Why is it that some Americans (using the term to refer to citizens of the USA here) think of Europe as a version of the USA on the other side of the pond?

Everybody thinks that things are like what they know, for the most part.

Umm…the US is not homogenous. L.A. and New York are two of the most diverse cities in the world. Don’t believe what you see on TV.

I don’t believe I’ve ever looked at Europe as I do the US. It’s a continent made up of many countries, and just like the US has it’s distinctions from any other nation on Earth, I’ve always imagined European nations have as well.

Perhaps because they haven’t been there. Perhaps because they’re ignorant. Perhaps because they are used to thinking big.

The U.S. actually has great variance from region to region, with many distinctive cultures. Even though English is the common language, the dialects of some regions are almost unintelligible to natives of others. Anyone who has paid even the slightest notice to U.S. politics knows that there area deep and sometimes very acrimonious differences of opinion among us. And yet we often see questions that ask “Why do Americans—?” Thank you for qualifying your question.

I noticed that everyone on this site sound exactly like me. They don’t have an accent at all.

Okay, the US is NOT HOMOGENEOUS across the states! How can you say that? Have you not traveled around this country? Hawaii, Alaska, the west, the midwest, the east, the south, heck even within these distinctive regions there are major differences!

Perhaps it is because of the diversity amongst the states and even within them that we can compare ourselves to Europe. Frankly, our government doesn’t work over such a large swath of land…and ocean. I am 24 years old and have never been to the U.S. capitol, although I have been to Africa, Europe, Canada, and other countries. Go figure.

They are pretty developed and industrialized, so are we. There are similarities and there are differences. You could make a case either way.

@lilikoi I have visited 46 of the American States and when compared to Europe I found the culture to be more homogeneous than that of Europe, not completely homogeneous (that would be ridiculous) this is why I phrased it fairly homogeneous culture in my original question.

I’ve made this mistake when I was younger, until I learned more about it. But to be honest when I was ignorant of it, I assumed they were similar because they ‘looked’ the same: The political party structure, the diversity, we’re both very ‘stable’ etc etc. That’s why I thought they were the same.

Different regions in many states are often diverse from their neighbors, so brief visits may portray a far from full portrait.

Also, I confused Europe with just the U.K for example. When someone speaks of Europe, I have a tendency to only think of the countries we always hear of.

And here in the UK when people think of Europe they tend to think of all the rest of Europe and not the UK or Ireland !

Yeah, just like when I hear ‘North America’ I immediately think of just the U.S. lol.

@RareDenver Have you visited Pine Ridge, or for that matter any reservation? Any Hispanic villages in the Southwest? The back roads of Appalachia? How about the devastated fishing villages in New England?

@RareDenver I get what you are saying. When I grew up in Sweden and people talked about Europe, they meant across the water. Sweden only became part of Europe when we joined the Union.

It’s not only language that is different between European countries, it’s customs and tradition. Quite culturally diverse that is. But it all comes down to what one compares to I guess. Europe and the US belong to the same culture bubble.

@Dracool I think we went to a reservation somewhere, can’t remember exactly though. We did visit some very small and poor Hispanic villages in New Mexico, the people were extremely friendly.

I’ve never looked at Europe or any other continent or country that way. Where have you heard Americans say they think that way?

@AstroChuck here http://www.fluther.com/disc/70592/why-is-it-that-europeans-on-average-work-fewer-hours-than/

I started this is the chatroom. I said “Hello Europe” when RD entered. I do the same to markyy who is in the Netherlands. I have spent a few months in Europe and I know it is different countries with different languages and cultures.

@johnpowell I’m pretty sure you asked how the UK was, and it was this thread that got me thinking about it.

I think when people use the term European countries in the states they do not think all Europeans are the same, or that it is a version of America. Maybe you are referring to our use of the word Europe or European, instead of using or identifying someone from their individual country. I kind of don’t like that either. We refer to Africa the same way, when each country is different. Middle East. Asia. Latin America. My sister-in-law when in Italy with her inlaws was always referred to as the “American” and she was from Mexico. I also remember being in the UK and listening to the BBC here in America and many times when they mimic an American accent it is a southern accent. WTF? Why pick that one?

We have a lot of not-too-bright people over here, not much knowledge about the world, but I actually think on this one your assumption is wrong, we aren’t that bad.

Why do people create straw men to knock them down?

@RareDenver
You have referenced my question three times now, so I take it that I am among the “some Americans” you refer to in this question (which may be true, I have never been to any European country).

However, is there any country in Europe that works more hours, on average, than we do in the United States? It looked like a commonality to me.

Sure there are diverse languages and cultures, but I see a lot of similarities too. The governments are democratic, most use the same currency, they use the latin alphabet, etc. Most people in the United States are of European descent. Are we really so different that we can’t make comparisons?

@phoenyx it wasn’t your question per se I was referencing but more the entire thread

@RareDenver Does it offend you to be lumped in with other Europeans?

@JLeslie I think offend is the wrong word, I being British am very different culturally from a French person, Dutch person, Italian person, Serbian person, Greek person, etc we are all Europeans but we are also very distinct in so many ways that you might as well just say that we are all people.

Why do Europeans get sooo worked up over things?

@RareDenver I think you should rest assured that the term is used as a shorthand, and not that we are saying all Europeans are alike. I can empathasize though. Look, people ask me where I live, and I respond, “where do I live, or where am I from?” Because, I don’t want them to confuse that even though I live in Tennessee, that I am a southerner; I’m not, and I don’t fit into any southern stereotype you have in your head. This is all within my own country. So, I am not being critical of you.

@JLeslie I don’t take offence or think anyone is trying to be critical, I just think it’s plain incorrect to do it.

@RareDenver Got it. Fair enough. I agree, especially when referring to a person.

I’m an Aussie. I get the difference.

Y’all got nothin’ on the way Africa is s’posed to be homogeneous.

I doubt this is a widespread problem. There are people all over the world who are uninformed about the country/area they visit. I don’t think it’s American vs everybody else.