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Актуальные проблемы авиации и космонавтики - 2016. Том 2
УДК 008.1
К ПРОБЛЕМЕ КУЛЬТУРНОЙ САМОБЫТНОСТИ: ТИПИЧНЫЕ БРИТАНСКИЕ СТЕРЕОТИПЫ
М. О. Яковлева Руководитель по иностранному языку - Т. В. Ухова
Сибирский государственный аэрокосмический университет имени академика М. Ф. Решетнева
Российская Федерация, 660037, г. Красноярск, просп. им. газ. «Красноярский рабочий», 31
Стереотип - относительно устойчивый и упрощенный образ социальной группы, человека, события или явления. В общем понимании стереотип - это устоявшееся отношение к происходящим событиям или действиям. Стереотипы помогают отличаться друг от друга не только людям, но и культурам в целом. Рассматриваются типичные стереотипы о Великобритании.
Ключевые слова: культурная самобытность, стереотип, культура, Великобритания, предрассудок, поверие, этнические антипатии и симпатии, символ, межэтнические отношения, дискриминация.
TO THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL IDENTITY: POPULAR BRITISH STEREOTYPES
M. O. Yakovleva Foreign Language Supervisor - T. V. Ukhova
Reshetnev Siberian State Aerospace University 31, Krasnoyarsky Rabochy Av., Krasnoyarsk, 660037, Russian Federation
A stereotype is a simplified idea of a particular group or category of people about some cultural and behavioral matters. Stereotypes can change over time, but it is often difficult for their carriers to get rid of the acquired representations. Stereotypes help people to differ from each other. Stereotypes are needed to distinguish one country from other countries. In the present article the typical British stereotypes are discussed.
Keywords: cultural identity, stereotype, culture, Britain, prejudice, beliefs, ethnic antipathies and sympathies, symbols, interethnic contact, discrimination.
The definition of cultural identity, in its most basic form, is a sense of belonging. A shared sense of companionship that involves the same beliefs, interests and basic principles of living. When a person identifies with their culture, they often embrace traditions that have been passed down for years. The cultural identity that relates to a person's heritage helps them to identify with others who have the same traditions and basic belief system.
"A stereotype is an often simplified idea of a particular group or category of people". People are inclined to simplifications. Stereotypes are formed for bigger predictability of the behavior of other people. These stereotypes have often a negative nature and are based on prejudices and discrimination. Stereotypes are not necessarily false. They usually contain a certain grain of truth. They are spread by a significant amount of people that in general promotes their rooting. Stereotypes can change over time, but it is often difficult for their carriers to get rid of the acquired representations.
Stereotypes develop under the influence of literature, movies or the usual opinion of people. For instance, there is the opinion about the people of England drinking tea at exactly 5 o'clock. Now this tradition is not observed. However, a lot of people still believe in it. There is a film 'Osterix and Obelix in Britain', in which this stereotype is accurately looked at. The main idea of the stereotype is when 5 o'clock struck, England could be conquered easily because all people there have a tea at this time. "This stereotype belongs to the English aristocracy. There is one feature. If someone offers you a tea cup, the only arisen questions can be: Weak or strong and How much sugar?" One more example of a stereotype is that in England is foggy. This opinion appears from literature about Sherlock Holmes. This example shows that
Секция «Актуальные на учные проблемы в мире (глазами молодьш исследователей)»
there are stereotypes which are not true. Fog is an unusual occurrence in England. Fogs happen sometimes in the early spring morning.
Stereotypes are needed so that people can distinguish one country from other countries. As people from different countries have their features, they allow to be separated from other people. Social stereotypes are acquired by the person at the moment he starts identifying himself with a particular society, the culture determined by his social group and considering himself as a member of the group.
There are some signs of a stereotype:
1. Stability for a long time
2. Process of change proceeds very slowly
3. It is at the level of hearing
4. Stereotypes become more accurate and hostile in the case of social tension between groups.
People believe stereotypes because they come from people. Stereotypes help people in everyday life.
Such generalized judgments are used for giving sense to any events. The stability of stereotypes depends on how people see confirmation of their validity in everyday life. Even if stereotypes are false, all of them equally carry out the function of reality. There is a stereotype that the British are extremely prim. But it doesn't mean that all British are alike or that it is shown in everything and always. Thinking that the British are strict means that it will be difficult to speak with them, and to be engaged in something because everything will be different. However, it can be not so. It turns out that we have insufficient information and draw conclusions in advance.
People live according to stereotypes because it is so much simpler. Thanks to stereotypes people quickly make decisions in situations when there is not enough information. People got used to stereotypes because it is so simpler to identify the person by any criteria. Moreover, it is more convenient to determine the belonging of a person to any culture by a stereotype.
Ethnic stereotypes influence ethnic antipathies and sympathies which define the behavior of people in situations of interethnic contact. Ethnic stereotypes are always formed under the influence of social and political conditions, certain cultural factors and reflect interethnic installations. For example: The European stereotypes are well illustrated in such joke: 'Paradise is where cooks are French, mechanics are German, policemen are British, lovers are Italian, and it is all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the cooks are British, policemen are German, lovers are the Swiss, mechanics are French, and it is all organized by Italians.' One culture cannot intercept the stereotype of another or change. Stereotypes in cultures have been developed for centuries.
In conclusion it is obvious that many stereotypes are false: Great Britain is covered with red phone booths, black cabs and men in kettles. These things are symbols of Britain. It is something like bears on the streets of Russia.
Also the most famous stereotype: The fragment from Z. Nalbandian's book 'Tea drinking with the Queen' say: The modern British are those who go to work in the German car, to the Irish pub for a pint -another of the Belgian beer. Then, having arrived home, eat for supper an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab, then throw themselves on a Swedish sofa and watch an American show on the Japanese TV. But this is suspicious of all foreign!
False and true stereotypes have the right for existence. However, the truthfulness of a stereotype can be checked only personally. Neither rumors, nor books, movies do not tell the truth. Moreover, stereotypes help people to differ from each other. Thanks to stereotypes different cultures still have their specific features. And if the culture can be destroyed, stereotypes can hardly be destroyed.
References
1. Danilova O. A., Chernyaev V. V. (2012) Stereotipi ob anglichanah (British Stereotypes), Saransk, 16, November 2012. "Yazik. Kultura. Obshestvo". Vipusk 4. (In Russ)
2. Cardwell M. (2000) Psihologiya ot A do Ya: Slovar-spravochnik (Psychology from A to Z ) Translation from English by Tkatchenko K. S. M. : Fair-Press. 448 p (In Russ)
3. Zotina T. O., Fedotova V. A. (2015) Sotsialniye stereotipi i ih proyavleniye v obshestve (Social stereotypes and their manifestations in society), Perm. Available at: http://sibac.info/studconf/ social/xxvii/40191 [15.03.16] (In Russ)
4. Ageev V. S. (1990). Psihologicheskie issledovaniya sotsialnikh stereotipov (Psychological research of social stereotypes) // Voprosy psikhologii. № 1. 95 p. (In Russ)
© Яковлева М. О., 2016
