Stereotypes of American people are the popularly held generalizations of Americans and American culture.
These stereotypes can be found across cultures in television, literature, art and public opinion.American TV and Social Stereotypes of Americans in Thailand by Kultida Suarchavarat, Texas Tech University, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, September 1988 65: 648-654Students face US stereotypes abroad by Liz Wojnar - The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University, October 21, 2008Cultural Stereotypes About Americans University of Tampere, A FAST-US-7 United States Popular Culture Reference File, Department of Translation Studies, April 27, 2010 Not all of the stereotypes are equally popular, nor are they all restricted to Americans; and although most can be considered negative, a few assign neutral, positive or admiring qualities to the stereotypical American citizen.Todd D. Nelson, ed. (February 2009). The unbearable accuracy of stereotypes in Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Psychology Press. . Many of the ethnic stereotypes collide with otherwise unrelated political anti-Americanism.Confronting stereotypes of culture: American Stereotypes , Mathilde Dodson, University of Washington Tacoma, The Ledger, November 21, 2005; Accessed: 18.07.2012Cultural Stereotypes by Lupita Fabregas - Oklahoma State University, The Newsline, February 2012
Stereotypes with positive use +TraitDescriptionGenerosityAlexis de Tocqueville first noted in 1835 the American attitude towards helping others in need. A 2010 Charities Aid Foundation study found that Americans were the fifth most willing to donate time and money in the world at 55%. Total charitable contributions in 2010 were higher in the US than in any other country.OptimismAmericans may be seen as very positive and optimistic people.The American-Western European Values Gap , 2 Pew Research Center, Global Attitudes ProjectAmericans' Optimism About Financial Future by Frank Newport, Gallup Poll Hardworking natureAmericans may be stereotyped as hardworking people, whether in their jobs or other matters.Students face US stereotypes abroad by Liz Wojnar - The Wesleyan Argus, Wesleyan University, October 21, 2008Frontier mentalityTraits such as engaging in risky exploration to secure food and territory favored early Americans, as well as the willingness to move one's life in pursuit of goals such as personal freedom and economic affluence. These traits may have distilled over time into an individualism characterized by toughness and self-reliance. Straight, White TeethAmericans have known for having Straight white teeth abroad. This is derived from Hollywood, advertising, and cosmetic trends.
Stereotypes with neutral use
+TraitDescriptionNotesVocal fry among womenA vocal fry is the lowest vocal register produced through a loose glottal closure, In The United States, The Vocal fry in common associated with the valley girl subculture and California English.Podesva, Robert J., Annette D'Onofrio, Janneke Van Hofwegen, and Seung Kyung Kim (2015). "Country ideology and the California Vowel Shift." Language Variation and Change 48: 28-45. Cambridge University Press."California English." Do You Speak American? PBS. Macneil/Lehrer Productions. 2005.: "fronted features in the young speakers seems to indicate a nascent chain shift in progress, [but] the lack of a true generational age range in the study precludes too strong of a conclusion. Alternatively Hinton et al. also suggest that possibility that the age-specific pattern could also be a function of age-grading, where the faddish speech style of California adolescents is adopted for its prestige value, only to be abandoned as adolescence wanes." When asked to read a passage, American female speakers used vocal fry at a rate four times higher than male speakers.Individualism Americans prefer Individualism over collectivism, this is derived from Frontier life during westward expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries.LeaningA perceived tendency of Americans to stand with their weight on one foot or to lean against nearby objects while waiting in public.
Stereotypes with negative use