Culture Class General Culture 2【英美文化概况2】.ppt

1、British Culture,More “Other” Things,Mothers try to stay at home and raise their baby until the age of three. Between the ages of 3 and 5, most children attend a day care facility. This is usually paid for by the parents. However, there are free state day cares if a parent is unable to afford a bette

2、r one. Its not common for grandparents to raise or take care of the grandchildren. Although, Grandparents do like to spoil their grandkids.,Child Care,Britain has a National Health Care system (NHC). Differs in region. For example, in England, only low income people may receive certain kinds of at-h

3、ome care without any payment, while in Scotland all people may receive it with no cost. In general, all health care is free since everyone contributes a specified amount of money each month from his/her wages to NHC. Dental care, glasses and some prescriptions are not free. British people still buy

4、insurance from private companies which allows them to have a surgical procedure whenever they choose and to have a private hospital room instead of sharing a ward with several people.,The Health Care System,Most couples live together before marriage Nowadays, couples are marrying latter than ever an

5、d choosing to have children at latter ages Most couples restrict their family to one or two children because it is extremely expensive to raise a child Minority families tend to have larger families on average Ideal British family is the nuclear family,The Family,A rising divorce rate has greatly co

6、mplicated the family For example, while the nuclear family is ideal, a divorced mother might live and get help from her parents Many single people living alone Many other people living with their parents longer and longer,The Family,Among the EU, Britain has the highest rate of teen pregnancy 40 out

7、 of 1000 girls between 15-17 get pregnant each year Other teenage problems include disruptive behavior, drunkenness, drug use, and vandalism However, there is a wide range of teenage “personalities” Some teenagers are “wild” Some just stay inside and play videogames Some devote a lot of their time t

8、o charities Some invest a lot of time into sports or skills or academics,Teenagers,The U.K. has no official language 98% of the population speaks English Home Nations have indigenous languages Wales: Welsh (20%) Northern Ireland: Irish (7%) & Ulster Scots (2%) Scotland: Scots (30%) & Scottish Gaelic

9、 (1%) England: Cornish (in Cornwall) (3500 people) British Sign Language: (0.1%) The U.K. promotes these linguistic traditions European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,Language,Statistics of religion in the U.K. 72% Christian 23.2% Non-religious 2.8% Islamic Remaining: Judaism, Hinduism,

10、Buddhism, etc. Most Christians dont go to church U.K. was a Protestant Christian country Protestantism prevails in all four regions of the U.K. The Anglican Church of England The established church, governed by the Queen Other Christian denominations: Roman Catholic, Methodist, Orthodox, the Saints,

11、Religion,No national costume for the U.K. Scotland: kilt, tam oshanter England: beefeater, Queens Guard (military) Wales: welsh hat (worn by women) Britain played a large role in the development of Western dress in the 18th century The Suit Originated with Charles IIs in the 17th Century The appeara

12、nce was modified with time to the modern day suit,Dress,Tam oshanters,Kilt,Modern-day suit,Yeoman with beefeater hats,Queens Guard,Literature The majority was written in the English language Literature in Celtic languages is the oldest (6th Century) 14th century, London dialect of Middle English com

13、mon Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales In the Elizabethan Era, poetry and drama flourished William Shakespeare Others: J.R.R. Tolkien, Mary Shelley, D. H. Lawrence, George Orwell, C. S. Lewis, J. K. Rowling (novelists) and T.S. Eliot, John Milton, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (poets),The Arts,Theatre

14、Introduced by the Romans (they built auditoriums) Began as folk tales (Robin Hood) and mystery plays (early 1400s) The Elizabethan Era, AKA “The Age of Shakespeare” (1508 1603) Hamlet, Othello, A Midsummer Nights Dream, etc Female roles played by men Aphra Behn was the first professional woman playw

15、right All women together, ought to let flowers fall upon the grave of Aphra Behn. for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds. The 18th century: comedy, tragedy and opera prevalent The 20th century: musicals popular Andrew Lloyd Webbers (1948 - ): Phantom of the Opera, Cats,The Art

16、s,The Arts,Music Begins with folk music (each section has unique trends) Irish fiddle, Scottish bagpipes, etc Classical music has been composed for centuries (but not as famous as Italian or German composers) Early British popular music During the Industrial Revolution, bars known as “music halls” p

17、rovided musical entertainment and became popular Modern British popular music Since the 1960s, the world has been greatly affected by U.K. music “British Invasion”: The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones Later Bands: Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Iron Maiden, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Elton John,

18、 The Cure, Radiohead, etc,The Arts,Visual Arts First art began in the Bronze and Iron Ages Romans brought glasswork (mosaics) Anglo-Saxon art - Scenes depicted from the Bible Sir Joshua Reynolds Focused on portraits and the idealization of the imperfect William Blake Paintings about the essence of m

19、an and God J.M.W. Turner Known for his romantic landscape style,The Arts,Miss Bowles Sir Joshua Reynolds,The Body of Abel Found by Adam and Eve William Blake,Sconfitta William Blake,The fighting temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up J. M. W. Turner,Architecture The architecture of the U

20、nited Kingdom is diverse Earliest remains: Stonehenge, Roman ruins Many castles remain from the medieval period In the Tudor period (1485 1603), large unfortified mansions exist 19th century: medieval gothic style 20th century: informal & nonsymmetrical After WWII, Modernism influenced the reconstru

21、ction Fosters “The Gherkin”,The Arts,159 castles remain in England,England has one of the highest population densities in Europe Housing is smaller and closely packed Terraced housing style Flats (apartments) are also common Less comfortable, common entrances, less privacy Recently, more detached st

22、yle housing has developed, but theyre expensive Country houses with yards and stately homes are abundant in rural areas of the U.K., but terraced housing is still common in small towns too,Housing,British cuisine contains specific traditions and practices of cooking Historically: Unfussy dishes of q

23、uality ingredients, matched with sauces to accentuate flavor Generally regarded as “unimaginative and heavy” Today a strong influences from other cultures exists Curry is very popular Other strong spices and herbs from all over the world can be found,Cuisine,Varieties: English cuisine Bread and chee

24、se, roasted and stewed meats, meat pies, freshwater and saltwater fish, potatoes, tomatoes Scottish cuisine Porridge, Scotch broth, kippers (fish) Welsh cuisine Roast lamb, toast with cheese and butter Anglo-Indian cuisine Involves ingredients such as coconut, almonds, yogurt,Cuisine,Traditional mea

25、l: Sunday roast,Popular take-away meal: Fish & chips,Imperial British custom: Afternoon tea and scones,“Pub grub”: Bangers & mash,National sport: football (soccer) Originates in the U.K. Others: golf, tennis, boxing, rugby, cricket, field hockey, snooker, billiards, curling Famous sporting events Wi

26、mbledon tennis championships London Marathon Grand National (horse race) Six Nations (rugby championship, includes France & Italy) Olympics: London 2012,Sports,New Years Day: January 1 St. Patricks Day (N. Ireland): March 17 Good Friday: Friday before Easter Easter Sunday: Between Mar. 22 and Apr. 2

27、5 Easter Monday: After Sunday (not Scotland) Christmas Eve: December 24 Christmas Day: December 25 Boxing Day: December 26 (gifts to less fortunate),Holidays,Table Etiquette,Napkins As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin from your place setting, unfold it, and put it in your lap. Do not shake

28、it open. The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal. Dont clean or wipe your face with the napkin. Never use it to wipe your nose. If you excuse yourself from the table, loosely fold the napkin and place it to the left or right of your plate. Do not refold your napkin or wad it up on the t

29、able either. Never place your napkin on your chair.,Table Etiquette,When to eat: In a restaurant: Wait until all are served before beginning to eat. At a private dinner party: When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess

30、insists that you start eating.,Table Etiquette,Silverware and Dinnerware: Any food dish to the left is yours, and any glass to the right is yours. Starting with the knife, fork, or spoon that is farthest from your plate, work your way in, using one utensil for each course. The salad fork is on your

31、outermost left, followed by your dinner fork. Your soup spoon is on your outermost right, followed by your beverage spoon, salad knife and dinner knife. Your dessert spoon and fork are above your plate or brought out with dessert. If you remember the rule to work from the outside in, youll be fine.,

32、Table Etiquette,Table Etiquette,Utensils: Use one of two methods when using the fork and knife: Continental/European Style: Cut with your right hand and eat with your fork in your left hand. American Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand holding food. After a few bite-sized pieces of food ar

33、e cut, placeknife on edge of plate with blades facing in. Eat food byswitching fork to right hand (unless you are left handed). Once used, your utensils, including the handles, should not touch the table again. Always rest forks, knives, and spoons on the side of your plate or in the bowl. For more

34、formal dinners, from course to course, your tableware will be taken away and replaced as needed.,Table Etiquette,General Rules (some are very formal): Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it. Tast

35、e your food before seasoning it. Pass food from the left to the right. Never intercept a pass. Snagging a roll out of the breadbasket or taking a shake of salt when it is en route to someone else is a no-no. Always say please when asking for something. Be sure to say thank you to your server and bus

36、 boy after they have removed any used items.,If asked for the salt or pepper, pass both together, even if a table mate asks for only one of them. This is so dinner guests wont have to search for orphaned shakers. Set any passed item, whether its the salt and pepper shakers, a bread basket, or a butt

37、er plate, directly on the table instead of passing hand-to-hand. Butter, spreads, or dips should be transferred from the serving dish to your plate before spreading or eating. Never turn a wine glass upside down to decline wine. It is more polite to let the wine be poured and not draw attention. Oth

38、erwise, hold your hand over the wine glass to signal that you dont want any wine. Always scoop food away from you. Do try a little of everything on your plate.,Table Etiquette,Dont blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, take the hint and wait. Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed. Cut only enoug