Howdy! My name is Erin Morrissey and I recently got back from spending five weeks abroad based in Strasbourg, France. While in Europe, I had the opportunity to travel to several different countries over the weekends, including Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg. With the exposure I had to multiple European countries, it is clear to me that things are not only done differently in Europe compared to the United States but also between European countries. My largest takeaway from the trip was realizing that cultures are shaped around what people prioritize. While abroad, it became clear to me that Americans value efficiency while the French value leisure. For instance, in France, it is standard to have a two-hour lunch break whereas in the United States most people think of lunch breaks as being about 30 minutes to an hour max. Although this is just a small example of the cultural differences between the United States and France, it shows where each country?s priorities are.
Beyond observing cultural differences, one of my favorite parts of the trip was learning about French perspectives on Americans. Within the EU, there is a clear goal outlined to sustain the environment and make decisions that are better for the Earth, even if it means that profit is deprioritized. Since this is a common goal shared among Europeans, it is easy to see how they see Americans as slightly selfish when it comes to decisions regarding the environment and how we welcome the high amount of consumerism that envelopes the United States. In comparison to the United States, most Europeans live relatively sustainably, but I?ve learned that this is because Europeans have a different definition of comfort than Americans do. When we think of the American dream, we think of owning your own house with a big backyard, maybe with a pool; for many Europeans, comfort doesn?t necessarily correlate with how much space you have. Many are content living in a flat with neighbors nearby and there is no desire to have any more than that because this lifestyle fits within the definition of comfort. Additionally, Europeans do not feel the need to consume as much as Americans do; there is a constant effort made to reuse and recycle things and to only consume what they need. Of all the observations I made while abroad, I was the least surprised by this one because it?s clear to see that American culture is built on consumerism. This difference shows how it would be different to do business with the United States than it would be abroad. In the United States, people are much more receptive to advertisements and are more willing to buy something that they want but don?t need. Throughout Europe, since consumerism is not as big there, it?s much harder to do business because Europeans are not as prone as Americans to consume more than they need. Therefore, to do business abroad, an American approach will not work; instead, the culture of whichever country is the target for business needs to be adopted and needs to be approached with that attitude.
Overall, I?m very glad I participated in the France Business program this year and that I was able to learn more about the French and other European cultures. However, I don?t think that the true value of the program lies within learning about other cultures but rather learning about how we individually handle being surrounded by a completely different environment. The opportunity to be able to observe how I act in these new situations was the most valuable thing I gained from the trip, and it?s something that I plan to carry forward with me into my career and life.
