Passage One

1．There are hundreds of definitions of culture．It is difficult to define because it is a large and inclusive concept．A culture is not usually discussed by the members who share it．Edward Hall，key researcher into cultures writes that culture is those deep，common，unstated experiences which members of a given culture share，which they communicate without knowing，and which form the backdrop against which all other events are judged．Some people also argue that culture is like the water fish swim in—a reality that is taken for granted，rarely examined．It is in the air we breathe and as necessary to our understanding of who we are as air is to our physical life．Culture is the property of community of people，not simply a characteristic of individuals．Societies are programmed by culture and that programming comes from similar life experiences and similar interpretations of what those experiences mean．If culture is mental programming，it is also a mental map of reality．It tells us from early childhood what matters，what to prefer，what to avoid，and what to do．Culture also tells us what ought to be．It gives us assumptions about the ideal beyond what individuals may experience．Itestablishes codesforbehaviorandprovides justification and legitimization for this behavior．

2．Culture contains three characteristics and does three things．Culture is the coherent，learned，shared view of a group of people about life's concerns that ranks what is important，furnishes attitudes about what things are appropriate，and dictates behavior．Each culture，past or present，is coherent and complete with itself．Regardless of how peculiar a fragment of a culture seems，when it is placed within the whole tapestry of the culture，it makes sense．Culture is not something we are born with，but rather it is learned．This is not to say people can talk objectively about their own culture．Much of what is learned about one's own culture is stored in mental categories that are recalled only when they are challenged by something different．We all have to be taught our culture．The process begins immediately after birth—even earlier，according to some．A culture is shared by a society．Members of the society agree about the meanings of things and about why．Members of a society probably agree without having to say so that something is necessary and important．Groups are motivated by common views，and these views are a dynamic force in enabling groups to achieve societal goals—protecting economic resources from unscrupulous outsider，for example．

3．Culture ranks what is important．But what is of paramount importance to one group may be virtually meaningless to another．This means that culture teaches people values，which，according to some scholar，provide people with standards of competence and of morality，guiding or determining attitudes，behavior，judgments，comparisons of self and others，rationalizations，exhortative attempts to influence on others，impression management and self-presentation．Culture furnishes attitudes．An attitude is learned，and it is a tendency to respond the same way to the same object or situation or idea．Attitudes are feelings about things，based on values．Attitudes can change，although change can be difficult．Attitudes are based on beliefs as well as values．Beliefs are convictions or certainties based on subjective and often personal idea rather than on proof or fact．Culture dictates how to behave．Behavior comes directly from the attitudes about how significant something is—how it is valued．Values drive actions．

Questions for Understanding

1．What is culture according Edward Hall?What is your understanding of culture?

2．What are the three characteristics of culture?How do you interpret them?

3．According to this passage，how many things does a culture do?

4．How do people know what is more important and what is less important?

5．How do you like the idea that culture dictates people's behavior?