Н.Э. Шарабарина, Л.В. Кулик - English for Junior Students of the Humanities - Unit 2 (1110503), страница 10
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It isa 25 fascinating study but outside the scope and length of this book which deals withhow those underlying differences manifest themselves in peoples day-to-day behaviourat work.Culture is a woolly, flakey, pretentious, unbusinesslike, mildly derisive word like'intellectual' or 'bureaucratic'. There have been attempts to find alternatives, such asclimate or organisational ideology, but they are equally unsatisfactory. Culture has been36defined in many ways, including the following:A collective programming of the mind.The sum total of all the beliefs, values and norms shared by a group of people.The methods a society evolves to solve problems.Everything we take for granted.Patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting, acquired and transmitted mainly bysymbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups including theirembodiment in artefacts: the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas andespecially their attached values.
In many ways, culture could be described as thepersonality of society. The definition of culture as it is used from this point on in thebook is:The way we do things round here.( from Insights into Academic Writing )EXERCISE 6Read the text. As you read, make a list of all cultural differencesmentioned in it. Discuss them in groups.EXERCISE 7Which definition of 'culture' given in the text is most appealing toyou? Explain it in your own words.EXERCISE 8Read the text and answer the questions after it.We are repeatedly warned to be aware of generalizations, yet, paradoxically it seems thatthe human mind cannot resist categorizing people and things.
We love to 'pigeon-hole', tomake order out of a universe than frequently seems to us confusing and even chaotic.Nowhere is this tendency more evident than in our willingness to generalize aboutnationalities. We create national stereotypes and cling to our prejudices. To illustrate thispoint, we shall take a look at the findings of a survey carried out by the market research firm,Parkland Research Europe.This organization carried out a detailed study of European attitudes by questioning 185business executives, lawyers, engineers, teachers and other professional people from sevenEuropean countries.
These were: Germany; France; Britain; Switzerland; Italy; theNetherlands; Belgium. The resulting publication Guide to National Practices in WesternEurope, gave some idea of what Europeans think of each other. It revealed many widely-heldstereotypes, but also came up with a few surprises. In the chart below, some of the data fromthis survey is summarized.PARKLAND FINDINGSGermansLiked themselves best of all. Most Europeans agreed that the Germans had thehighest proportion of good qualities. They considered themselves very tolerant, but nobodyelse did. They saw themselves as fashionable. Others found them 'square'.FrenchNot really admired by anyone except the Italians.
Other Europeans found them conservative,withdrawn, chauvinistic, brilliant, superficial, hedonistic. Also, not very friendly. TheFrench agreed on the last point!37BritishMixed reactions. Some found them calm, reserved, open-minded, trustworthy; others deemedthem conservative , insular and superior. Everyone was unanimous that the British had anexcellent sense of humour. The British most admired the Dutch.SwissShowed considerable lucidity and powers of self-analysis. Saw themselves as serious,trustworthy, but too money-minded and suspicious. Most Europeans agreed. The Swiss likedthe Germans best.ItaliansGenerally considered by everyone to be lazy and untrustworthy, and the Italians agreed!Most also found them to be vivacious, charming, hospitable and noisy.
The Italians admiredthe French and the Dutch. Hardly anyone loved the Italians except the French.DutchMost admired people in Europe — except by their neighbours — the Belgians. Everyoneagreed that the Dutch are hard-working, thrifty, good-natured, tolerant and business-minded.The Netherlands, however, was not considered a good place to live in.BelgiansLeast admired in this group. They see themselves as easy-going and diligent workers. OtherEuropeans consider them undisciplined and narrow-minded - and lousy drivers!1. Did these national stereotypes coincide with your generalizations or did they come upwith a few surprises ?2. What are your generalizations of this nature? Carry out a survey among yourgroupmates on this subject?EXERCISE 9Write a similar description for the Russians.EXERCISE 10It is common knowledge that proverbs are the wisdom of peoples.They contain a nations folk philosophy along with the spice ofnational culture and, above all, the peculiar flavour of the nation'slanguage.1.
Can you guess what these sayings mean :double Dutch; Dutch comfort; I ' m a Dutchman i f . . . ;to take a French leave ?2. Think of more proverbs or sayings based on national stereotypes.38DON'T WORRY - JUST SMILE !You don't speak the language? Don't worry, just smile! That's what the experts oncommunication skills are saying. It's easy to communicate when you travel abroad. Smile,look at people in a friendly way and point at things and people will understand you.
Or willthey? People in different countries request things in different ways.•The British say " please " and " thank you " more than Americans. When they buysomething British may say " thank you " two or three times during theconversation. The Americans say " thank you " once.•Americans always reply " you're welcome " after " thank you " the Britishsometimes reply " thank you ", or sometimes don't reply.•In Northern European countries ( e.g.
Scandinavia, The Netherlands, Poland andGermany ), people request things simply and directly and their intonation soundslike an English command.•In Southern Europe, a smile, friendly body language and eye contact are veryimportant when you requesting something.•In Asia, people sometimes give a very small bow and often look away whenrequesting something.( from HANDSHAKE by P. Viney and K.
Viney)EXERCISE 11Which of the things below are important in your country whenyou are requesting something ?smilingfriendly body languageeye contact politeformulas politeintonationEXERCISE 12 Complete the questionaire, then compare your answers with apartner. You may tick more than one box.QUESTIONAIREWhen do acquaintances shake hands in your country?D they don't shake hands at allD every time they meet during a dayD when they meet for the first time during a dayD when they say goodbyeWhen do people bow in your country?□ they don't bow□ they bow only to Heads of StateD they bow to superiorsD they bow to customers□ acquaintances bow when they meet39Which of these groups hug?D no one hugD women hug womenD men hug women, women hug menD men hug menD adults hug childrenWhich people kiss each other when they meet in your country? Dno one kisses in public in my country D close relatives□ people in love□ good friendsD acquaintances□ colleagues□ strangersA man meets a woman business friend.
What happens?□ they don't kiss□ they kiss once (on one cheek)D they kiss twice (once on each cheek) Dthey kiss three times on the cheeks□ kiss on the lipsD he kisses her handEXERCISE 13 Comment on the problem tackled in the text.Словесность народа есть говорящая картина его нравов, обычаев и образа жизни.В каждом писателе как бы невольно пробиваются черты народные. Таким образомпочти можно угадать сочинение немца, англичанина или француза, хотя бы и впереводе, хотя бы даже переводчик скрыл имя автора и утаил, из какого языкапредложено сочинение .. .Немец лучше всего описывает прелести природы, тишинуполей, мирную жизнь сельскую или изображает собственные чувства, стараетсяпередать едва прелестные оттенки разных ощущений, волновавших его безмятежноесердце.
На свет и людей он смотрит как бы сквозь увеличительное стекло, и еслиони составляют предмет его картин, то он почти всегда представляет их висполинском, часто устрашающем виде. Англичанин ... с особенным искусствомсписывает характеры: он вглядывается, так сказать, в душу людей и оттуда выводитнаружу страсти, показывает их на лице, движениях и в делах. Родясь под небомпасмурным и туманным, он впитывает с воздухом и унылость, и задумчивость;окруженный морем и огражденный грозными скалами, он хочет передать другимвпечатление, рожденные в душе его дикими красотами природы.
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