Warwick Group 3 Response to Helsinki Group A: “Culture”

Thanks for the amusing video – here’s another image to analyse: Spitting is forbidden for Native Americans! We think the humorous interplay of the cultural symbols on display here is very interesting. What do you think??

As a question of whether such behaviour in the video is indeed “cultural”, it seems as if there is a difference, in English at least, between the words “cultural” and “cultured”. To be cultured implies an adherence to a socially-acceptable set of values and morals, whereas the word cultural merely denotes something to do with a culture in general.

In this case, the spitting can therefore be considered cultural, even if this is not cultured. The act itself confirms a disobedience towards the prevailing behavioural standards accepted by most of society, so is inherently cultural, even if it is cultural deviancy.

Within certain subcultures, though, spitting is considered acceptable, such as on the football or baseball field. For other groups, particularly adolescents, spitting in public can be viewed as a marker of cultural identity, symbolizing a rejection of normative values and giving a communal sense of belonging within a subcultural group at odds with the dominant culture.

However, the act of spitting as a culturally-embedded performance varies from culture to culture. According to the following report (http://www.renmenbi.com/spitting-culture), spitting is an everyday and accepted occurrence in China. This brings us onto the broader transcultural questions of manners and etiquette.


As much as the spitting video makes fun of social convention, etiquette to too great a degree can seem stuffy and similarly comical:

With so many differences between acceptable behaviours, we wonder if there are many behaviours which are transculturally acceptable? Would there be any benefit to a standardized worldwide etiquette? It may stop some intercultural misunderstandings, but would it also be symptomatic of cultural imperialism?

Group A (Helsinki) - Slavica, Zhenya, Minjo

Keyword: Transcultural

Definition:
- notion of universality of culture or cultural aspects that are common to all cultures. It transcends of notion of cultural difference.

Contexts:
Just a few web-browsing results:
"transcultural exchange"
"transcultural health care"
"transcultural mental health"
“transcultural education”
“transcultural media studies”
“eating disorders: transcultural perspective”
“transcultural synergy”

Challenge:
From all this it seems that in almost every aspect of society or culture there is something "trans". So, if there is transculturality in everything, where is the place for cultural-specific? Is transcultural education really possible? And transcultural mental health?!
If transcultural is a notion of UNIVERSALITY of culture, then why we just don't say UNIVERSAL?
If transcultural refers to something common to all cultures then what's there to "exchange"? Isn't it just an oxymoron?

Keyword: Culture
Etymology:
latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning to cultivate

Challenge:
During our discussion we realised that, although we speak different languages, there is the same expression in our countries containing the adjective 'cultural.' Literally translated into English it would be: “Behave culturally!” which means behave properly, politely or just behave yourself. So, if by culture we consider “morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man”, as to what extent can we consider this behaviour as 'cultural':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idAngmb6Cqw

Keyword: Litsedeistvo (RU)

Etymology:
2 roots: 'litso' – face
'deistvo' – action/acting
Word-to-word translation: 'acting in faces', 'face making'

2 meanings:
1. Old Russian, now almost obsolete: acting, theatre, performance (any)
2. hypocrisy, dissembling

In Saint Petersburg Russia, there is a theatre called “Litsedei” (Face makers).
Link: http://www.licedei.com/

Challenges:
1. Isn't 'making faces' ('litsedeistvo') the path to globalization or globalization – the way to lose your face?

2. Has a cosmopolitan his/her own face?

3. Isn't a face just a make-up?

4. Facebook – are we all actors/face-makers ('litsedei') there?

Keyword: "DIVADELNY ZAZITOK" (SVK)

Context: PERFORMANCE RECEPTION/AUDIENCE

A word-to-word translation: "THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE" (EN)

Definition:
- a pleasurable feeling and/or impression of the spectator, which occurs as a result of watching, experiencing the good performance,
- arises from an aesthetic effect of the performance, not necessarily cathartic,
- the word is commonly used in reviews, or by people who want to express their affection for the quality of performance and report on it to others. They might say: "It was a real 'divadelny zazitok' for me."

ETYMOLOGY of the roots of the words:
"DIVADLO" (SK) = THEATRE (EN)
"divat sa" = look at, watch
"divit sa" = wonder at/about sth, feel surprised

"ZAZITOK" (SK) = EXPERIENCE (EN)
"zit" = live
"prezit" = survive/relive
"zazit" = experience, live sth through

English word "exprerience" lacks the subjective quality of emotional involvement, and association with the word "live". It might as well be just an ordinary thing to have "an experience", such as in the sentence:
I have been to London twice. (meaning that "This is my experience").
Or, "experience" understood as a skill, eg. I am experienced in needlework.

A word-to-word translation "THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE" is therefore not an appropriate one. Moreover, it digresses from its original Slovak meaning, and thus can have negative, even comic connotations.

For further illustration of the English meaning, please see the below QUIZ...

! WARNING !
If you want to avoid reading stereotypes, do not continue.

Imagine a situation when a tired wife comes home from work and finds out that there's someone in the bedroom with her husband (not sure what makes it being worse - man or woman).
Depending on her character, she can either watch them secretly or fly into the room and make a really bad scene.

The question is: Who has just had/caused a "theatrical experience"?

a) The desperate woman, trying hard to regain her lost dignity.
b) The ignorant husband, having forgotten the working hours of his wife (married for 25 years).
c) The Man/Woman, i.e. LOVER (depending on the context and the level of theatricality) who happens to be the third one in the room, presumably in the bed.
d) In case that woman watches them secretly before she flies in, it is her who's just had it.

We are waiting for your answers to be posted and/or discussed below.
Thank you in advance!

Yours,

Cosmopolitan nationalistic MAIPR Slavic group

(raised as Communist Christians)