Although our country is a melting
pot made up of immigrants, a majority being from Europe, we have strayed away
from our “mother” cultures and adopted our own. While some traditions and
aspects of our lifestyles have stayed throughout the years, we have also
Americanized them. The differences between Germany and America are what I plan
on discussing. I want to take a look at
the diversity among what children growing up are allowed to do according to
which country they are in. The ages that have the most interesting differences,
with a few similarities, are 13, 16, and 18. From considering these ages I will
be looking into the comparison and contrasts of the age and what one is allowed
to do and how that may affect our culture overall.
In
America at the age of 13 you are teen for the first time. What does this mean
to be a teen? Well nothing more than being able to see a PG-13 movie and maybe getting
a little more of an attitude. It is an age we deem special, simply because you
are no longer a child. In Germany, however, 13 comes with a little more responsibility.
At the age of 13 you are allowed to work during the summer. The choice whether
or not you work is up to your parents. I think having the option for your child
to work at a younger age, automatically makes it’s more apparent that you
really aren’t a child anymore. Even though we say you’re not a child, anymore,
in America there really isn’t anything to justify that statement other than the
entry of a movie. I believe this may have effects on the maturity level in the
long run of American and German children.
16
comes with a lot of firsts regardless which country you’re in. In America, the
biggest part of being 16 is the fact it is the first time you can legally drive
without your parents or an adult in the car. In Germany, you still cannot drive
but you can drink beer and wine in a restaurant without your parents. Both are
big deals to the 16 years olds in their country. In America we chose to let our
teenagers drive while Germany chose to let theirs drink. Neither country made
the wrong choice, just different. One is allowing their young people to experience
and understand wine and beer so they don’t abuse it, while the other is giving
their young people their first taste of responsibility. It could be argued
though that the Germans already have had their first taste of responsibility,
but at a much younger age. Even though 16 is the first time both countries
allow their young to work without parents’ consent, Germans work up to 40 hours
a week while the cap of hours for America is 20. This simply fact here leads
into the major difference between Germans and Americans at age 18.
At the
18 you’re an adult, your parents are no longer your legal guardian, you’re
free. Although all these statements are true for both German’s and American’s,
the meaning behind them is not. In America, you may be giving the title of an
adult but you do not get to make all of your decisions as if you are one. A lot
of the things you do you still need your parents signature, or financial backup
to allow to proceed to becoming successful. Also our country will allow you to
sign your life away to fight a war but not allow you to if you want to drink. In
Germany the University is paid for, generally, by the government. This allows
students to pursue their dreams and goals of success without placing them
thousand of dollars in debt. Germany is allowing their “adults” to act as ones.
They are allowed to drink, but they have such hard school systems in order to
get the best degree, you have to be the best from a young age. Their country is
showing the young people go ahead and have fun but remember it comes with a
cost. A lesson Americans need a crash course in.
Both countries have the advantages
and disadvantages to what they are doing. America is allowing time for kids to
be kids, while Germany is forcing them to grow up faster. Personally I think
America should learn and adapt to be slightly more like Germany. I think our
previous generations were more like their ancestors and understood the
sacrifice and hard work it takes to make it. Younger generations, though, are
falling farther away from that, and it will only have positive repercussions if
we get them back to that.
I like how you split up your paragraphs by age and not activity! That made it a lot easier to read and understand.
ReplyDeleteI really like they way you explained how German culture makes kids understand responsibility, instead of simply saying they are more responsible. They are responsible, because they understand why it is important to be.
ReplyDelete