More pages from this project What the teacher, Yuliya Melnyk, says about this project. Professor Yuliya Melnyk's own web page   Collaborative Projects Integrating Technology Home Page

Photo: Yuliya Melnyk When people learn foreign traditions, they forget their own. I think that each country should have its own culture. And each culture is interesting.   Americanization of Our Society Tetyana Svelyka from Ukraine Kirovohrad State Pedagogical University School of Ukrainian and Russian Languages We often meet features of Americanization in our life. As you know, the United States of America have great influence on our culture, on our customs, values, and people, too. I know that some people want to be look like Americans and they try to do what Americans do, they try to live how Americans live, and these people think that they will live better on their native land, because they will be look like Americans. That’s why some of our Ukrainian families try to be similar to Americans. They don’t learn the language, but they inherit the American customs and holidays, style of their life, their traditions. I like American customs and style of their life, but I think that this inheritance can influence negatively on our traditions. When people learn foreign traditions, they forget their own. I think that each country should have its own culture. And each culture is interesting. But there are many positive sides of globalization. Nowadays Ukraine has diplomatic relations with the USA. Our government has relations in politics, economics, culture, sports, and other sides of life. True friendship is built by the people of our two countries. Tourism is very popular now. You can see a lot of Ukrainian tourists in the USA and a lot of American tourists visit our country. We also exchange students and teachers. We have close relations with ethnic Ukrainians who live in the US. In the Soviet times it was forbidden to keep in touch with Ukrainian Diaspora. Besides, I like American fashion and I think that fashion has a good influence on the relationships between different nations. However, there are not only pros, but also cons. As you know, fashionable brands of cigarettes come to us from the United States. They are advertised on the streets, in the shops, and on TV. Teenagers begin to smoke, because they think it’s cool. Our teenagers buy cigarettes, selling cigarettes to teenagers is prohibited only at the big shops, but it is possible to buy them on the street. The problem is that smoking is too fashionable. They think they are already adults. They see handsome smoking men in American films too often. I think that it is a very big problem. So, I think that the influence of globalization on our society in general is good, but some people are fond of the West too much. I think that everybody who lives in Ukraine should remember Ukrainian traditions and customs. Read more pages from this project. What the teacher says about this project See Professor Yuliya Melnyks own web page Return to: Collaborative Projects Integrating Technology | Home Page TOPICS Online Magazine - ©1997-2007 topics.mag@gmail.com Published by Sandy and Thomas Peters