Facing a cultural blackout abroad

To spot an American student in Paris, you don’t have to examine their clothes or keep an ear out for words spoken in English.

Just look at how much the person is drinking.

In France, alcohol is as much a part of everyday life as baguettes and gourmet cheeses. But like all things French, it’s enjoyed in moderation.

On a Saturday night, you’ll rarely find French college students yelling in the street or stumbling into cabs. That is, more often than not, the behavior of Americans abroad.

By no means do all students treat study abroad like an extended spring break. But when they do overindulge, it might perpetuate negative stereotypes of Americans.

While studying in France, I’ve encountered a worrisome perception among locals that Americans are only here to party. And thanks to TV and movies, American college students are linked to visions of kegs and red plastic cups.

The facts suggest this notion isn’t unwarranted. TIME Magazine reported that a 2010 study of University of Washington students found those who were studying abroad consumed roughly twice as much alcohol as they did at home. The same study found those who were studying in Europe — and (surprise!) those under the age of 21 — drank the most.

A lower drinking age means French students grow up able to enjoy a glass of wine with their families; from a young age, alcohol is seen as something to be savored. To American students, on the other hand, alcohol is a forbidden fruit suddenly made accessible abroad. This can be a cocktail recipe for disaster.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying beer in Berlin, sangria in Spain or champagne in Champagne. Alcohol can be an integral part of a study abroad experience as a way to participate in the country’s culture. The problem arises when we don’t treat it as such.

Aside from obvious safety concerns with abusing substances in a foreign country (where one might or might not speak the language, no less), drinking in excess can be disrespectful. And when students routinely engage in risky behavior abroad, it might be viewed as a reflection of Americans in general.

Each unflattering incident can be squirreled away for later reference, proof that the stereotypes of drunken Americans — who, some Parisians often joke, only care about “money, sports, war and religion” — are true.

The issue isn’t alcohol; it’s behaving in a way that’s culturally appropriate, even if it means shedding our own norms and adapting to a new perspective on social drinking.

In Paris, “culturally appropriate” drinking is fairly easy to define. Discussing politics with coworkers over drinks is acceptable. Drinking to get drunk is not. No French meal would be complete without a wine pairing — but that doesn’t mean one should drink a whole bottle.

Defining culturally appropriate behavior isn’t always obvious. But in this era of globalization, we’ll need to get used to it.