culture

homework 11th April
1) what does it mean culture - how could be a group described as a culture:I agree with Hofstede that a group could be called culture if its members share the same institutions, values, behaviours, traditions… According to the English – Czech Explanatory Dictionary, culture is “a form or type of civilization of a certain race or nation”. But I think it is very misguided to designate a group as a culture – because in this case its members are supposed to be a group with similar behaviour, institutions,… But we have to respect that its members are different personalities with their own view of thinking, different opinions… As a sociologist, I can say responsibly, that there is not any right or wrong definition of culture, race, nation or any other “group”.. I only think that a common view is that culture is a group of people who share the same values, have the same traditions. Considering this point of view we can talk about “west culture”, “European” culture, “Moslem” culture and everybody would know what we mean even though it is impossible to think that millions of Europeans share exactly the same values…2) How can we define the "microculture of our videoconferences"To define the culture we share with the students from Aberystwyth is very difficult.. For me, it is a specific culture of students from many countries all over the world. I was already thinking about this topic (about our lectures and a shared cuture) before we got this homework. It was one of the first lectures when I said to myself – isn’t is great that there is student from Japan sitting next to the students from China and Russia, people from Czech Republic discussing the topic “communism” with the students from China… I like this “multicultural” world and I appreciate that we can learn from each other about different traditions, cultures, habits.. That is what I like about our “videoconference culture”. I think we cant say that we are a group with specific culture or we are a culture, but at least we can say that we are one “videoconference culture” from 10.00 to 11.30 p.m. every Wednesday... For me, the teachers are definitely members of the group and that is what I like about the lectures, there is nobody more than anybody else and we discuss every topic openly. It depends on the lecture and specific topic, sometimes I fell as part of a culture of Masaryk University (and I am proud of being one of our students, for example when we were talking about communism) sometimes I don’t see any differences between our students and students on the other side of screen.3) What about Czech Easter habits?Many Czech Easter symbols are related to spring and the beginning of new life (a bunny, a chick, a little kitten)• Easter Eggs and krasliceThe hand-painted or otherwise decorated egg (kraslice) is the most recognizable symbol of Czech Easter. Girls decorate Easter eggs to give them to boys on Easter Monday. There are many Easter egg decorating techniques and the more elaborate ones require a certain level of skill. Different materials can be used, such as bee's wax, straw, watercolors, onion peels, picture stickers. There are no limitations to creating pretty, colorful eggs.• Pussywillow and pomlázkaYoung, live pussywillow twigs are thought to bring health and youth to anyone who is whipped with them. An Easter pomlázka (from pomladit or "make younger") is a braided whip made from pussywillow twigs. It has been used for centuries by boys who go caroling on Easter Monday and symbolically whip girls on their back. In the past, pomlázka was also used by the farmer's wife to whip the livestock and everyone in the household, including men and children. There would be no Czech Easter without the pomlázka. Another czech habits, typical especially in the mountains is to douse a girl with water - it has a similar symbolic meaning as the pomlázka.Boys used to make their own pomlázkas in the past (the more twigs, the more difficult it was to braid one), but this tradition and skill is long gone and pomlázkas can be bought in stores and street stands. Some men don't even bother and use a single twig or even a wooden spoon!This tradition is still largely upheld, especially in villages and small towns, although it may have lost its symbolism and romance and is now performed mainly for fun. Some boys and men seem to have forgotten that the whipping is supposed to be only symbolic and girls don't always like that. The reward has also changed - food, money and shots of plum brandy (slivovice) (or wine in my region) are often given instead of or in addition to painted eggs and candy. So by early afternoon, groups of drunk men can be seen staggering along the roads... All that aside, Easter remains one of the most joyful holidays on the Czech calendar. But I think that many men confuse this feast with beating woman and drinking and they forgot the mentioned symbolism and also the christian tradition..Regarding food, for my family is typical to cook a special dish - a chicken roll with green herbs and plants (blowball, chive,...)For my region I come from - the South Moravia - is also typical that men dressed in traditional moravian folklor clothes (costumes) come to visit their girls and they are singing moravian songs (about wine and love...)