Culture Vocab.pdf

CULTURE 1)

multicultural society = a society consisting of people who have many different

customs

and beliefs The range of TV programmes there is very broad because it is a multicultural society and people of all backgrounds like to watch TV. 2)

cultural mosaic= a culture that consists of a combination of many different things

The UK is a cultural and social mosaic. 3)

disseminate= to make something such as information or knowledge available to a lot of people

temporal hours, which were first adopted by the Greeks and then the Romans, who disseminated them through Europe, remained in use for more than 2, 500 years. 4)

mainstream= considered ordinary or normal and accepted by most people

What they are certainly not finding, however, is any change in attitude of mainstream scientists. 5)

be customary= usual in a particular society or situation

In the UK a handshake is customary when a person is introduced to somebody new. 6)

be unorthodox= do not follow the usual rules or beliefs of your society

Action painting often looks childish to the non-artists because of the unorthodox techniques used to apply paint, such as throwing it on the canvas 7)

be in the minority = belong to a small part of a group that is different from most members of the group

In New Zealand, as in many other English-speaking countries, speakers of two or more languages arc in the minority. 8)

gone are the days when... = people do not do sth. any longer

Gone are the days when music was just a cultural expression. 9)

core values= important principles about what is right and wrong

In order to be a good member of any society the individual must respect and obey the rules of their community and share the core values.

10) social society

mores= the traditional customs and ways of behaving that are typical of a particular

Social mores refer to the socially-approved forms of behaviour, which are generally promoted by customs and laws. 11) stem

from sth. = be caused by sth.

A gradual agricultural revolution in northern Europe stemmed from concerns over food supplies at a time of rising populations. 12) a

bonding mechanism= sth. that helps people develop a close emotional relationship

A shared ideology is a strong social bonding mechanism. 13) assimilate

into a new culture= fit into a new culture

Some immigrants can assimilate into the local culture immediately. 14) unspoken

rules =

rules that can only be thought of or felt

There are many unspoken rules that we live by. 15) be

incompatible with sth. =

too different from another thing to be able to exist with it

Their products are incompatible with the local customs. 16) language

barrier= language differences that prevent people from communicating

You weren’t too worried about language barriers? 17) primitive= at a very simple stage of development, before technology Some indigenous people had to cope with primitive living conditions. 18) indigenous live there

people= people who lived in a place for a long time before other people came to

Some indigenous people have a very long continuous history. 19) remote

ancestors= people who were related to you and who lived a long time ago

their worship of remote ancestors is represented with various rituals 20) have/has

vanished= have/has disappeared

Over the past two decades, family structures in this country have changed and feelings of community have vanished.

21) remain intact= be complete and in the original state It is difficult for a place to draw tourists while keeping its cultural heritage intact 22) be nostalgic= has a feeling of pleasure and slight sadness at the same time as sb. thinks about things that happened in the past Seeing old school photos can make some of us quite nostalgic. 23) be

forward-looking= thing about the future in a positive way

This country has a growing and forward-looking economy. 24) has

a resurgence in popularity= has become popular again

coustic music has had a resurgence in popularity due to the recent popularity of musicians playing without electric amplification on TV. 25) regain its

vitality= get its energy and strength back

It seems the high-tech media can help the traditional culture to regain its vitality. 26) awkward= making someone feel embarrassed It was an awkward situation when we realized the restaurant was too expensive for us. 27) be

ill at ease= feel nervous or embarrassed

Zoe always feels ill at ease at parties. 28) lingua franca= a language that is used for communication between groups of people who speak different languages In the past, several languages have acted as lingua franca in different areas of the world. 29) a single international language= a language that is intended to be used by people of different linguistic backgrounds Some people believe that a single international language has become a practical necessity because of the increasing international communication. 30) preserve the individuality different from other cultures

of cultures= maintain the quality that makes a culture

A single international language may make it difficult to preserve the individuality of cultures. 31) be

bilingual= be able to speak two languages well

bilingual education leads to exposure to different cultures 32) monolingual= speaking, writing or using only one language Many immigrant children are expected to learn English by immersion in the language in monolingual classes. 33) a close-knit each other

community= a group of people who have strong friendly relationships with

This close-knit community looks like a classic British village. 34) sense of alienation= a feeling of being separated from society or the group of people around you ome argue that technology leads to greater social economic division and a sense of alienation among people who are physically close to each other.

cultural heritage(s)

preserve v.

heritage n.

preservation n.

tangible cultural heritage(s) (e.g. historic sites )

forefather(s)/ancestor(s) n.

tangible adj.

descendant(s)/posterity n.)

intangible cultural heritage(s)

ethnic groups (or races)

rites； rituals；mores)

the harmony between ethnic groups (or races)

intangible adj.

ethnic minorities

time-honoured (or time-honored )

cultural identity

protect v.

erode v. (e.g. erode national/regional cultural identity )

protection n.

In many countries, traditional dress and costumes are considered effective ways of maintaining links with the past. How effective can traditional costumes be, in this sense? What other ways exist to help citizens connect with a country’ s past?

Most people would agree that preserving connections with our past is an admirable objective, especially as the world evolves so rapidly. I feel that traditional costumes are one part of doing this, but they are by no means the most important, as we shall see. Admittedly, historic dress plays a key role in social events such as religious rituals or military parades, and these events are helpful in transmitting social memes such as public duty and self-sacrifice. Traditional costumes also remind us of the origins of cultural traditions and mythologies, for instance the historic Swiss national dress which evokes their medieval independence. However, it must be said that costumes are an accessory in these situations, and do not appear to constitute the central message. It is the ceremonies themselves which convey the cultural norms that help to maintain the fabric of society. In this sense, the costumes are of secondary importance. Furthermore, it seems that there are in fact much more powerful ways in which culture is conserved and handed down between the generations. Most countries have a rich heritage of legends and folklore about the birth and development of their nation, some of which are mythological and some being grounded in truth (as we see in the English stories about Robin Hood or George and the Dragon, for example.) These stories are a cultural inheritance which embodies important symbols and concepts far more effectively than dress. Similarly, we must remember the significance of art and music in passing on our traditions, in forms ranging from fine art to handicrafts, and from opera to traditional shanties and dirges. The presence of visual or linguistic messages in these media makes them more effective than costumes, which convey no language. Overall, we must recognise and welcome the use of traditional dress in helping to maintain our cultures. However, the forms of story, art and music would appear to be the driving forces in this invaluable process.