Lecture 5 British Society and Culture.docx

Lecture 5 British Society and Culture.docx

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Lecture5BritishSocietyandCulture

Lecture5BritishSocietyandCulture

【教学目的与要求】

通过学习，使学生了解英国社会生活的主要方面，包括社会阶级、宗教、媒体、日常生活、娱乐休闲等。

【教学重点】

1.Society

ØCharactersofBritishPeople

ØMannersandEtiquette

ØBritishPageantryandRoyalty

ØSocialClassSystem

2.WayofLife

ØFamilyandChildcare

ØHousing

ØFood

ØReligion

【教学难点】

Society

ØMannersandEtiquette

ØSocialClassSystem

【计划课时】4periods

【主要内容】

1.Society

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.

●Dosay"Please"and"Thankyou":

●Itisverygoodmannerstosay"please"and"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.

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●Donotgreetpeoplewithakiss:

Weonlykisspeoplewhoareclosefriendsandrelatives.

●Avoidtalkingloudlyinpublic

●Itisimpolitetostareatanyoneinpublic.

Privacyishighlyregarded.

●Donotaskaladyherage

Itisconsideredimpolitetoaskaladyherage

●Donotpickyournoseinpublic:

Wearedisgustedbythis.Ifyournostrilsneedde-bugging,useahandkerchief.