20. 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

International Law

1. Понятие международного права (субъекты, исторические вехи).

Interna­tional law

• Initially – law that governs relations between states.

• Nowadays - no longer deemed to be exclusively limited to those relations

• Contemporary definition: law that deals "with the conduct of states and of international organizations and with their relations inter se, as well as with some of their relations with persons, whether natu­ral or juridical."

• Sources: IL traces its roots far into antiquity(exchange of diplomatic emissaries, the conclusion of peace treaties)

A number of events or historical milestones mark the development of modern international law. Among these are:

• _{the Peace of Westphalia;}

• _{the Congress of Vienna;}

• _{the establishment of the Treaty of Versailles;}

• _{the adoption of the Charter of the UN.}

1. The Peace of Westphalia (1648)

• ended the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648),

• established system for peace and cooperation in Europe (which endured for more than a 100 years)

• established the sovereign state as the principal political actor in the system of states

• provided inter alia for the coexistence in certain parts of Europe of Catholicism and Protestantism (seeds of religious freedom in europe)

• proclaimed the doctrine of pacta sunt servanda (treaties are to be observed)

• established a machinery for the settlement of disputes between the signatories