Senin, 14 Mei 2012

CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING


DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE


A.   SOME DEFINISION OF CULTURE

·        Sir Edward Taylor
Culture is that complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society
·        Patrick R. Moran
Culture is the evolving way of life of group of persons, consisting of a shared set of practices associated with a shared set of products, based upon a shared of perspectives
·        The basic definition of culture
Culture is the pattern of thought and behavior that are transmitted by a society that can be used to predict the actions of members of that culture
·        Culture is an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
·        The sets of shared attitudes, values, goals and practice that characterize an institution, organization or group
·        Oxford dictionary
Culture is customs, beliefs, art, and way of life

B.   CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

      Culture is shared, by which mean that every culture is shared by a group of people. Depending on the region they live in, the climatic conditions they thrive in another historical heritage, they form a set of values and beliefs. This set of their principles of life shapes their culture. No culture belongs to an individual. It is rather shared among many people of a certain part of the world. It belongs to a single community and does not any single human being.
      Culture is learned. The members of a culture share certain ideals, which shape their lives. Generations learn to follow these ideals and principles. Culture propagates thought generations, which adapt their old customs and traditions as a part of their culture. The ideals they base their lives on as a part of their culture. Culture values are imparted from one generation to another. Thus resulting in a continual of traditions that are a part of culture. The language, the literature and the art forms pass across generations. Culture is learned, understood and adopted by the younger generation society. No individual is born with a sense of his/ her culture. He/ she have to learn it.

Some characteristics of culture, they are:

1.     Culture is learned and acquired. Not all things shared generally by a population are cultural for it to be considered cultural it must be first learned as well as shared
2.     Culture is shared and transmitted. Culture is passed on to succeeding generations primarily through Language/ Communication
3.     Culture is social. Product develops by many people interacting in a group. No man is an island; he is always a part of a group
4.     Culture is ideational. Culture uses ideas and symbols to give meanings to his environment and experiences. Every individual sees and approaches his world according to standpoint of his culture
5.     Culture gratifies human needs. Human has biological needs such as food, shelter, clothing, protection, love, security and sex
6.     Culture is adaptive
7.     Culture is cumulative. People are able to retain certain features of their culture that are Significant


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C.   THE FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE

1.     Trademark or special feature that distinguishes one society from another
2.     Brings together, contains and interprets the values of a society in a more or less systematic manner
3.     Provides one of the most important bases for social solidarity. Social Solidarity inspires loyalty and devotion. When the nation has common feelings, common objectives it results to common national pride
4.     Provides a blue print of, as well as the materials for social structure
5.     The culture of any society is the dominant factor in establishing and molding the social personality. Social stamp is expected despite differences of individuals
6.     Culture of a society provides behavioral pattern. It also provides norm to follow. This explains why student will not come in class wearing her bathing suit.
7.     Culture provides individual with the meaning and direction of his existence
8.     Culture shape behavior
9.     Culture provides a standard by which we evaluate other’s behavior
10.             Culture gives meaning to event or acts
11.             Culture allow for communication of event or acts
12.             Culture provides boundary maintenance ( differentiates one ethnic/ cultural group from another)

‘’ The function of culture is to give us an all encompassing pattern for living. It provides us with the rules for our membership of humankind within a social group’’








REFERENCES
Patrick R. Moran. 2001. ‘’Teaching Culture’’. Newbury House Teacher       Development
Wikibooks.org/wiki/ IB-cultural
http://www.Uwec. Education/bonstem

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