Western culture part 2

1. Western Culture – Part 2
AWARE Center

2. History
• American - Thanksgiving
• British – Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes
• European – Bastille Day (France)
• Effect of the World Wars I & II
• Women begin to work.
• British – Queues, rationing, bombs
• American - immigration

3. Social Status
• Background
• Experience
• Outlook on life
• Opportunities
• Housing
• Community
• Aristocrat
• Upper Class
• Middle Class
• Working Class
• Race

4. Equality?
• How they look at men/women. They like to
think women equal, but actually they’re not
treated equally in many respects, work etc.

5. Family
• Small, average = 2 children
• High divorce rate / unstable upbringing
• Usually leave home at 18
• Expected to be independent from 18
• Grandparents live alone / old peoples
homes
• They will think nothing of introducing you
to their family (wife, daughters etc)

6. Dress
• Although Westerners dress according to the
situation… Dress shows an individuals
culture, beliefs, personality, mood.

7. Lifestyle
• Alcohol
• Dating (differences over the last 50 years)
• Leisure time

8. Morals
• Don’t expect them to have your morals.
• Their morals don’t necessarily follow their
beliefs.

9. Beliefs
• Christianity
• Judaism
• Atheist
• Hinduism
• Science

10. Superstitions
• Horoscopes
• Friday 13th
• Weddings
• New Year

11. Celebrations
• Religious = Christmas / Easter
• Cultural = Valentines, Mother’s /Father’s
Day, Thanksgiving
• New Year

12. Work
• Service Industries (administration, finance,
education, healthcare, tourism)
• Factories

13. The Arts
• Poets
• Playwrights
• Novelists
• Painters
• Musicians

14. Hobbies
• Sport
• Gardening
• Reading
• Painting
• Bird watching

15. Western Youth
• Dance / Drug culture

16. How 2 learn about a culture
• Watch their TV programmes (comedies,
soaps)
• Read their children’s stories
• Learn about the geography of the country
• Learn about their cultural holidays
• Eat their food
• Know their flags

17. Be yourself
• Don’t try to be too Westernized.
• Show them your culture.

18. Humour
• They enjoy a joke
• Don’t laugh at them
• Cultural

19. Thank You