1、1 Understanding Cultures Culture Defined 文化的定义文化的定义Presentation 3Culture is a Bridge.2 CONTENTS 1.The Culture Defined 2.The Cultural Characteristics 3.The Cultural Differences 34Define cultures yourself Today,culture is a word that we often hear,read and even talk of,such as Chinese culture,English
2、culture,Tea culture,Campus culture,and so on.But when it comes to the meaning of culture,it may not be easy to give it a satisfactory definition.Please write down whatever comes to your mind when you hear or think of culture.Next,try to figure out how they are related to culture.5Culture sometimes i
3、s so simple,as we have it almost anywhere and anytime;culture sometimes is so inclusive,as we have so many definitions for it,when it is defined by different peoples in different countries,probably more than 150 definitions.Culture is not easy to define,nor is there a consensus among scholars,philos
4、ophers and politicians as to what exactly the concept should include.6 Liang Shuming,a well-known Chinese scholar,the last Confuscianist in China,offers three aspects of culture in his book Culture&Philosophy:Defined by LIANG Shuming(1)Material life such as material things,essential for human surviv
5、al;(2)Social life such as lifestyles,social organizations,and political and economic relation;(3)Spiritual life such as religion,philosophy,value systems,science and art.7(1)The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively;(2)The customs,civilizations and ach
6、ievement of a particular time or people;(3)Improvement by mental or physical training.Defined by Oxford Dictionary8Culture is usually understood in both broad sense and narrow sense.Culture can be defined as“attributes of man”in its broad sense,including what distinguishes man from the rest part of
7、the world.When culture is contrasted with nature,it can be defined as“life way of a population”in its narrow sense,meaning what characterizes the particular way of life of a population.Culture in broad sense and narrow sense9Culture is sometimes understood as large C culture and small c culture.Cult
8、ure in the sense of“attributes of man”is known as large C culture or academic culture.Culture in the sense of“life way of a population”is called small c culture or anthropological culture.Large C culture and small C culture10 The small c culture is sometimes compared to the software of the mind,as i
9、t defines peoples thinking,action,etc.-how people get married(their customs)-what people teach their children about right and wrong(their val-ues)-what people think is beautiful(their beliefs)-how people look at each other when they are talking(their non-verbal communication)-what people study in sc
10、hool(their institutions).11 big C refers to achievement culture and small c refers to“behavior culture.The former in most western countries usually refers to such things as education,history,geography,institutions,literature,art,music,and so on.The latter,similar to the above definitions,means the w
11、ay of life of a people,and it has now been broadened to include values,beliefs and perceptions.It is this small c that plays an essential part in intercultural communication,and so it is the focus of this book.12Definition Final 1)Culture is the total way of life that a group of people shares.2)Cult
12、ure is a system of shared beliefs,values,customs,behaviors,and artifacts that the members of a society use to cope with their world and with one another,and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning.13 3)Culture is an Integrated system of learned behavior patterns which are
13、 characteristic of the members of a society and which are not the result of biological inheritance.4)Culture is the deposit of knowledge,experience,beliefs,values,actions,attitudes,meanings,hierarchies,religion,notions of time,roles,spatial relations,concepts of the universe,and artifacts acquired b
14、y a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.14 5)Culture is the deposit of knowledge,experience,beliefs,values,actions,attitudes,meanings,hierarchies,religion,notions of time,roles,spatial relations,concepts of the universe,and artifacts acquired by a group
15、 of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.156)Culture is the total accumulation of beliefs,customs,values,behaviors,institutions and communication patterns that are shared,learned and passed down through the generations in an identifiable group of people.Definitio
16、n Final16Elements of Culture172.Characteristics of Culture181)Culture is shared The members of a culture share a set of ideals,values,and s t a n d a r d s o f behaviors,and this set of ideals is what gives meaning to their lives,and what bond them together as a culture.19 Actually,culture is not in
17、nate sensibility,but a learned characteristic.Children begin learning about their own culture at home with their immediate family and how they interact each other,how they dress,and the rituals they perform.When the children are growing in the community,their cultural education is advanced by watchi
18、ng social interactions,taking part in cultural activities and rituals in the community,forming their own relationships and taking their place in the culture.2)Culture is learned20In order for the culture to be transmitted from one person to the next,and from one generation to the next,a system of sy
19、mbols needs to be created that translates the ideals of the culture to its members.This is accomplished through language,art,religion and money.3)Culture is based on symbols.21For the sake of keeping the culture,functioning all aspects of the culture must be integrated.For example,the language must
20、be able to describe all the functions within the culture in order for ideas and ideals to be transmitted from one person to another.Without the integration of language into the fabric of the culture,confusion and dysfunction would reign and the culture would fail.4)Culture is integrated22It is neces
21、sary to recognize that cultures are dynamic rather than static.They are constantly changing and evolving under the impact of events and through contact with other cultures.Cultures change through three most common mechanisms:innovation,diffusion and acculturation(calamity).5)Culture is subjective to
22、 change 23Ethnocentrism is the belief that your own cultural background,including ways of analyzing problems,values,beliefs,language,and verbal and nonverbal communication,is correct.Ethnocentrists believe their culture is the central culture and other cultures are incorrect,ineffective,or quaint.6)
23、Culture is ethnocentric24.History offers so many examples of how cultures have changed as a result of laws,shifts in values,natural disasters,wars,or calamities.More and more women work as CEOs in major companies and as officials in government instead of remaining at home looking after children.Both
24、 women and men have made adaptation to this cultural change.7)Culture is adaptive253.The Difference between Chinese and Western Cultures26 CC:Man is an integral part of nature,comply with the wishes of nature.(天人合一，顺天应物天人合一，顺天应物)WC:Man is separate from nature,try to conquer the nature.(天人相分，征服自然天人相分
25、，征服自然)Man and Nation27 CC:Family ethnics first (家族伦理本位家族伦理本位)WC:Individuals first （个人本位）（个人本位）Conception of Family28 CC:Believe in harmony and the Doctrine of the Mean.贵和尚中。贵和尚中。WC:Trust in the spirit of reasons.理性精神。理性精神。Man and Man29The way of lifeIndividual vs Group30The way of making commentsDir
26、ect vs Indirect31 PunctualityOn time vs Late32Personal RelationshipSimple vs Complex33Standing in a queue Line vs Fan34Walking in a street on weekendsA few vs a crowd35Time for a showerIn the morning vs in the evening36Daily life of old peopleWith a dog vs with a child37Voice of talking in publicLow
27、 vs high38Idea of oneselfIndividual-centered vs group-centered39LeadershipEqual vs power40 Western:small,intimate family,retirement home,the old are separated,children leave early;being independent and look after themselves.Parents never interfere with their children affairs when they are old enough
28、.Family41Old separated Young independent42Washington and his Country43 Eastern:extended(relatives included),aged stay with family,the old are respected,children stay until married;children can never be completely independent and are children with their parents around.44A photo of a farm familyA phot
29、o of Ba Jins Family45 western:performance oriented,little rote memory,ability to solve problems;practical competence of running a business is more important.4647In 1979,one Chinese educational delegation went to the United States and one US educational delegation came to China and both of them made
30、a report after their visits.Two Educational Reports48 The Chinese report said The American students were much self-confident and independent.Their teachers encouraged them to do so instead of correcting them.The pupils knew limited vocabulary and solved mathematics problems with their fingers,but th
31、ey all had a strong desire for great inventions.In class,students were free to walk from seat to seat,talking without being controlled.49The US students in class50 The American report saidThe students sat on seats with their hands on the back.The teachers just talked and talked for several periods h
32、aving no time for water.The students had much assignment called homework.Those who had the highest score would be prized as“Three Good Students”with certificates.51The Chinese students in class5253Colors No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as reprinting the same social re
33、ality.The worlds in which different societies live are distinct worlds,not merely the same world with different labels attached.54A wedding ceremony55A Wedding Ceremony A funeral56 Red paper bag containing money as a gift 57585960 Two difficulties we may have when we translate meaning of concepts fr
34、om one language to another.Different languages organize the experience in their own way.Languages616263Five score years ago,a great American,in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation.One hundred years later,the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a
35、vast ocean of material prosperity.-I have a dream6465Traveling on the same boat results from a destiny of 100 years and a marriage comes from a destiny of 1000 years.66 God made marriageMarriage is made in Gods image67 To Further understand cultures,culture is human specific,which means that only hu
36、man beings have what can be called culture.686.Phenomena of Culture691)It is a social phenomenon,which means that culture is a cooperative product of human societies.端午祭（韩国）端午祭（韩国）端午节（中国）端午节（中国）702)It is a national phenomenon,which means that each nation has been living in its unique geographical an
37、d historical framework in which a unique culture has been established and developed.713)It is a historical phenomenon,which means that each generation inherits the culture established by its forefathers.72Case StudyWho is to blame,Father or Daughter?73A Chinese old man at the age of 60 went to Canad
38、a to see his daughter who stayed in the country for about eight years.Just for a kind of love to her father,the daughter asked her father to come and stayed with her family a few days.The father arrived happily,but left much earlier than expected so angrily.74 1.You took the wrong chopsticks.4.I sho
39、uld pay the ticket myself 2.Its none of your business 3.Why are so late?75The father was angry.He didnt understand why his daughter was so hard that she did not have any human touch or not show any filial obedience for her father.She was successful in Canada.She had her own company.She had a good pl
40、ace of her own.Everything was perfect.To the father,his daughter seemed to forget about the close relation within the family.He said angrily:She is no longer my daughter.But who is to blame,Father or Daughter?76Summary1.Understanding cultures 1)Iceberg;2)Onion;3)Software;4)Fish;5)Story2.Cultures Und
41、erstood in China and West 1)quoting famous people from the past.2)moving-fast train and keep with it.3)Man is a part of nature,and separate from nature.4)Family ethics first and individuals first.5)Harmony and doctrine of mean,and spirit of reasons3.Characteristics of culture 1)Shared;2)Learned;3)symbolic;4)integrated;5)dynamic;6)Ethnocentric;7)Adaptive 77
