Culture of English Speaking Countries - Week 3 - Defining Culture

Introduction: Hello and welcome to Week 3 of the course Culture of English Speaking Countries for the bachelor's in English teaching at ULACIT. This week we will ...

Today's Goals:

• Discuss the topic of cultural exceptionalism in the US and Costa Rica.
• Explore the cultural iceberg by using Moran's Five Dimensions to describe a cultural phenomenon in Costa Rica.
• Compare the impact that religion has had on the United States and in Costa Rica.

Guiding Questions:

• What is cultural exceptionalism and why does it exist?
• How are the five dimensions of culture interrelated?
• What impact has religion had on the persepectives and practices of your culture?

Warm Up: Metaphors for Understanding Culture

Click the link below and go to your group's section of the document.

• Presentation: CLICK HERE

Task 1: Week 2 Recall

Last week we discussed the four cultural knowings that form the cultural experience. We also discussed the ideas of cultural relativism and ethnocentrism. Complete the following tasks with your partners to review these important concepts. 

• The Cultural Experience: Click on your group link below and complete the chart with the missing information by copy/pasting the names of the stages, their descriptions, and examples into the green spaces.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE

• My Cultural Experience: Can you think of an example of a cultural learning experience you have had and describe it using the four cultural knowings? This could be an experience you have had with someone from another country, another part of your country, or even experiences adapting to a new school or work environment. 

Theory Break: The Cultural Knowings

• "The cultural knowings framework offers a means for describing culture in terms of what students need to do in order to learn it - their encounters with another way of life. Once these interactions are specified, the learning objectives follow, as do the choice of teaching and learning activities and the appropriate means of evaluation (Moran, p. 15)."

Learn the Rules of Trash Collection in Vermont

• Knowing How: The landlord told us to be careful and pointed us to a sign with rules. We tried and failed. And tried again and failed again.

• Knowing About: We read the rules. We discussed it with our neighbors and professors and even with our landlord again.

• Knowing Why: We understood the importance of helping the environment for the people of Brattleboro.

• Knowing Myself: We rejected this cultural practice after several attempts to participate.

Task 2: Ethnocentrism and Cultural Exceptionalism

We learned last week that all cultures are ethnocentric. This means that members of the culture view their way of life, their practices, and perspectives to be the normal, default way of understanding the world. By extension, this means that they view other cultures as different. An important part of United States culture is "American Exceptionalism", the belief that America and Americans are special. Watch the video and read along with the narration. When you finish, discuss the questions below.

• How do Americans see themselves?

• How do Americans see others?

• What exceptions are mentioned? Why do you think these are exceptions?

• Why do Americans have these views about themselves and others?

• What do you think about this quote:

• "International visitors are well advised to remember that it is not malice or intentional ignorance that leads so many Americans to treat them like inferior beings. The Americans are, once again, acting the way they have been taught to act. They ahve been taught that they are superior, and they ahve learned the lesson well."

• How does your culture view its members?

• How does your culture view others?

• In you culture does there exist a feeling of "Costa Rican Exceptionalism" (or Korean Exceptionalism)? 

• If so, how does it appear?

• If not, why do you think your culture does not feel this way?

Task 3: Reading Response Exploration

Now work with your partners to discuss some of the ideas from the chapter you read in Moran (2001) called "Defining Culture". You can have your study guide open but try to look at it only when it's absolutely necessary.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE

Theory Break: The Cultural Experience

• "Seen in broad terms, culture consists of artifacts, actions, and meanings. The three components of culture - products, practices, perspectives - reflect a triangular concept. This view of culture is understandable and relatively easy to apply, with two important exceptions. Cultural artifacts, actions, and meanings do not exist apart from the people of the culture. People - alone and with others - make and use artifacts, carry out actions, and hold meanings. To capture the active role of people in their culture, I have added two dimensions to this definition: communities and persons (Moran, p. 23-24)."

Task 4: Uncovering the Iceberg

As a group choose a cultural phenomenon in Costa Rica and add ideas to the shared document. 

Possible Ideas: 

• Feria del agricultor
• Bus Travel in Costa Rica
• Beach Vacations
• New Year's Celebration
• Other ideas?

• Group Document: CLICK HERE

Task 5: Intercultural Communication and the Scale of "Interculturalness"

Click your group link below and follow the instructions.

• Group 1: CLICK HERE
• Group 2: CLICK HERE
• Group 3: CLICK HERE
• Group 4: CLICK HERE

Task 6: Sharing our Culture Learning Journals

Last week you read the chapter "Understanding the Culture of the United States" and wrote the firest entry in your Culture Learning Journal. Take a moment to open your journal (CLICK HERE), share what you wrote, and discuss the additional prompts below:

• Summary: 
• What were the main points made by the author? Speak in general terms. You don't need to remember every detail.

• Reaction: 
• What did you think about the content of the reading? What were your thoughts, opinions, reactions, or interpretations?

• Connection:  
• Mention how these ideas are similar or different to what you know about your own home culture. What similarities and differences can you see between what you read and your own culture?


• The author describes the distribution of religions in the population of the United States. How does that compare to religions in your country?

• Read the following quotes. Then answer the questions that follow. 

• Quote: "Although there were some Catholics, the vas majority of the European settlers were Protestants, most from England. As the new nation formed, it was the Protestant branch of the Christian faith that had the strongest effect on the development of the religious climate in the United States."


• "After the Protestants broke away from the Catholic church, they found that they could not agree among themselves about many beliefs. Therefore, the Protestants began to form separate churches, called denominations."


• Because many groups left Europe to escape religious persecution, the immigrants to the colonies accepted the importance of "freedom of religion" and "separation of church and state". 

• What impact has religion had on the culture of your country?


• The chapter also talks about the Protestant work ethic and focus on self-improvement following from the idea that "God helps those who help themselves." What impact have these beliefs had on American society?

• In the US there have been no "openly" athiest presidents. In fact, with the exception of John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden, all presidents have been Protestants. JFK and Biden are the only Catholics ever to hold that office. What importance does religion play in presidential election politics in your country? Do you consider this to be a good thing? 

• Religion is also a point of cultural division in the US with many people arguing that Christian symbols should be removed from public buildings, parks, money, and the pledge of allegiance while others argue that Christianity was essential to the origins of the country and it should continue to have an important role. Are there similar disagreements in your country?

References:

Althen, G. (2011) American Ways: A Cultural Guide to the United States (3rd ed.) Intercultural Press.

·  Kearny, M., Crandall, J., & Kearny, E. (2005). American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture (3rd ed.) Pearson Education, Inc.

Moran, P. (2001). Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice. Heinle Cengage Learning.