european history

1. How could you compare and contrast European and American culture? To what degree is Europe Americanized and/or globalized in your opinion?

Although Europe and America are maybe an ocean apart, they are much more different than the actual geographical location and the difference in time zone. Both of the countries may sound western to us, however time has made great changes in advancement making their culture more diverse and different.

One of the main differences that many people can spot is the language; America has only one language, which is the American English. On the other hand, Europe has more languages than other nations. English will still be the most spoken language in major cities, however in most European countries nowadays, it is compulsory to learn at least another language at school and for some countries, English is their second language rather than their mother tongue.

Moreover, the food culture can distinguish fully the culture between Europe and America. Europeans treasure their traditional dishes in different regions. Different parts in the Europe, they have different speciality, unlike in America, their food are similar all around the country. European will tend to have more meal a day with smaller portion of different food. They usually use fresh ingredients for cooking and put less salt and sugar in food. However, food in America is made in big portion and contains higher fat. Fast food is popular in the country which including frozen ready-made food. People have less motivation to cook and tend to dine out or order take-aways. They also like to eat in front of the television however for European, eating etiquette is very important and they always eat with their family around a table.

Inevitably,...

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... at the domestic sector. The change of gender roles had made it clear between home and work. Although women had begun playing active roles in the workforce in the later days, it was still hard for them to balance between family and work as the traditional gender roles was still enforced in the society.

The Industrial Revolution had also gradually increased the education and literacy level of the people. Even lower working class people were becoming educated and the booming of printing industry had also promoted the growth of literacy. Moreover, many rural workers started moving to the cities hoping for better employment and pay. Although the poor crowded living condition had caused many diseases and hunger issues due to the increase of population hence lowering the live expectancy, new social classes especially the industrial working middle class had emerged in.