highlights:

-While color differentiates people in America, Berliners choose fabric and texture to express individuality.

-Homosexuality in advertisements is still in its infancy, and particular care must be made when placing the ads in different media.

-Local communication can go global with just a click of a mouse and an Internet connection.

₁http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture3c.html

₂http://www.berlin-life.com/berlin/gay