Lecture 5 British Society and Culture文档格式.docx
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SocialClassSystem
2.WayofLife
FamilyandChildcare
Housing
Food
Religion
【教学难点】
Society
【计划课时】4periods
【主要内容】
Britishsocietytodayisknownforitsmulticulturalclimate,whichgivesstrengthanddiversitytoallaspectsofBritishculture.PeopleenjoyvariousindoorandoutdooractivitiesinBritain.Somevisitplacesofentertainmentandculturalactivitysuchasthetheatreoralibrary.Manygoondaytrips,orawayonholidays.Otheractivitiesinvolveinteractionwithtechnology,suchaswatchingtelevisionandlisteningtotheradio,andmorerecentlytheInternet.Althoughmoderntechnologyseemseverpresentineverydaylife,traditionalformsofleisure,suchasreadingbooksorgoingtothecinema,remainpopular.Manyindividualsparticipateinsportsandphysicalactivitiesintheirleisuretime,spendtimewithfriendsandfamily,helpotherpeopleorparticipateinreligiousworship.
ThroughouttheyeartheBritishcelebratemanyholidayswhichreflectthereligious,historical,socialandculturaldiversityoftheircountry.Theholidaysprovideanopportunityforfamiliesandfriendstogettogethertovisit,eat,exchangegiftsandgoodwishes.ThefoodanddrinksinBritainareveryspecialandtraditional.Morerecently,theBritishdiethasbeenenrichedbythevastarrayofethnicfoodsfrommanydifferentcountries,fromIndianandItaliantoChineseandThai.Besides,Britainisatea-drinkingnation.Sometimesitseemsthattheyarealwaysdrinkingtea.Teabreak,afternoontea,hightea,teatime,teaparty,teatowelandmanymoretermshavederivedfromthetraditionofdrinkingtea.
ThemediaarecentraltoBritishleisureculture.NotonlydotheBritishusethemediaforentertainment,themediaalsohavemanyotherfunctions.NewspapersandradioandTVprograms,forexample,provideBritishpeoplewithinformationaboutpoliticalandsocialissues;
provideweatherreports;
carryadvertising;
andprovideaforumforpeopletowritelettersorphoneintoexpresstheirviewsorseekadvice.Themediaalsoplayanimportantroleinengenderinganationalculture.Eventhoughthepeopleliveinverydifferentenvironments,ifevertheyweretomeet,theycoulddiscusswhattheyhadreadorseenandthiswouldremindthemthataspeoplelivinginBritaintheyareallpartofaparticularculture.
TheBritishalsohavesomecustomsandetiquettethataredifferenttothoseinothercountries.InaBritishweddingceremony,manytraditionsarefollowed.InBritain,peoplearejudgedbytheirtablemanners,especiallywheneatingoutorattendingformalfunctions.
1)CharactersofBritishPeople
A.Exclusiveness
Thebest-knownqualityofBritishpeopleand,inparticular,oftheEnglishpeopleistheirexclusiveness.Thismeans,“IamEnglish.Youstayawayfromme.Iamexclusive.Iamquitehappytobemyself.Idonotneedyou.Leavemealone.”Perhapstherearemanyreasons.Ofthesereasons,twoareveryimportant.OneisthespecialgeographicallocationofBritain.Britainisanislandcountrywhichiscutoff,separatedandisolatedfromtherestoftheworld.Theotheristhedistinctdevelopmentofitshistory.Britishpeopleareveryproudoftheirhistory.
B.Conservativeness
Britishpeoplethinktheirwayofdoingthingsisalwaysthebest,andalwaysthemostnormal.Sotheyarenotveryinterestedinnewideas.Theyareverycarefultowardsnewthings.Theywillsay,“Becareful.Itmightbedangerous”.Therearemanyexamplestoshowthis.Theydidnotadoptthemetricsystemuntil1975andthemonetarysystemuntil1971thoughtheyhadsufferedinconveniencefromadheringtotheoldways.Furthermore,thepublicattitudetothemonarchyillustratestheirconservativeness.MostBritishpeopleholdanaffectionandreverenceforit.Youseldomhearthemcomplainingaboutthehighcostofthetrappings马衣;
马饰andtheroyalyachtofthemonarchy.Infactyoucanperceivemanysoundandreasonableargumentsinfavorofthemonarchy.Forthemajorityofpeople,theyacceptitandtakeitforgranted.AnotherexampleisthatBritishpeopledonotacceptchangebecausetheyaretoldso.Theyfavortheoldways.WhencentralheatingwasdevelopedintheUSA,theEnglishpeoplethoughtthiswasahorriblething.Until1960,theycontinuedtohavethefireplaceinmosttowns.
C.Reserve/StiffUpperLip
Generally,Britishpeopletendtobeaveryreservedpeople.Sincetheyarenotimmediatelyfriendlyandopenwithstrangers,theyseemtobedifficulttogettoknow.Theyarenotthekindofpeopletoembracefriendswithopenarmsandareoffendedbybodycontact,suchaskissingandhugging,whenmeetingothers.Atanearlyage,childrenaretaughttocontroltheirfeelingsandkeepa“stiffupperlip”.
D.Politeness
InBritain,allpolitenessisbasedonthebasicruleofshowingconsiderationforothers.Britishpeopledonotreadilyaskyoutodoanythinginconvenientforthem.Theyprefertowaitforsuchservicetobeoffered,ratherthanaskforit.Sometimestheymakeofferssimplyoutofpoliteness,notreallyexpectingthemtobeaccepted,soyourejecttheofferswiththesamepoliteness.
Besides,Britishpeoplearequiteparticularabouttablemanners.Whenyouareinvitedtodinnerinaperson’shome,youshouldnotarriveearlysincethehostessispreparingforyourvisit.Tenminuteslateisexcellent.Attable,itisadvisabletositupstraight,copyeveryoneelse,gailyaskingwhattodoifyouarenotsureandkeeptheconversationgoing.Astowhentoleave,thereisnorule,butitismostimpolitetosaytoolate.
Britishpeopleusuallydonotcryandshoutinpublic.Theydonotcryinpubliceveniftheyareveryunhappy.Iftheysaygood-byetotheirintimatefriends,oreventheirmothers,theymaytrynottocry.Iftheycan’thelpcrying,theymustcovertheirfaceswiththeirhandsorhandkerchiefstorestraintheirfeelings.
DespitetheveryBritishreserve,theBritisharetremendouslygenerousandhospitable.Afterbeingintroduced,theywillgenuinelygotogreatlengthstomakebothfriendsandstrangersfeelathome.
E.SenseofHumor
TheBritishhaveawonderfulsenseofhumor.Thehumorisarathergentle,subtlehumor,oftendirectedagainstthemselves.AnEnglishmanlaughsathisownfaults,hisownshortcomings,hisownfailuresandhisownembarrassment.Heevenlaughsathisownideals.Thisisanattitudetowardsliferatherthanthemereabilitytolaughatjokes.Thisattitudeisnevercruelordisrespectfulorevenmalicious.
F.LoveofPrivacy
TheBritishcherishtheirownspaceandprivacymuchmorethanAmericansdo.Peoplewholiveincrowedapartmentbuildingsordenseurbanareasliketofeelthattheirspaceistheirown,sotheydonotusuallymixfreelywiththeirneighbors.Itisnotuncommonforpeopletolivenextdoortoeachotherforyearsandneverexchangemorethanapolitegreetingorknowanythingabouteachothers’privatelives.Whenpeopletravelbybusortrain,howevercrowedtheconditions,eachpersonkeepstohimself,readingabookornewspaperandrarelyconservingwithhisfellowtravelers.Infact,hemightconsiderittobequiteanimpositionifastrangertriedtostrikeupaconversationwithhim.
2)MannersandEtiquette
GoodmannersareveryimportanttotheBritish.Tablemannersareoneofthefirstsocialbehaviorstaughttoyoungchildren.
DOsandDON'
TS(Taboos)inEngland
●Dostandinline:
●InEnglandweliketoformorderlyqueues(standinginline)andwaitpatientlyforourturne.g.boardingabus.Itisusualtoqueuewhenrequired,andexpectedthatyouwilltakeyourcorrectturnandnotpushinfront.'
Queuejumping'
isfrownedupon.
●Dotakeyourhatoffwhenyougoindoors(menonly):
●Itisimpoliteformentowearhatsindoorsespeciallyinchurches.
●Nowadays,itisbecomingmorecommontoseemenwearinghatsindoors.However,thisisstillseenasbeingimpolite,especiallytotheoldergenerations.
●Dosay"
ExcuseMe“:
●Ifsomeoneisblockingyourwayandyouwouldlikethemtomove,sayexcusemeandtheywillmoveoutofyourway.
●DoPayasyouGo:
●Payfordrinksasyouordertheminpubsandothertypesofbars.
Please"
and"
Thankyou"
:
●Itisverygoodmannerstosay"
please"
thankyou"
.Itisconsideredrudeifyoudon'
t.YouwillnoticeinEnglandthatwesay'
thankyou'
alot.
●DocoveryourMouth:
●Whenyawningorcoughingalwayscoveryourmouthwithyourhand.
●DoShakeHands:
●Whenyouarefirstintroducedtosomeone,shaketheirrighthandwithyourownrighthand.
●Dosaysorry:
●Ifyouaccidentallybumpintosomeone,say'
sorry'
.Theyprobablywilltoo,evenifitwasyourfault!
Thisisahabitandcanbeseenasveryamusingbyan'
outsider'
.
●DoSmile:
●Asmilingfaceisawelcomingface.
●DoDriveontheleftsideoftheroad
●Doopendoorsforotherpeople
●Menandwomenbothholdopenthedoorforeachother.Itdependsonwhogoesthroughthedoorfirst.
===================================================================
●Donotgreetpeoplewithakiss:
Weonlykisspeoplewhoareclosefriendsandrelatives.
●Avoidtalkingloudlyinpublic
●Itisimpolitetostareatanyoneinpublic.
Privacyishighlyregarded.
●Donotaskaladyherage
Itisconsideredimpolitetoaskaladyherage
●Donotpickyournoseinpublic:
Wearedisgustedbythis.Ifyournostrilsneedde-bugging,useahandkerchief.