Good Example Of African Culture Versus American Culture Essay

The continents of Africa and America are nearly opposite of one another in location. Each continent contains several countries within the space of the landmass. The focus of the paper is to compare and contrast life on the two continents that are extremely significant to the world. The purpose of the assignment is to better understand how cultures can be so different yet share similarities as citizens of the same species on the planet.
The first important fact to state about the two continents is that each contains different countries within each continent. Africa has fifty-three countries; however, America is split into two segments- North America and South America, which each have countries as well. This is one of the differences in terms of the actual geographical distinction between Africa and America.
As the attention on the topic moves toward the cultures of Africa and America, it is important to note that there are similarities on a macro-level that most individuals do not consider when comparing the two cultures. The countries that the focus will be on are Uganda and the United States. Not many people would imagine that there would be many similarities between the two countries because of the immediate image that each country conjures in one’s mind as we hear the name of each country. African culture immediately brings forth the stereotypical idea of colorful clothing, highly exotic visions of safaris, tribes living off the land speaking in languages that are unique and intriguing. The impression one may have of the American culture is of an industrialized nation full of large buildings and a somewhat greedy, arrogant melting pot of people obsessed with themselves. However, despite these generalized views there are specific aspects of each culture that warrant a more intricate look at actual similarities of each culture that most would not notice without examination.

Similarities of the Cultures

There are some similarities between the two countries that worth mentioning that many people may be unaware of. Language is an aspect of both cultures that has extreme differences but also a similarity in the use of English as a widely used language, and one of the primary languages in both countries. In Uganda there is are many more native languages, which is not the case in the U.S. Spanish is becoming more common in the U.S. but the national language still remains English. The religion most commonly practiced in both countries is Christianity. The fact that Christianity is the most popular religion in America is not very surprising, but not many people would think that Uganda has more individuals who practice Christianity. A surprising similarity between the two cultures is their obsessive consumerism. Once again when one imagines the American culture, it is not shocking to think of all the shopping and consumption of goods and services that are normal to the American people. However, not many people are aware that the people of Uganda are also heavily focused on the purchases of goods and services as a part of their past-time and something they enjoy doing. Oddly enough both countries are equally wasteful in their excessive purchasing power.

Cultural Differences

Now that the similarities have been pointed out, the next portion of the paper will review the differences between the cultures of Uganda and the United States. The position of women is extremely different in Uganda versus the U.S. In Uganda women are still expected to be subservient to the men and the lack of equality is not shunned at is in America. In the United States it is not acceptable to openly insult a woman or discuss abusing a woman, whereas this is common practice in Uganda. The way that men and women behave with one another is also extremely different in the cultures. In Uganda same sex friends hold hands as a sign of comradery and friendship, but in America that would link the individuals romantically. Heterosexual men in America would never be seen holding hands with each other as a sign of their friendship (Cite).
The next interesting cultural practice in Uganda is the importance of music in the culture. Music is a fundamental part of life there everywhere people go. “In Uganda, people may break into song and dance, even in the streets, when they hear good news” (Cite). This is a scene that is not so common in the American culture. If anything if a person did that here in America, he or she may get strange looks making people wonder if the person is ok. There are also many other details in the Ugandan culture that is practiced differently from the United States. The types of conversations people have are more relaxed and open, unlike the American culture where there are so many boundaries for what is appropriate dialogue to have. A lot of emphasis on politically correct behavior is expected of people in the United States. In Uganda, the people seem much freer to express their opinions in their social setting than in America.
In conclusion, there are many more differences between the cultural practices of the two countries. The primary similarities seem to be the ones rooted in the British colonizing of the two countries because of English as one of the main languages, and also the popularity of Christianity.
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