Cultural Report: American Young Adult's
Daniel Taverne
August 01, 2005
I’ve given this assignment my utmost attention by maintaining my covert operation for well over the required time in order to ensure that the report I submit is the most accurate and concise version available. You’ve instructed me to spy on America’s young citizens, report their habits, interaction methods, and in general generate a cultural report indicative of young people in the United States of America. So I’ve gone to a local college for my research, and what I’ve discovered is that to a higher degree than competing for survival, young Americans are inherently and vainly predisposed to competing for status, utilizing any possible venue.
Looking at what the American young adult is wearing, it is evident that there is an unconscious competition between the different dress styles. Some of these styles include; the neat look, the baggy look, the tight look, the underdressed look, the jewelry- sticking-out-of-every-orifice look, and the jewelry everywhere else look, and last but not least, the sloppy look. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your own particular taste, there are varying degrees of each look, which lends credence to the status-seeking theory.
Transportation seems to be a valued asset when competing with peers for status. It seems, for instance, that a sports car (which in the United States is supposed to equate to having money) is the way to go; although there is the occasional kid driving laps around the busiest campus block in a Chevy Z-71, or some other new and large pick-up truck, boasting 5 coats of aqua green paint under 3 clear coats, eye-balling every pretty girl he sees in tight shorts, while ignoring the smiling one in the passenger seat. Too bad for the seemingly underprivileged guy; He is driving around in a rusted ’74 Vw, or some other relic greater than 10 years old. He’s too ashamed to drive around the busiest block. Girls rarely favor him because no average girl would be caught in a car like that, since her friends wouldn’t approve of it.
Next on the list of status seeking symbols is music. First of all, it’s got to be loud. Whether in a car or in a campus dorm, loud music is a statement: “Stand up and take notice of the system I’ve got!” It truly isn’t an issue whether or not others might be annoyed or disturbed, or that the type of music may not appeal to everyone. And, it’s for this reason that there seems to be an unspoken rule: If you don’t like the music that’s being played, then increase the volume of your own.
To gain better insight concerning interaction methods, I began watching American television as religiously as the Americans do. This proved to be most enlightening. I’ve discovered that American young adults mirror much of the behaviors, dress styles and even male/female relationships seen on television as a guideline for what constitutes status. Since I’ve previously discussed clothing, vehicles and music, I’ll refrain from referring to these topics again except to reinforce that the cultural norms and status symbols seem to be determined by the most popular television shows.
The interaction methods mirrored are, if you’ll allow me to interject my opinion, quite shameful. It seems that females need the approval of other females when choosing clothing, cosmetics and even sexual partners. It’s quite easy to see that, to the females, that the most popular males must look as if they belong on a day-time TV show, and when choosing a partner all females must be in agreement as to the relative cuteness of his “butt” (slang for gluteus maximus)/ Eventually, the sum of a female with the guy having the cutest butt will equate to a higher status within each female friendship circle. On the other hand, the young American male, when interacting with females need only approval from his loins when contemplating a brief sexual encounter. I’ve seen evidence that these males regularly seek out young females who appear “easy”- as I’ve heard. Males then, upon conquering a female will often brag to his male friends, thus gaining perceived status within his friendship circle.
An important aspect of any culture is religion. In the United States, young Americans relish the gift of religious freedom. To many of them, this means only that they do not have to go to worship services if they do not so desire. Many young Americans seem predisposed to a belief in, and a need for God only when their lives of the lives of their loved ones are in jeopardy. It’s then and only then that they pray. For the many young adults who do regularly attend worship services, the status-seeking theme seems to be reinforced once again, in clothing, cosmetics and in who’s with whom.
Status seeking reinforcement occurs naturally in young American culture. Those who do not conform to seeking status are often isolated and alienated. Some young Americans are even labeled as being different, and thus entitled to an occasional harsh word or two. Consequently, fights may occur when a status seeking person decides to make status gains by doing more than just yelling a few harsh words. As a matter of fact, he or she may impose him/her self upon a labeled person and this imposition would be condoned by most other status-seeking individuals. Whether or not the actions are justified doesn’t matter in the status-seeking circle
The culture of the American young adult is a complicated issue that can be better understood by watching American television. It is there that you can find the status goals yearned for by them. The goal of one person having more status than another is unheard of in most cultures where the goal of simply surviving is paramount. However, in America, the land of plenty, survival seems to come secondary to status. During the entire length of my stay here in the United States, I haven’t heard anyone complain that they didn’t have anything to eat, or that they were almost dinner for a tiger. What I did hear were things like, “Darn, I broke my nail!” and “How much did it cost to pierce your nose?” If you want to blend in here in America, you had better be ready to compete for status.
Copyright 2005 Daniel Taverne
Looking at what the American young adult is wearing, it is evident that there is an unconscious competition between the different dress styles. Some of these styles include; the neat look, the baggy look, the tight look, the underdressed look, the jewelry- sticking-out-of-every-orifice look, and the jewelry everywhere else look, and last but not least, the sloppy look. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your own particular taste, there are varying degrees of each look, which lends credence to the status-seeking theory.
Transportation seems to be a valued asset when competing with peers for status. It seems, for instance, that a sports car (which in the United States is supposed to equate to having money) is the way to go; although there is the occasional kid driving laps around the busiest campus block in a Chevy Z-71, or some other new and large pick-up truck, boasting 5 coats of aqua green paint under 3 clear coats, eye-balling every pretty girl he sees in tight shorts, while ignoring the smiling one in the passenger seat. Too bad for the seemingly underprivileged guy; He is driving around in a rusted ’74 Vw, or some other relic greater than 10 years old. He’s too ashamed to drive around the busiest block. Girls rarely favor him because no average girl would be caught in a car like that, since her friends wouldn’t approve of it.
Next on the list of status seeking symbols is music. First of all, it’s got to be loud. Whether in a car or in a campus dorm, loud music is a statement: “Stand up and take notice of the system I’ve got!” It truly isn’t an issue whether or not others might be annoyed or disturbed, or that the type of music may not appeal to everyone. And, it’s for this reason that there seems to be an unspoken rule: If you don’t like the music that’s being played, then increase the volume of your own.
To gain better insight concerning interaction methods, I began watching American television as religiously as the Americans do. This proved to be most enlightening. I’ve discovered that American young adults mirror much of the behaviors, dress styles and even male/female relationships seen on television as a guideline for what constitutes status. Since I’ve previously discussed clothing, vehicles and music, I’ll refrain from referring to these topics again except to reinforce that the cultural norms and status symbols seem to be determined by the most popular television shows.
The interaction methods mirrored are, if you’ll allow me to interject my opinion, quite shameful. It seems that females need the approval of other females when choosing clothing, cosmetics and even sexual partners. It’s quite easy to see that, to the females, that the most popular males must look as if they belong on a day-time TV show, and when choosing a partner all females must be in agreement as to the relative cuteness of his “butt” (slang for gluteus maximus)/ Eventually, the sum of a female with the guy having the cutest butt will equate to a higher status within each female friendship circle. On the other hand, the young American male, when interacting with females need only approval from his loins when contemplating a brief sexual encounter. I’ve seen evidence that these males regularly seek out young females who appear “easy”- as I’ve heard. Males then, upon conquering a female will often brag to his male friends, thus gaining perceived status within his friendship circle.
An important aspect of any culture is religion. In the United States, young Americans relish the gift of religious freedom. To many of them, this means only that they do not have to go to worship services if they do not so desire. Many young Americans seem predisposed to a belief in, and a need for God only when their lives of the lives of their loved ones are in jeopardy. It’s then and only then that they pray. For the many young adults who do regularly attend worship services, the status-seeking theme seems to be reinforced once again, in clothing, cosmetics and in who’s with whom.
Status seeking reinforcement occurs naturally in young American culture. Those who do not conform to seeking status are often isolated and alienated. Some young Americans are even labeled as being different, and thus entitled to an occasional harsh word or two. Consequently, fights may occur when a status seeking person decides to make status gains by doing more than just yelling a few harsh words. As a matter of fact, he or she may impose him/her self upon a labeled person and this imposition would be condoned by most other status-seeking individuals. Whether or not the actions are justified doesn’t matter in the status-seeking circle
The culture of the American young adult is a complicated issue that can be better understood by watching American television. It is there that you can find the status goals yearned for by them. The goal of one person having more status than another is unheard of in most cultures where the goal of simply surviving is paramount. However, in America, the land of plenty, survival seems to come secondary to status. During the entire length of my stay here in the United States, I haven’t heard anyone complain that they didn’t have anything to eat, or that they were almost dinner for a tiger. What I did hear were things like, “Darn, I broke my nail!” and “How much did it cost to pierce your nose?” If you want to blend in here in America, you had better be ready to compete for status.
Copyright 2005 Daniel Taverne
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