Stereotypes You Were Aware of Before Coming to Russia
- Lines everywhere (though I knew it was thing of the past)
- No freedom of speech
- Few products
- Pervasive presence of Mafia
- Young people getting rich very quickly
- Prostitution (from news exposes about dark side of big city life)
- Prejudice against people of Southern nationalities
- Russians drink vodka
- Russians are poor, suffered a lot, are very serious, have bread tones
- Never smile
- Bureaucracy is infamous
- Churches with onion domes, great literature
- Russian women dress up, but it doesn't matter so much what men wear.
- Every woman is looking to marry an American, there are mail order brides, women want to get out
- I remember bomb scares in American during the 50s and 60s and hiding under desks. The Russians wanted to come and
conquer the USA, we were told. They had the same message as us.
- Russians tend to be paranoid.
- Russians don't think in or about the future. Americans think about the future, but not the past or present. Americans
pay for classes so they can learn to live in the present! Russians don't plan so far ahead. If they have money today, they
spend money today.
- Russians are quite rigid about teachers being authoritative and strong disciplinarians.
Advice family & friends gave you before you left home
- Don't drink tap water.
- Advice to women: be prepared that girls here dress differently: Russians dress for fashion and Americans for comfort
- Be careful, you can't trust people there.
- Be careful. Russia is not safe because of worries about war, bombings in Moscow, unrest, crime, civil strife. General danger.
- Bring toilet paper and jeans. You can sell your jeans.
- You need to have good health insurance and be prepared to fly back to the US if you need treatment Hospitals are bad and doctors aren't very good. In fact, doctors run the gamut from very dedicated to indifferent.
Why questions
- Why is shopping a three step process? It's so inefficient. Maybe it prevents shoplifting.
- Why is only one person doling out money?
- Why is only one door open?
- Why is service so bad? Is it because there is no tipping and so no motivation?
- Why can we sit in a cafe all day without buying very much?
- Why do women wear such high heels?
- Why do people crowd others and cut in line?
- Why do shop attendants go on so many breaks or just close down?
- Why are things so unpredictable? Nothing is consistent.
- There are no schedules at school. I arrive at school to teach and I'll be told "there is no fourth grade today." Why can't
people tell me in advance?
- Why are restaurant workers so indifferent or outright rude?
- Why do Russian women think they need a man for anything technical or physical?
- Why must everyone sit at a party?
- Why can't people put bags on the floor?
- Why do men carry purses (for women)?
- Who does everything break so easily?
- Why does everything need to be stamped?
- Why are there so many forms?
- Why do women dress like hookers (prostitutes)?
- Why do women wear see-through trousers with thongs and stiletto heels?
- Why is everything so dirty?
- Why do people spit and blow their noses onto the street?
- Why are people so mean to each other (at stores, yelling at customers)?
- Why do people push in front of others?
- When a husband beats his wife in public, why doesn't anyone do anything? Why are people so reluctant to stop and help?
- Why are there no public toilets even approaching American standards? Why do people accept such things?
- Why do toilets have no seat covers? Is there a shortage? Can't they find them somewhere?
- Why do Russians drink so much tea? Why don't they drink during meals?
- Why do Americans say "excuse me1 when they bump into strangers and Russian don't?
- Why are Russians so formal when you first meet them?
Things that frustrate
- People always on the make
- Large injustices in society, for example, why are teachers paid so little and then expected to buy their own textbooks
- I'm annoyed at people looking and making an instant judgment
- Russians are emotional, prejudiced and xenophobic.
- The Russian sense of personal space, especially in public sphere: people stand much closer, pressing up against each
other, pushing
Why questions Russians asked you about Americans
- Why do you want to come to Russia? (most consistent question)
- Why are Americans fat? Why do they all have cars? Why are they so loud?
- Why do Americans drink so much water?
- How can you believe men and women are equal when they are so different?
- Why don't Americans lock their doors at night?
- Why do Americans smell like soap? - What interviewee's mother taught him: "If your clothes smell like you, they're dirty."
- Why do Americans smile all the time?
- Why are Americans so informal about everything?
- Why do Americans ask so many questions?
- Why don't you speak English correctly? It's your native language, isn't it?
Stereotypes Russians You Met Had of Americans
- Americans are rich. "You can afford to pay that price, that's nothing for you at home!"
- Americans have cars — are fat - are loud.
- Americans are rich, noisy, lazy, and unworldly.
- Americans always smile.
- All American women hate men.
- American women are drab, dull and unfeminine.
- American women want to do everything themselves.
- American women are ambitious and individualistic.
- American women are not afraid to speak their minds or confront authority.
How are Americans viewed?
- Russians are accepting of American music, movies, and clothing but still have anti-American sentiments. It's a kind of guilty pleasure - a sense they are letting themselves, their roots, and their standards down. They accept American cultural products while remaining anti-American.
- They think we're rich; even our poor, compared to their poor. Retirees on cruises set this stereotype, with Russians misunderstanding that some people must save for a long time for such a trip. Also, Russians on exchange programs stay with middle-class, educated families. They don't see American ghettos.
How has living abroad changed your original view or expectations about what life in Russia would be like?
- Some stereotypes were borne out. People can be very rude in the public sphere— in restaurants, airports, trains. On the other hand, if you're invited to people's homes you'll find they're the most hospitable people you've ever met. I didn't expect warm hospitality though I was prepared for inhospitality in the public sphere.
- I tend to try not to have too many set expectations before I go to a different culture. Sure, I have some, but part of the experience is seeing what is there and seeing how you can adapt to these circumstances.
Gestures that are different, etc.
- I always speak with my hands and show facial gestures. Most people here don't gesture much when they speak. Ibis is true of facial gestures too. My face always betrays my feelings.
- The Russian gesture for being drunk.
- Helping women put their coat on; other women can't do this.
- Men NEED to carry things and pay. I met a male friend at a cafe, and he HAD to pay, to be a gentleman, even though I know he doesn't earn a lot of money. No Dutch treat.
- The weight of swear words is stronger here than in the US. In the States I use obscenities every day. Now that I'm here, I use them maybe once a month.
- Banging the fist again the palm
- Thumb between the middle and index fingers
- Touching: there's more same sex touching in Russia, women walking down the street arm in arm or holding hands
- Shaking hands is not common practice in Russia where it is automatic and unconscious behavior for most Americans. (Said by a woman)
What are the most positive things that happened to you in Russia?
- I met my wife and made some very close friends from another culture. Human contact. You realize you can make close friends and find similarities. I also improved my Russian.
- I had an opportunity to live with a family and be included in family life- crises and arguments included. I really experienced normal Russian life in more depth than many.
- Positive things: meeting very friendly people/ hospitality and the nurturing manner of Russian women. The sincerity I -have felt from the sympathy expressed by Russians about the attacks in the U.S.
What is the worst thing that happened to you?
- The first week I was living in my flat, and felt like a stranger in my landlady's home, my landlady and her husband would share nothing with me. I had to buy my own dish washing liquid and toilet paper. They would not allow me to wash my own clothes and wanted to charge me 20 rubles per shin. (While this may not be typical, this incident it is a true story.)
- In St Petersburg, I got ripped off. 60 or 70 dollars in a money exchange on the street It can happen anywhere, though, and it didn't change my feelings; but there are nasty rip-offs in St Petersburg and Moscow.
- Negative things: indifference to issues of lateness and when things don't work or something goes wrong. How things tend to be more black / white or how things are taken more literally. How certain some Russians are about certain issues.
If you were to compare Russian and American culture, what are some of the broad distinctions you might draw?
- Economics. In the US everything is about money. Sometimes Russians are very concerned about money and talk about money because it's a necessity. They have no qualms about asking how much money you make. That's a taboo question in the States.
- Russians are more traditional, especially the way women want to be treated by men. Feminism doesn't seem to exist. (Said by a man)
- Russians drink more. There are few laws about drinking in public. You can drink beer in public but not vodka. It's strange, in the springtime, to be the only sober person walking down the street.
- Russians are less tolerant of racial differences and of sexual orientation. Russian men are very homophobic.
- There is no one word or phrase for "cultural identity," vanity, or privacy in Russian language; you would have to explain your intention in order to be understood.
Can you describe some situations/incidents in which cultural expectations caused a misunderstanding?
- American men are not expected to be as attentive as Russian men. Men pour drinks for women, carry packages for women, etc.
- If I'm silent, people see me as standoffish.
- Americans separate business and pleasure
By living in Russia, have you learned anything new about yourself and your native culture?
- I learned a lot of about myself as an American. There are some things I feel proud about. I stopped taking things for granted, things I would have demanded in the past.
- I value independence and self-reliance.
- I notice consumerism in the US more. Everything is packaged, everything is for sale. There's more media and advertising everywhere. People need things NOW: fast food, quick and efficient customer service.
- Shallow, superficial friendliness and customer service. But I like it anyway! Maybe it's not so shallow. Maybe it says something about egalitarianism.
- The number of trashcans and the amount of waste produced in the US. In Russia there's no place to put trash and there are lots of wrappers and litter on the streets. In America there ate lots of receptacles because we produce lots of waste -packaging, wrappers, etc. We even sell special 10-gallon trash bags!
- The main thing I noticed and was overwhelmed by was by the amount of choice in everything- it was great but too much to handle sometimes, whether I was shopping or trying to decide what to eat in a restaurant.
- I can live in an arctic climate but I'm still not a fan of long winters.
- Americans value individualism and the right to speak their minds freely
- Some Americans can be as ethnocentric as some Russians can be and more concerned with events at home, but what culture isn't?
RUSSIAN INTERVIEW RESPONSES
When you first arrived in the USA, what stood out?
- The traffic system is orderly and well organized. Drivers are polite and stop for pedestrians.
- How Americans are relaxed, they have a relaxed posture, free behavior, a relaxed way of dressing, usually sports clothes
- Aged parents very seldom live with their grown children and prefer living alone or moving to a nursing home
- Americans prefer to live in suburbs in their own houses and thus a car play a very important role in one's life and there might be several cars in the family
- They use computers a lot in everyday life
Stereotypes of Americans You Were Aware Of
- Pragmatic
- Rich
- Overweight
- Always smile
- Body conscious and fond of healthy life styles
- American women are too independent
How do you think Americans viewed Russian culture, in general terms?
- As far as I remember, everyone I met was very friendly, considerate and helpful and eager to get to know Russians better and learn more about our culture.
Advice friends or family members gave you
- To find some things they wanted
- To set up an aim you want to achieve in this country and to do it. For example, to visit all the museums.
- Try to make new friends and make the most of your stay
- My mother told me to try every kind of food I can
Why questions you asked
- Why do Americans love their cars so much?
- Why do they never dress up?
- Why do they mingle at parties? Why do they invite so many people?
- Why do they leave their nests? Why do they so often change cities?
- Why are university professors so informally dressed in class?
- Why do children prefer to live separately from parents when they complete high school and almost never come back to
live with the parents again?
Why questions others asked you
- Why do Russians stay at one place (at a table) at a party?
- Why do Russians have more long lasting friendships?
- Why do you prefer jeanswear: is it because you like American style clothing or do you find this kind of clothing more comfortable?
- Do people in Russia know foreign languages?
Stereotypes of Russians You Discovered
- Russians are poor.
- Russians dance very well. They like to dance.
- There is Mafia in Russia.
- Russian women do a lot of work at home.
- Russians don't know how to work.
- Russian women do too much work for the family. They do not respect themselves.
- Russians are strong and hard working.
- The new generation will change the country.
- Russians don't know foreign languages.
- Starving and wearing shabby clothing
- Russians don't smile on the street.
- One young American guy mentioned he wouldn't be interested in meeting a Russian woman because Russian women are
hairy and don't shave.
- There are few cars in Russia.
- All women are prostitutes because that's the only way to earn a living.
How has your experience changed your original view or expectations?
I don't think Americans are rich. They get more money but they economize and spend more rationally.
If you were to compare Russian and American culture, what are some of the broad distinctions you might draw?
- Russian culture belongs to the eastern type and American to the western type.
- Americans are more matter-of-fact and business-like; they are more active; they are not afraid of making severe life changes.
Can you describe some situations/incidents in which cultural expectations caused a misunderstanding?
- When you are in Russia, invited to someone's home, you are asked to have tea or some food. In America this does not happen in every house.
What things stood out the most or what things did you most notice about Russia when you returned home?
- The one thing that pleased me is that my family was so glad to see me.
- People not smiling. Not helpful.
- Gloomy people on the streets; impolite shop assistants; dirty public places; no adaptation of public places for disabled
- People are less polite; there is garbage everywhere; there are no non-smoking areas
By visiting the USA, have you learned anything new about yourself and your native culture?
- Russians are hospitable, collective. They discuss things in groups before making decisions. They are always ready to share.
- Russians are more family oriented.