Identifying aspects of culture

What are the kinds of things that lie above or below the surface? Take a look at these sample items and place them on the iceberg, the more visible elements going above the water line and the less visible below.

 

____ clothing ____ methods of worship ____ rules of politeness

____ views on equality ____ time management ____ relationship with nature

____ religious beliefs ____ tipping customs ____ attitude toward sexuality

____ personal distance ____ gestures ____ degree of eye contact

 

Reflection questions:

¨ Did you place some items both above and below? If so, why?

¨ Were some items difficult to place?

¨ Where, for example, did you place method of worship? If you don’t have any visible signs of worship (like going to a public place of worship), what does that mean? Would someone come to learn about your own religious beliefs?

¨ Most would place “views on equality” in the deep aspects of culture. What might be visible signs that you are a feminist or support gender equality among men and women? Are there signs in the way you dress? Speak? What visible signs are there about equality among social classes?

 

 

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 3

 

Тема:

Культура и культурное многообразие мира

Продолжительность 2 часа

План занятия:

 

1. Metaphors of culture (iceberg/continuum/mental programming metaphors).

1. Taxonomies of Cultural Patterns:
1. E. Stewart’s cultural patterns;
2. E.T. Hall’s cultural patterns;
3. G. Hofstede’s cultural patterns.
4. H.C. Triandis’ cultural patterns

 

Recommended Reading:

1. Joseph A. DeVito. Messages (4^th ed.). Longman, 1999. (pp. 239 – 243).

2. Edward T. Hall & Mildred R. Hall. Understanding Cultural Differences. Intercultural Press, INC, 1987. (pp.6-10; 183).

3. Lustig M.W. & Koester J. Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures. Harper Collins College Publishers, 1993. (pp. 115-147).

4. Triandis H.C. Culture and Conflict. In: Samovar L. A., Porter R. E. Intercultural Communication. A Reader. 10^th Edition. Wordsworth, 2003.

5. Елизарова Г.В. Культура и обучение иностранным языкамю – Санкт-Петербург: Из-во «Союз», 2001.(С. 9 – 35)

6.Гришаева Л.И., Цурикова Л.В. Введение в теорию межкультурной коммуникации. 3-е изд., испр. – М.: Издательский центр «Академия», 2006. (с. 17 -56)

VOCABULARY QUIZ

collectivistic culture

individualistic culture

high-context culture

low-context culture

tight culture (culture with high UAI)

loose culture (culture with low UAI)

vertical culture (culture with high PDI)

horizontal culture (culture with low PDI)

active (doing) culture

passive (being) culture

universalist culture

particularist culture

diffuse culture

specific culture

instrumental culture

expressive culture

masculine culture

feminine culture

SOME INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE CULTURE DIFFERENCES

__________________________________________________

As you read through this table, consider which statements you agree with and which you disagree with and how these beliefs influence your communications. Can you identify additional difference between individual and collective cultures?

Individual (low-context) Culture Collective (high-context) Culture

Your goals are most important The group’s goals are most important

 

You’re responsible for yourself You’re responsible for the entire

and to your own conscience group and to the groups’ values and rules

 

Success depends on your surpassing Success depends on your contribution

others; competition is emphasized to the group; cooperation is emphasized

 

Clear distinction is made between Little distinction is made between

leaders and members leaders and members; leadership is

normally shared

 

Personal relationships are less important; Personal relationships are extremely

hence, little time is spent getting to know important; hence, much time is spent

each other in meetings getting to know each other in meetings

 

Directness is valued; face-saving Indirectness is valued; face-saving is a

is seldom considered major consideration

Give examples to illustrate:

Individualistic (low-context) and Collectivistic (high-context) culture differences that may result in misunderstanding in intercultural communication

 

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 4

Тема:

Культура и восприятие. Ценностная картина мира.

 

Продолжительность 2 часа

План занятия:

1. Perception:

a) attributional process;

b) belief, value, attitude systems;

c) world view;

d) social organization.

 

Recommended Reading:

 

1. M. Lebedko. Culture Bumps: Overcoming misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication. Vladivostok, 2000. pp. 132 – 141

2. J.A. DeVito. Messages. Longman, 1999. P. 234 – 235.

3.Елизарова Г.В. Культура и обучение иностранным языкам. – Санкт-Петербург: Из-во «Союз», 2001. С. 106-110.

Give examples to illustrate:

Cultural contrasts in values.

 

 

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 5

Тема:

Культурная идентичность

Продолжительность 2 часа

План занятия:

 

1. Identity and communication:

a) Perspectives toward understanding identity:

- social psychological perspective;

- communication perspective;

- critical perspective

 

b) Social and Cultural Identities:

- gender identity;

- age identity;

- racial and ethnic identity;

- national identity;

- regional identity;

- personal identity;

- multiracial and multicultural people

(encapsulated and constructive marginals).

 

c) Identity and Language.

 

d) Identity and Communication.

 

Recommended Reading:

 

1. Martin J.N. & Nakayama Th.K. Intercultural Communication in Contexts. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997. P. 63 – 76; 84 – 88.

 

INDIVIDUAL PROJECT: Culture collage.

Create a collage that can be used to visually tell the class about yourself. Focus on telling us about your culture – your background, cultural values, cultural experience, etc. This is a way for you to share who you are with the class. Take time and care with this project. You are presenting yourself – use your creativity.

VOCABULARY QUIZ

 

encapsulated marginals

constructive marginals

avowal

ascription

 

 

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 6

 

Тема:

«Свой» и «чужой». Стереотипы и предрассудки в межкультурной коммуникации

Продолжительность 2 часа

План занятия:

 

1. Ethnocentrism.

 

2. The fear of the foreign

- How do scholars (Freud, Kristeva, Erdheim) explain the fear of the foreign?

- What are the two contradictory reactions in which the fear of the foreign can result?

- Define xenophobia and exoticism.

- What caused xenophobia in Europe in recent years?

- What are the possible consequences of xenophobia?

3. Stereotype and Prejudice.

 

Recommended Reading:

1. Тер-Минасова С. Г. Язык и межкультурная коммуникация. М.: Слово, 2000. (C. 112 – 132).

2. Гришаева Л.И., Цурикова Л.В. Введение в теорию межкультурной коммуникации. 3-е изд., испр. – М.: Издательский центр «Академия», 2006. (с. 117-140)

3. Зданоски Д.. Преодолевая культурные барьеры. Петрозаводск: Изд-во “Verso”, 2003. (С. 112 – 118).

4. Елизарова Г.В. Культура и обучение иностранным языкамю – Санкт-Петербург: Из-во «Союз», 2001. С. 121-132.

5. Lustig M.W. & Koester J. Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures. Harper Collins College Publishers, 1993. (pp. 276-286)

Give examples to illustrate:

Cultural stereotypes.

VOCABULARY QUIZ

 

ethnocentrism prejudice

emigration resettlement

segregation xenophobia

apartheid exoticism

assimilation extermination

stereotype genocide

expulsion

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 7

 

Тема:

Язык и культура

Продолжительность 2 часа

План занятия:

 

1. Language and Culture:

a) language, thought, and intercultural communication;

b) cultural attitudes toward verbal messages.

 

2. The conceptual and language pictures of the world: universal and idioethnic.

· the conceptual picture of the world;

· the language picture of the world.

 

3. Verbal communication styles:

· direct – indirect styles;

· elaborate – exact – succinct styles;

· personal – contextual styles;

· instrumental – affective styles;

· variations in contextual rules.

 

4. Turn-taking. Interrupting. High-involvement – low-involvement cultures.

 

Recommended Reading:

1. С. Г. Тер-Минасова. Язык и межкультурная коммуникация. М., 2000. С. 38 – 51.

2.Гришаева Л.И., Цурикова Л.В. Введение в теорию межкультурной коммуникации. 3-е изд., испр. – М.: Издательский центр «Академия», 2006. (с. 198 – 222)

3. Гудков Д. Теория и практика межкультурной коммуникации. – М.: ИТДГК «Гнозис», 2003. C. 29-50.

4. Елизарова Г.В. Культура и обучение иностранным языкамю – Санкт-Петербург: Из-во «Союз», 2001. С. 134-139; 35-42.

5. Martin J.N. & Nakayama Th.K. Intercultural Communication in Contexts. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997. P. 117-128.

6.Lustig M.W. & Koester J. Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication Across Cultures. Harper Collins College Publishers, 1993. (pp. 155-173)

Give examples to illustrate:

Language and Culture are inseparable.

MATCH THE DESCRIPTIONS OF INTERACTION STYLES WITH CULTURES:

 

CULTURES: 1. US (NORTH AMERICAN) CULTURE

2. NORTH AMERICAN AND BRITISH CULTURES

3. JAPANESE CULTURE

4. LATIN CULTURES: ITALY, MEXICO

5. ARABIC CULTURES

6. FRENCH CULTURE

 

a) a person who speaks little is trusted more than a person who speaks a great deal;

b) the ideal conversation for them would resemble a perfect spider’s web: delicate, fragile, elegant, brilliant, of harmonious proportions, a work of art. But this type of conversation is reserved only for close relationships and it is used in informal situations. In “serious conversations”, long, interrupted responses and attentive listening are used;

c) self-congratulation and self-praise are common to the speakers. Describing one’s own accomplishments, the high status of one’s friends, or the superiority of one’s abilities in exaggerated terms is usual;

d) lots of noise characterizes conversation, and often two or more people talk at one time;

e) words are taken literally at their face value, in most situations. Bluntness is admired in many situations. Showing your best side in a job interview, for example, means saying clearly what your accomplishments and abilities are;

f) a moment of silence after someone speaks is respectful; it suggests thoughtful contemplation of what has been said;

g) the general preference in this culture is for exaggeration and overstatement. Words like terrific, great, catastrophe, and tragedy occur in ordinary speech and refer to things that are not so tremendous after all;

h) exaggerations, figures of speech, and repetition are some of the ways this language lends itself to the exuberant use of words. The language itself has a power over listeners or readers; the words can have more impact and more reality than what they describe. So, words can be used for their own sake, not for the meaning they convey;

i) they enjoy talk as one of the greatest pleasures of life. Not all that is verbalized is taken literally, but enjoyment comes from the act of verbal and non-verbal connection with others;

j) to boast about one’s own powers and achievements is very bad taste. It is putting oneself above others, which is shameful in this culture;

k) using the right word, the best word to communicate meaning is especially admired;

l) listeners wait until a speaker is finished before speaking themselves;

m) the speakers tend to use language in a bridge pattern that goes more or less in a straight line from the first idea to the next and so on to the conclusion;

n) interrupting someone is rude in this culture.

 

VOCABULARY QUIZ

direct style

indirect style

elaborate style

exact style

succinct style

personal style

contextual style

instrumental style

affective style

high-involvement style

low-involvement style

 

 

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 8

 

Тема:

Изучение иноязычной культуры через изучение языка

Продолжительность 2 часа

План занятия:

1. Miscommunication in intercultural discourse:

c) problems of communication;

d) miscommunication due to pronunciation, choice of words, grammar.

 

1. Pragmatics. Pragmatic errors in intercultural communication.
2. Culture and speech acts.

 

 

Recommended Reading:

 

1. Тер-Минасова С.Г. Язык и межкультурная коммуникация. М., 2000. C. 52 – 79;147 – 160; 215 – 228.

2.Елизарова Г.В. Культура и обучение иностранным языкам. – Санкт-Петербург: Из-во «Союз», 2001. C. 42-93.

3. Гудков Д. Теория и практика межкультурной коммуникации. – М.: ИТДГК «Гнозис», 2003. C. 141-146.

Give examples to illustrate:

1. Miscommunication due to incorrect pronunciation.

2. Miscommunication due to the connotative component of a lexical unit.

3. Miscommunication due to incorrect choice of words.

4. Pragmalinguistic errors.

5. Sociopragmatic errors.

 

VOCABULARY QUIZ

 

noncommunication

communication break-off

misunderstanding

incomplete understanding

pragmalinguistic errors

sociopragmatic errors

 

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 9

 

Тема:

Освоение культуры.

Продолжительность 2 часа

План занятия:

1. Culture shock.

2. Cultural adaptation:

• developmental approaches to cultural adaptation;
• individual influences on adaptation;
• context and adaptation;
• identity and adaptation;
• modes of adaptation;
• adapting on reentry.

 

Recommended Reading:

 

1. J. Martin & Th. Nakayama. Intercultural Communication in Contexts. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997. P. 170 – 172; 177 – 183.

2. Елизарова Г.В. Культура и обучение иностранным языкам. – Санкт-Петербург: Из-во «Союз», 2001. C. 149-172.

Give examples to illustrate:

1. Dependence of cultural adaptation on the context.

2. “Social clock” in different cultures.

VOCABULARY QUIZ

 

integration

marginalization

assimilation

culture shock

 

 

СЕМИНАРСКОЕ ЗАНЯТИЕ № 10

 

Тема: