CULTURAL COMPARISON BETWEEN INDONESIAN AND AMERICAN

By Wardina A. Laadi

A 121 10 024

There are a lot of cultural differences among Indonesian and American. I will explain these matter in introductions, family values and educational attitudes.

A.      Introductions

      The Americans use eye contact and handshaking in their introduction with all people. They assume that eye contact is the polite side if talking to someone. Besides that when shaking hands, they shake firmly and briefly. They do not like making the prolonged handshaking.

Different from Indonesians, in introductions, they have some styles of handshaking and eye contact. It depends of the age and the gendre. If someone meet another one who same gendre and age, make handshaking and eyecontact is common and polite. Different way if a man wants to know a girl, he has to carefull, because there is a girl who doesn’t do handshaking. It based on the religion. Eye contact doesn’t need if they are talking to elder people whom they have to kiss the elders’ hands. It is impolite in Indonesia.

      Talking about using of titles in introductions. In America using the title in the name is based on the status or age. The people of lower status and age have to call Mr, Prof, Dr, or Mdm with the second, last or the family name. In out of the office or classroom, they prefer to call their professor with the nick name or the first name. It is commonly in informal situations.

It is very different from Indonesia. Either formal or informal situations the students must call their teacher with the title. It is so impolite if they call their teacher’s name without title Mr or Mdm.

      Small talk in Americans’ intoductions are about the general informations. It is like asking “What do you do?”, “Are you a student in here?”, and exactra. It is impolite and not customary if asking about personal identity, such as “Are you single?” or “Have you have a boyfriend?”.

The Indonesians do the opposite of those. They always give personal questions after introduction. The questions contain asking about statue, address, until number of mobile phone. It is very common.

      In aditional, the Americans always greet each other (although they do not know each other) at a glance even make us feel have a fellow human being. Say hello, chat briefly about the weather or the child is still the custom in the middle of the more individualistic American society. The Indonesians never done something like that because of another reasons. The first is because they do not now each other. The second is because of arroganisme attitude. The last is because just that the Indonesian’s culture.

B.      Family Values

      When the Americans is still child, they are taught to independent either in their life themselves or in money. They have accustumed to earn money in their young age. The American children work to be babysitter in another’s home in adult age. The babies also learn about independent life. They are accustumed to stand up and take something by themselves.

Indonesian’s babies always get special act from their parents. The parents always give the things that their children want. In additional, when the wife still in pregnancy, the husband have to do also his wife asking. When the babies in child until adult, they still in responsibility of their parents. There is no earn money by themselves.if they want to buy something, just asking to their parents.

      In many families in America, the children (18 until 21 years) is given freedom to make decision by themselves. Usually they leave their home to life independently.

Indonesia children in 18 until 21 years still depend on their parents. All goal of life is based on parents’ decision. Sometimes there are some children who cannot agree with they parents. It makes conflict, because the parents command to follow their decission without hear what their children want.

C.      Educational Attitudes

      The students in America almost dominate all of time in the class. The teacher or professor just being a fasilitator who control the discussion. Another tutors make an isue and the students respon it with different idea. Usually, before entering the class, the students prepare their materials first. In preparing, they make a group discussion, look for the books which is to be the topic, and make a lot of argument and questions by themselves.

Indonesia students always be a passive. They just listening and taking notes while the teacher explain about the material. It is almost hapenned in all of part Indonesia.

      The teachers in America are very fair. Although they have relationship with the students, it doesn’t mean that the students will have special behaviour. If there is a task, all of the students have to submit it on time.

Different way in Indonesia. The students who have family relationship with their teachers, sometimes get special attitude. The teachers prefer to give more attention to them. There is no punishment if that students do a mistake.

      The Americans students is addressed to be a grad whose intellectual cannot be changed by machine. While in Indonesia the people still do daily work, both by hand and production machines, because the education make them to be the consumers.

      Cheating on the test, plagiarizing in written work, and presenting others’ idea as original are all prohibited in America. They are taught to be honest in each aspects. They have to make an argument or article by their own word. They have been usual to be creative people.

As we know, indonesia is the second plagiator in the world. The Indonesian copy-paste anothers’ pruduct either in national examination, making poster, film, shirt, or in making homework. It is so embrassed. Young generation have made cheating attitudes as a habit. Furthermore, when they become an elder people, they cannot make a new program with their own inovation.

      The students will be cooperative and competitive in America class. They will compete to be the best grade with possitive way, such as to be active in class. If one of their friend be the best, they will give congratulation to him/her. Then they are going to study hard to get the best one next semester.

In Indonesia class, the students seldom act like that. If their friends get the best score, they will not give congratulation. Sometimes there is congratulation, but there is no from in the deep heart.

Those are the example of different culture between Indonesian and American.