19. Понятие культуры. Чем обусловлено поведение представителей отдельной культуры? Что может вызвать культурный шок? Понятие нормы.

Culture – “the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one category of people from another”

Collective programming – a process to which we are subjected since birth, it begins in the cradle and reinforces in the kindergarten, school and workplace.

Brainwashing – imposing on somebody new core beliefs of a strange or sometimes alien against his will, often with connotation of political coercion

We learn our core beliefs from our parents and teachers, we find them almost impossible to discard. Types of traits:

• inherited (common to mankind) – “deep inside all people are alike” – not numerous

• learned (result of collective programming) – they become our core beliefs – others = strange

• individual (deviants) – by personal originality and even genius

Cultural display – utterance or action, through which you reveal your cultural attitudes

Cultures: 1) own culture 2) friendly culture 3) alien culture

Cultural shock – when 2 different cultures clash (example: an Italian late for 30 mins for the meeting with a German -> deadlock or withdrawal from a project. An Italian late for a meeting with a French -> criticism, but okay -> next time Italian late for 20 mins and French late for 15 mins himself)

Every nation thinks it is normal and others are abnormal (Finns consider Italians overly emotional, Japanese consider Americans straight-talking as rude, Germans think Australians are undisciplined)

Normal/abnormal:

• Collective programming in our culture convinces us that we are normal, others eccentric

• then we consider everybody else abnormal

• We also make assumptions on the basis of our subjective view and, even worse, assumptions about other people's assumptions.

• Nearly all nations think they are the best (Americans – best, Spaniard – the bravest, French – intellectually superior etc.)

Chauvinism – aggressive or fanatical patriotism

20. Фондовая биржа. Техника продаж ценных бумаг на биржах. (nasdaq, nyse, Dow Jones Industrial Average).

Stock exchange – place where stocks, shares, debentures and other bonds are bought and sold.

Stockbroker – dealer in stocks and shares, trading has to be done through them (ordinary people are not allowed to deal on Stock Exchange).

Stock selling process:

• person with money to invest approaches stockbroker (directly, through bank manager or solicitor)

• stockbroker advises type and quantity of shares to buy

• client pays broker’s comission and government stamp duty in addition to share cost

• broker charges commission of ½-1½ per cent (depending on amount of money involved)

• broker goes to the floor of the Stock Exchange

• approaches jobbers (who buy and sell shares) trying to get the lowest price for his client’s shares

• broker gives the shares as a certificate to the client, he holds his share and gets dividends

Factors affecting share prices:

• company’s profits

• board of directors’ policies

• government policies

• taxes

• labour strikes

• unemployment

• general market level rising

• takeover or merger prospects

• world affairs

Speculators – people active in buying and selling shares on the stock market:

• bulls buy shares expecting prices to rise

• bears sell shares expecting prices to fall

• stags buy newly issued shares in the expecta­tion that prices will rise, then sell them on in the hope of making a quick profit

Share index – representative group of shares chosen as a barometer of the movement of the market as a whole:

• FTSE 100 – the 100 largest companies listed on the British stock exchange.

• NIKKEI 300 – the top 300 shares on the Japa­nese stock market.

• Dow Jones Industrial Average – 30 leading industrial companies in the US

• NASDAQ – the largest electronic screen-based equity securities trading market in the USA

• NYSE – the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization (New York, USA)