Comparing Culture: Canada & The United States of America

The two North American neighbors, the United States and Canada, share a close relationship. Nonetheless, these two countries have significant cultural and political differences. In this blog post, we will unveil some of the key differences and similarities, based on the insights gained from our guest lecturers.

The United States

The deep dive into the US, presented by Dr. Kevin Springer, a professor teaching communications at the FHNW, provided insights into the US political and cultural landscape. In the US, these two aspects are deeply intertwined due to the country's history and the way it gained independence. Interestingly, while US politics has undergone changes over the years, many concepts introduced by the Founding Fathers or Presidents like Lincoln are still active today. This includes the Electoral College and the two-party political system dominated by Republicans and Democrats.

Obviously, we cannot talk about the USA without mentioning the current president, Mr. Donald J. Trump. Trump won the most recent election by a landslide, which demonstrates the strong support he has among the American public. Dr. Springer also highlighted how unfairly European media often reports on Trump, emphasizing that media bias is not just a problem in other countries.

Canada

A look into the US’s northern neighbor was provided by Dr. Hauke Harms, who works for the Canadian Embassy. Canada is the second-largest country by surface area, even though it has a population of only around 40 million. Canada is bilingual, a trait it shares with Switzerland. Canada also maintains a strong relationship with Switzerland, particularly in areas such as entrepreneurship and innovation.

Dr. Harms emphasized Canada’s focus on creating a sustainable and innovative environment built on diversity and talent. The country actively fosters good relationships with all its trading partners, striving for stability in global trade.

Similarities and Differences

The United States and Canada have a lot in common. They maintain the most successful trade relationship in history due to their shared border and economic interdependence. Beyond trade, Canada and the United States also share similar beliefs and cultural influences, further solidified by the fact that a majority of Canadians live close to the US border.

Unfortunately, this relationship is currently under threat due to potential tariffs imposed by the current US administration and the resulting counter tariffs imposed by Canada. Nevertheless, Canada aims to preserve its positive relationship with the United States whenever possible.

Personally, we found both presentations extremely interesting and insightful. Understanding more about the how the US political system came in place and how it impacts politics up to this day is extremely important to improve the outside view we european have. Also getting to know more about Canada, their relationship with the US and their continous efforts to innovate, gave us a better understanding on the north American culture.

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