what-is-culture

Chapter11.1Whatisculture?Cultureisanabstractconcept,whichincludesmanyaspectsinourdailylife.ItishardtoofferanexactandcompletedefinitionofCulture.Insimplewords,cultureisthewayoflifesharedbyanentiresociety.(学生用书P14/第一行：Cultureisessentiallyagroupofpeoplewhocarrymanyofthesameideasintheirheads.)Cultureisreflectedordisplayedbyavarietyofcategories:traditionsandcustoms,religiousbeliefs,eatinghabits,artandliterature,values,stylesofdress,etc.Aswelearnaboutothercultures,weshouldcultivatetwogoodhabitsfromthestart.First,buildthehabitofconsciouslymakinganefforttoavoidstereotypes(成见)；Second,buildthehabitofmakingaconsciouseffortnotjudgeotherculturestooquickly.Oneofthebestwaystoavoidjudgingnegativelyisbycultivatingthehabitofdescribingthingsinsteadofevaluatingthem.(学生用书P14-15)1.2Featuresofculture----Cultureiscoherent（合乎逻辑的）；----Cultureislearned（可以习得的）；----Cultureisdynamic(动态发展的)；----Culturerepresentsthesharedviewpointsofacommunity（反映共识）；----Culturerankswhatisimportant（决定价值观的是非轻重）；1.3CultureandlanguageCultureandlanguageareintertwined,theyshapeeachother.Itisimpossibletoseparatethetwo.Ifweusethelanguagewithoutknowledgeofthetargetculture,wemaynotbeagoodcommunicatorandwemaysendwrongmessages.Therelationshipbetweencultureandlanguagecanbedescribedasfollows:----Languagehelpsincommunicationsbetweenpeoplefromdifferentculturalbackground；----Culturalknowledgecanalsohelpusunderstandthelanguagebeingused.Thuslearningalanguageisactuallylearningacultureandviceversa.Inordertoachievesuccessfulandeffectivecommunication，culturalknowledgeisasimportantaslanguageskills.1.4Cultureshock(文化冲击)Cultureshockreferstothephysicalandemotionaluneasinesswhenoneislivinginacompletelynewcultureorsociety.（学生用书P58：Cultureshockdescribeswhathappenswheneveronepersonencountersadifferentculture.）5stagesofcultureshock:A.Thehoneymoonstage:curiosity,excitement(兴奋期)B.Thenegotiation/hostilitystage:dissatisfaction,depression（挣扎期/敌对期）C.There-integration/recoverystage:noloneliness,happiness(恢复期)D.Theautonomy/adjustmentstage:familiarity,confidence(适应期)E.There-entryshockstage:noenduranceofone’shomeculture（逆反文化冲击）3possibletipstodealwithcultureshock:A.Readaboutthetargetcountryanditsculturebeforeleavingforaforeigncountry;B.Beingopen-mindedaboutthecultureyouvisitandjudgeitmorepositively;C.Beingpatientwithpeoplefromanothercultureandrespondingtotheminamorefriendlyway.