Comparison of the United States and Germany - Reflections about Multiculturalism, cultural Similarities and Differences, Individualism and Collectivism, Social policies and Programs

Essay aus dem Jahr 2011 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Kultur und Landeskunde, Universität Mannheim, Veranstaltung: Academic Writing, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: During the past decade, there has been an increasing critical view of the United States in Western Europe. However, before judging a culture it is important to understand the historical background and the underlying principles which make the United States so different from Western European countries like Germany. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to inform about selected issues out of the wide field of social structure by combining research facts with historical aspects and cultural background. The first comparison points addressed in this essay is the role of multiculturalism for both countries, which is more similar than usually expected. The second part compares social welfare of both countries, which deals as an example with the system of health insurance. The last section examines collectivist and individualist features of the United States and Germany.