What is Culture

                                               What is Culture

Yusupova K.M.,Azimova M.,Boqiyeva M.

Andijan State University named after Zakhiriddin Mukhammad Babur.,

Rakhmatova N.

Andijan Institute of Foreign Languages named after Cholpon 

     We hope this two –page  article will help to sharpen students reading skills and deepen their understanding of the theme “Culture”.

     What is culture?

    Anthropologists define culture as the values, beliefs, traditions and meanings that are shared by a group of people. Uzbek culture, for example characterized by the value placed on individual expression, a belief a self-improvement, traditional holidays like Ramadan, Navruz and the meanings Uzbeks associate with all of these. Or, if we take European and American culture we can see the same characteristics. These are only a partial list, of course, but students get the idea.

     We all live within one or more cultures. Arab-Americans , for example, live in the United States, and so participate in American culture. The same in Uzbekistan Tajiks, Kyrghiz people, Russians also participate in Uzbek culture. At the same time, they are also part of and/or descended from Arab/Uzbek cultures. That might mean they use their native languages and, eat certain foods from their own countries and participate in specific religious practices.

    Not all cultures are as large as the examples we have just wrote about. People can also be part of smaller cultures. Schools, for example, tend to have their own cultures that include many of the same components as larger cultures.  The certain school in Europe probably has its own specialized language. “We’re on A block this week” might be perfectly clear to the students of this school, but baffling to a visitor.

    Let us think about secondary schools’ culture in Uzbekistan.

What values are emphasized? What traditions do they have?

What do certain behaviors or events mean at these schools?

How are they the same?

    Teacher can ask students to work on these questions in groups, make a chart with four columns, and then label them:

   Students should fill in the chart with elements from their own school’s culture.  Then they will compare their chat with another group’s. Then step back and define culture based on what they have done in this activity.

What makes the arts a valuable part of culture?

     Arts are one important part of culture. Through a group’s arts, we can learn a lot about that group. Teacher can suggest students to read famous artists work that English or Uzbek artists can provide something that outsider’s views of English or Uzbek life cannot. Students should underline in the article what that is. Most of people say that literature (among their arts) provides “a doorway to a country’s soul….. It will give us insight into the way of life, the customs and traditions of the society.”   Teacher can write this quote on the board or chart paper so she/he can refer to it as teacher work on these activities.

 How do cultures spread, mix and influence each other?

     Cultures, like people, can move from one part of the world to another. Let’s look at the previous example which mentioned above about a certain school. A new director might bring to these school elements of the culture at his or her last school. Maybe the new director spends a lot  of time in classrooms, or greets  students at the door every morning, neither of which the previous director did. Of course, the new director’s traditions and values completely take over those that are already in place at this school. More likely, parts of one school’s culture would blend with others

    It is the same way with larger cultures. If we read some publish houses books in English (“One book at a Time” Interlink Publish house company)about Middle East or Central Asia  we can notice it. By doing so, the company is acting like  the new school director, bringing one culture into another. 

    Teacher can have one more activity with his/her students to work on the theme culture. He can suggest his students to think about their own culture:

“…… Imagine you are starting your own publishing company with the aim of spreading your own culture to others. Start with what people must do to learn about other cultures. List a number of visions of categories of books your company to meet these needs. With a group or as a class, come up with a list of books, or ideas for books, that you would publish about your culture in each category. For example, what kind of food would you include in a cookbook from your culture?(as an element of culture, read a novel or story ) Remember that your culture might be regional (American Southern, Uzbek Northern cooking have specialties that differ from New England’s, Fergana Valley’s and so on.

      Now try it from the other direction.

What elements of other cultures are a part of your life? For example, you might not be Russian, Uzbek  or Italian/British, but  still eat a lot of Russian/Uzbek/Italian-style food. Or you might live in the Central Asia or in the Midle East, but speak Uzbek /English, a language that’s not native to your culture. Use the same categories which are taken  above and list as many examples as you can of how other cultures are part of your experience. Then mark on a map the places  where these cultural elements came from. Discuss how and why they might have their way to your part of the world. For example, Did immigrants bring them? Trade? War? When do you think they become part of your culture? Why do you think so?.........”

    In our article we tried to work out some ways of  teaching about  English and Uzbek culture. We hope  it’ll help teachers to organize their lessons on very interesting theme as teaching culture , and world culture, as well..