BRITISH CULTURAL TRAITS - раздел Философия, Great Britain. Culture & Traditions. Background.There Is A Considerable Diversity Of Culture Amon...
Background.There is a considerable diversity of culture among British people. British does not equal English! The British people are made up of Scots, Welsh and English, and react a little sensitively to being lumped together as ‘English’. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but not of Great Britain. Being a small nation with many different accents and expressions, it is hard to define national characteristics. The following are some generalisations, which may help in understanding problem areas when a Briton encounters someone of a different culture. It needs to be remembered though that each individual Briton is different and there can be quite a strong nationalistic tendency. Britain has a strong history of colonising many areas of the world.
Independent. The British favour individualism rather than group orientation. A modern trend of thought is, ‘If it feels good to me, I will do it’ - without consideration for others. Britons like privacy. ‘An Englishman’s home is his castle’. This old saying sums up a fairly widespread tendency. Much of daily life is carried on indoors with the door shut. Doubtless the climate has played a part in this! Probably ninety per cent of visits are pre-arranged, rather than just casually dropping in on friends. Some people, especially older ones, can be really disturbed by having unexpected visitors. However, amongst close friends there is usually more freedom, and to some it can be an encouraging sign of acceptance to find that friends are happy to ‘drop in’ and visit on a casual basis. Certain information is thought of as private. This information is normally about personal details; e.g. older people would probably still not like being asked a direct question about their age. It is not acceptable to ask a childless couple why they have no children. People do not like to be asked how much money they earn.
Reservation. Most Britons tend to be reserved until they get to know someone. They do not quickly share their deeper feelings. Many would disassociate themselves from loud extrovert types, especially in public. British people often do not find it easy to try new things like food (though this is gradually changing). This would probably be truer of people from the north of the country than those from the south. A general tendency is to think before making decisions rather than acting on impulse.
Language. Britons are fairly tolerant of the misuse of the English language. They seem to prefer hearing someone speak English badly, rather than making the effort to learn a foreign language themselves. Perhaps the biggest problems with the use of English come with Americans who ought to speak English, but then use different words! Punctuality. This is a virtue for most British people. People are expected to arrive on time, or early, for meetings. For parties however, it is quite acceptable to be thirty minutes late. Britons do not like to be asked to do something at the last minute unless it is a real emergency. They like to be organized and plan ahead, both in personal matters, and in the administration of their work/ministry.
The queue is typically British, even if they borrow a French word to describe it. One is expected to queue in shops and for transport. Someone who ‘jumps’ a queue is engaging in uncivilized behaviour. Britons also prefer speedy, concise explanations of situations or requests. For example, bad news should be broken fairly quickly. If a death has to be announced, no more than a minute or two at the most should elapse between saying ‘I have bad news for you’ and telling of the death.
Disability and Death. The average person is unfamiliar with death at close quarters. Many Britons have never seen a dead person. Specialists deal with dying and dead people. People with severe physical and mental handicaps are also frequently kept apart from the general population. Lack of familiarity leads to a feeling of uneasiness when confronted with the severely disabled. It is expected that grief will be expressed quietly. This is especially true for men. Men do not cry, and the ‘stiff upper lip’ mentality has been greatly admired by the British. Amongst younger people however, there is more understanding of the need for men to express grief too, and that within reason it is alright for men to cry.
Finance. Standards of living in Britain have increased considerably in recent years. Many people have ‘luxuries’ which they see as ‘necessities’. Young people expect to start married life with everything rather than gradually acquiring their household needs. Sometimes this leads to debts, which then have to be paid off in instalments. People are not used to ‘making do’ any more. Older Britons would probably tend to live fairly carefully and simply and could be judgemental of others who are seen to be more extravagant.
Family. The immediate family consists of mother, father and children. Many children move away from home around the age of eighteen. Newly married couples rarely live with their in-laws. Elderly parents either live alone for as long as they are able or enter a home for the aged. An adult child will oversee such an arrangement but does not feel an obligation to take the parent into his own home. Because of the country’s National Benefit Scheme, children are not financially responsible for their elderly parents. In recent years there has been a marked change in family life. There are many extra-marital relationships and many choose not to legally marry but rather live together as ‘partners’.
Children. General tendencies are for insufficient parental discipline and family togetherness. Television has played a big part in the decline of family pursuits and most children watch many hours per week. The once common phrase, ‘Children are to be seen and not heard’ no longer applies. Children in some homes can dominate all that is taking place. Parents would not usually take kindly to other people disciplining their children if they were present themselves. Some would not be happy for others to discipline their children even if they weren’t present. Physical punishment is much less applied than used to be the case.
Relationships. The background of people can have a considerable effect on their abilities in inter-personal relationships. There are clear differences in attitudes between the north and the south of Britain. The location of your upbringing affects not only accent, and social background, but also your attitudes to money, humour, nationalistic tendencies, and your expectations of other people. Northern people are more open and blunt but also more friendly to strangers. Southerners are more reserved in expressing their opinions, and generally less ready to open up conversations with people they do not know, unless something unusual has happened. An example of this would be if a heavy fall of snow caused travelling difficulties for southerners, a sense of camaraderie could arise amongst people trying to get to work.
Religion. Britain was once considered a ‘Christian country’. Religion generally has little place these days. Church-going is not fashionable and Christian teaching, once accepted so readily in schools, is no longer welcome. Britain is openly multicultural and other religions exercise more influence on the political sphere.
Miscellaneous. Handshaking is no longer typically British. Sometimes, especially with older folk, this is still done when being introduced to strangers. With friends it is not normal to shake hands, usually a smile and a question as to how they are is sufficient. With a close friend greeting with a hug is usual. Social space is important. A Briton would start to feel uncomfortable when standing face to face with someone at less than about a metre distant. (This would not apply in a crowded situation where closeness is unavoidable.) When travelling on public transport a Briton would normally only sit next to a stranger when no other seat is available. A degree of resentment may be felt if well-meaning advice is offered without it being asked for, especially in the sensitive areas of family, husband/wife relationships, etc.
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Teenagers and students life in England. Dating and marriage customs in Britain.
Pocket Money.The average amount of pocket money for seven to 11-year-olds is £6.31 per week. The average amount of pocket money for 12 to 16-year-olds is £9.15 per week
Marriage.
What is the legal age for marrying in the UK?
In England and Wales people cannot marry if they are aged 16 or 17 and do not have parental consent. (In the UK, the age of s
Eating.
They eat continental style, with fork in the left hand and the knife in the right.
In England people like to form orderly queues (standing in line) and wait patiently for our turn e.g. boa
Invitations.
“ Drop in anytime” and “come see me soon” are idioms often used in social settings but seldom meant to be taken literally. It is wise to telephone before visiting someone at home. If you receive a
Dining.
When you accept a dinner invitation, tell your host if you have any dietary restrictions. He or she will want to plan a meal that you can enjoy. The evening meal is the main meal of the day in most
BREAKFAST
What is a typical English Breakfast?
Most people around the world seem to think a typical English br
DINNER.
The evening meal is usually called 'tea', 'dinner' or 'supper'.
What is a traditional British Dinner?
A typical British meal for dinner is "meat and two veg". We put hot
Typical Traditional British Dishes.
Traditional British dishes have had competition from other dishes over the years. Despite this, if you visit England, Scotland or Wales, you can still be served up the traditional foods we have bee
Afternoon Tea and High Tea in England.
How Afternoon Tea was 'Invented'
The English ceremony of Afternoon Tea dates back to the 1840s but rather than being 'invented', it actually evolved out of the rituals and
English Cheeses.
Cheese is enjoyed by over 98% of households in England. Cheddar is a clear favourite, accounting for over 57% of the market, and is bought regularly by 94% of households. It is a hard cheese with a
English cuisine in details.
English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely du
Cheese.
English cheese is generally hard, and made from cows' milk. Cheddar cheese, originally made in the village of Cheddar, is by far the most common type, with many variations. Tangy Cheshire, salty Ca
Fish and seafood.
Although a wide variety of fish are caught in British waters, the English tend to mainly eat only a few species. Cod, haddock, plaice, huss, and skate are the fish-and-chip shop favourites. (The un
Pies, pastries and savoury puddings.
The English tradition of meat pies dates back to the Middle Ages, when an open top pie crust was used as the container for serving the meat and was called a coffyn. Since then, they have been a mai
Sausages.
English sausages are colloquially known as "bangers". They are distinctive in that they are usually made from fresh meats and rarely smoked, dried, or strongly flavoured. Following the po
Salted, smoked, pickles, preserves and condiments.
Northern European countries generally have a tradition of salting, smoking, pickling and otherwise preserving foods. Kippers, bloaters, ham, and bacon are some of the varieties of preserved meat an
Full English breakfast with bubble and squeak, sausage, bacon, grilled tomatoes and eggs.
A light breakfast might consist of breakfast cereal, muesli, boiled or scrambled eggs, toast and conserves or sometimes poached kippers. Continental breakfasts and porridge are also eaten. In the 1
The Sunday roast.
The Sunday roast was once the most common feature of English cooking. The Sunday dinner traditionally includes roast potatoes (or boiled or mashed potatoes) accompanying a roasted joint of meat suc
Dessert.
Traditional desserts are generally served hot and are highly calorific. A number are variations on suet pudding, and "pudding" is an alternative name for the dessert course in England. Th
Savoury dishes. Steak and Kidney Pudding
Traditionally pubs in England were drinking establishments and little emphasis was placed on the serving of food, other than "bar snacks", such as pork scratchings, and pickled eggs, alon
Indian and Anglo-Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine is the most popular alternative to traditional cooking in Britain, followed by Chinese and Italian food. The chicken tikka masala is now considered one of Britain's most popular dish
Hot drinks.
Catherine of Braganza, Portuguese wife of Charles II, took the Portuguese habit of tea to Great Britain around 1660, subsequently to the introduction of coffee. Initially, its expense restricted it
Soft drinks.
For much of the 20th century Britain had a system where fresh milk was delivered to the doorstep in reusable glass bottles in the mornings, usually by electric vehicles called "milk floats&quo
Beer and cider.
England is one of the few countries where cask conditioned beer is still a major part of the market. Lager or Pilsener style beer has increased considerably in popularity since the mid 20th century
Wine and mead.
Wine often accompanies formal meals. It was introduced to England, for both production and consumption, by the Romans. Wine has been imported ever since, although it has not always been accessible
International reputation.
English cuisine may suffer from a relatively poor international reputation when compared to that of Italian cuisine or French cuisine. However, for many English people this perception seems outdate
Illustrations.
1. Popular names in England and Wales
Top 100 names for baby girls in England and Wales:
Top 100 names for baby boys i
How to eat with a knife and fork in England.
The fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right.
If you have a knife in one hand, it is wrong to have a fork in the other with the prongs (tines) pointed up.
Hold you
Savoury dishes
B
Sweet dishes
A
Food writers and chefs
A
The culture of the United Kingdom (watching films).
Завдання до семінарських занять № 2, 3, 4, 5.
1. Interesting facts about the life in the modern Britain.
2. Interesting facts about the life of English-speaking c
Relations and attitudes to other countries.
American culture is a Western culture, largely based on British culture with influences from other parts of Europe, the Native American peoples, African Americans and to a lesser ex
Culture.
Food.The types of food served at home vary the most and depend upon the region of the country and the family's own cultural heritage. Americanized versions of these cultural foods,
Table Manners for a Typical Evening Meal.
1. Sit - the host will tell you where to sit, or you ask.
2. Wait for others to start eating. Many homes will pray first.
3. Family style meal - food is passed to the right.
Seafood.
Saltwater fish eaten by the Native Americans were cod, lemon sole, flounder, herring, halibut, sturgeon, smelt, drum on the East Coast, and olachen and salmon on the West Coast. Whale was hunted by
Common ingredients.
The American colonial diet varied depending on the settled region in which someone lived. Local cuisine patterns had established by the mid-18th century. The New England colonies were extremely sim
Fats and oils.
A number of fats and oils made from animals served to cook much of the colonial foods. Many homes had a sack made of deerskin filled with bear oil for cooking, while solidified bear fat resembled s
Southern variations.
In comparison to the northern colonies, the southern colonies were quite diverse in their agricultural diet and did not have a central region of culture. The uplands and the lowlands made up the tw
Th century—21st century.
Some corporate kitchens (for example, General Mills, Campbell's, Kraft Foods) develop consumer recipes. One characteristic of American cooking is the fusion of multiple ethnic or regional approache
New England.
New England is a Northeastern region of the United States, including the six states of Connecticut,Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The Native American cuisine became
Ethnic and immigrant influence.
The demand for ethnic foods in the United States reflects the nation's changing diversity as well as its development over time. According to the National Restaurant Association,
Restaurant
Early ethnic influences.
While the earliest cuisine of the United States was influenced by indigenous Native Americans, the cuisine of the thirteen colonies or the culture of the antebellum American South; the overall cult
Later ethnic and immigrant influence.
Mass migrations of immigrants to the United States came in several waves. Historians identify several waves of migration to the United States: one from 1815–1860, in which some five million English
Notable American chefs.
American chefs have been influential both in the food industry and in popular culture. An important 19th Century American chef was Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City. Ameri
Illustrations.
Seafood
F
History.
In ancient times, weddings were based out of commodity, rather than desire or love. In fact, the word "wedding" implies the security the groom's family provides to the family of the bride
Attire.
The saying, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpense inside your shoe," dates back to the Victorian era and requires the bride to accessori
Ceremony and Reception.
During the ceremony, it is customary to include bridesmaids and groomsmen in the event. The members of the bridal party are chosen to share the happiness with the couple getting married. Including
After the Wedding.
After the wedding reception, the newlyweds usually leave for their honeymoon, a trip to the destination of their choice. During this trip, which lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, the c
American Traditions.
Weddings in the United States are the most varied and flexible in the world. There are not many wedding traditions that are unique to the United States because most are derived from other cultures.
Destination.
Destination weddings are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Destination weddings, or "wedding aways" and "weddingmoons", allow the couple to completely design t
Prices in United States.
(http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=United+States)
Money needed for food (2000 calories, balanced).
Milk (regular), 0.25 liter
0.25 $
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (130.00 g)
0.57 $
Rice (0.13 kg)
Property Prices in United States.
Rent Per Month
mean
Taxi Fares in United States.
City
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)
Taxi 1hour waiting (Normal Tariff)
Akron, OH
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