Results Study of German families hosting an US-American student

1. Results Study of German families hosting an US-American student

2. Question 1: Discoveries of Cultural Differences 4% 9% 9% 78% Yes Barely No N/A

3. Yes, cultural differences are existing (78%) • “The cultures are different in spite of many similarities. Explicit structures, rules and values are needed in the starting time.” • “In the roll-up, attention should be paid to: Differences in everyday life are bigger than expected. Make explicit arrangements on: what is important for the family, …” • “Cultural differences definitely exist, but they didn’t cause problems when living together. We were dealing very upfront with each other from the beginning, directly speaking about everyday habits and asked our host daughter to do things just as we do.”

4. No cultural differences (9%) • “Tics of the host student result from his or her personality, not from the culture” • “We had a boy who was cycling, eating healthfully and making no special demands in America, too. He fitted perfectly into our family life; we just had one more child in our family. Therefore, our opinion of America didn’t change.

5. 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Integration Orderliness Communication Family Life total Household chores Food / table manners Personal Relationships Cultural Differences Topics

6. Integration (36) Integration worked well: 30 • “Living together worked very fine.” • “The integration into the family, sports, and the village community were no problem.” Integration did not work: 6 • “She integrated will-less into our family-life and didn’t bring any impulses for us. Saying “I don’t care” at all times was absolutely going on our nerves.” • “We seemed to be a hotel with internet access for our host son. He didn’t want to adapt to the German habits; he tried to avoid everything connected with the family.”

7. Communication (42) • “In our family, our opinions are spoken out directly – our guest daughter said in her family it wouldn’t happen like that” • “Always: ‘everything is fine’ – superficial communication, even if there are problems.” • “Communication was always very difficult, even as she had learned German very well. There never was a conversation; you always had to shake her down. • “Our host son was always addressed in English, even at school from his classmates. So he wasn’t forced to learn German and his ability to speak didn’t grow although we always spoke to him in German.

8. Discussion Style (18) • German directness and the “hard” NO sometimes had a major effect in discussions. As in the American culture a direct negotiation or confrontation is avoided, a YES doesn’t compulsory mean a pure YES. • The “German conflict-talk”, as well as the apparently “churlishness” and “dejection” was awkward for most Americans, especially at social occasions these profoundly, negative themes are avoided. • Hostfamilies were annoyed by the self-conviction of the American host students.

9. Interest in the German culture (28)

10. Food / Table manners (61) • In many cases, having breakfast together in the family was unusual for many host students, as well as the meaning of having meals together as a chance of communication. • There were special needs for typical food (e.g. peanut butter) which some students didn’t want to give up. • Another conclusion was that in the U.S. families generally eat out more, while in Germany cooking is an important value. Eating out usually is a special event. • Often, the table manners of the host students were described negatively. The reason bases on directly opposed manners, especially the use of and fork.

11. Question 2: Inexplicable Situations 38 40 30 30 20 14 10 0 Yes No N/A

12. Inexplicable Situations - examples • “Even AFS activities didn’t attract him. He only went to the midstay because he had to; although he later admitted that it was fun. He was loitering a lot, in the first months. • “Our host son didn’t know the values we valued: good neighborhood, regular meetings with friends, barbecue, help among neighbors in house and garden.” • “Our host student had no modesty at all. In restaurants he ordered a lot more and more expensive food than we did!” • “He loved to go to Mc Donald’s and Wal-Mart, because that reminded him of the U.S.A.”

13. Question 3: Change of the view of America 37 40 35 35 30 25 20 15 7 10 3 5 0 No N/A Yes Undecided

14. Question 3a: Change of the view of Germany 38 40 32 35 30 25 20 11 15 10 1 5 0 Yes No N/A Undecided

15. Change of perspective of American Culture • Some host families that their student was no “typical” American (regarding migrational / Latin-American/European heritage • The German view of America is strongly influenced by television and other media. Those negative opinions about the U.S. were confirmed by most host families, who specified that their view of the USA didn’t change – although many stated that they have a differentiated picture of USA now. • Opinions about school systems were different. Some criticized the education and said that their view of the American educational system changed for the worse. Others said their view was improved • The big amount of negative changes of the view of the USA can partly be related to– sometimes negative - experiences with the host student. The frustrations can lead to a categorization of the problems, what may lead to stereotypes and a prejudices