文档介绍：Defining Culture Spring 2009 O What is culture? O The definition of culture Before 1920, there were only 6 definitions on culture in the West. The number was increased to more than 150 in the 1950s. Until 1980s, the definitions on culture from different academic fields and disciplines are over 450 in number. O Culture is the evolving way of life of a group of persons, consisting of a shared set of practices associated with a shared set of products, based on a shared set of perspectives on the world, and set within specific social contexts. ------Patrick R. Moran Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice 文化是人类群体不断演进的生活方式,包含一套共有的生活实践体系,这一体系与一系列共有的文化产品相关,以一套共有的世界观念为基础,并置于特定的社会情境之中。 O Products communities perspectives Persons practices Culture:an evolving way of life O The evolving way of life reflects the dynamic nature of culture---that there is a history and tradition to the products, practices, perspectives, and munities of the culture. It also stresses that the persons of the culture are in the process of actively creating and changing products, practices, perspectives, and communities. O Cultural products Products are all the artifacts produced or adopted by the members of the culture, including those in the environment, such as plants and animals. Products range from tangible objects---such as tools, clothing, written documents, or buildings---to more elaborate yet still perceptible constructions such as written and spoken language, music, plex institutions of family, education, economy, politics, and religion. Products, both tangible and intangible, are located anized in physical places. 文化产品四要素: 物质产品( artifacts ) 居所( places ) 机制( institutions ) 艺术形态( art forms ) O Cultural practices Practices comprise the full range of actions and interactions that mem bers of the culture carry out, individually or with others. These include language and other forms of communication and self-expression as well as actio