Section 4. “The problem of cultural lag”.
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 425.
Page 80 – 83
Words:
to evaluate
to predict
to fluctuate
to compete
to stem from
to subordinate
to facilitate
to lack
to envision = зд. to see
to premise [pri´maiz] – предпосылать
´premise – предпосылка
realm
oversimplification
reciprocal
abundant
predictably
unevenly
allegedly
impressive
determinant
payload
Phrases:
to be responsible for
in addition to
the rate of invention
a matter of taste
to put emphasis on
to receive most emphasis
generally agreed-upon standards of efficiency
to measure something against some standards
to make adjustments
at great distances
parental observation
to resolve the issue
fads and fashions
to keep current with smth./smb.
among other things
at one and the same time
to be under continuous observation
reciprocal relationship
to upset a balance
as the discussion implies
requirements of this century
to accept the premises
to fluctuate unevenly
Commentaries and notes:
1. to see the rate of material invention as … – зд. глагол “to see” употреблен в переносном значении “понимать”.
2. homestead– a farm with its buildings (a house and its surrounding land).
3. the making of appropriate adjustments in corresponding areas of nonmaterial culture– зд. making является отглагольным существительным (verbal noun) и поэтому перед ним употреблен артикль “the”, а после него идет косвенное дополнение с предлогом “of” (в отличие от герундия (Gerund), перед которым не употребляется артикль и после которого идет прямое дополнение (by making adjustments).
4. Weather one prefers a Warhol, a Picasso or a Gainsborough (1), for example, is a matter of taste (2) – (1) – подлежащее, выраженное придаточным предложением, (2) – сказуемое, “for example”– вводное слово. Неопределенный артикль “a” перед именами собственными указывает на то, что автор имеет в виду не самого художника, а его произведение, стиль живописи.
5. … changes that require adjustments to be made in various areas of nonmaterial culture – зд. Passive Infinitive “to be made” употреблен в функции определения к существительному “adjustments” и переводится определительным придаточным предложением с идеей долженствования: “… которые должны быть произведены/сделаны …“.
6. As the discussion implies– зд. как предполагает обсуждение.
7. at lower unit cost– зд. с меньшими затратами на единицу веса.
8. fads and fashions– причуды и моды.
9. a matter of taste– дело вкуса.
10. … received most emphasis in his work …– зд. … получило наибольшее освещение в его работе … .
11. to keep up with smth.– не отставать от.
12. … the allegedly more rapid material culture change …– зд. якобы имевшее место более быстрое изменение материальной культуры.
13. to accept premises – зд. принимать (соглашаться с) предпосылки.
Exercises:
1. Find Russian equivalents for:
the rate of material invention; with the passage of time; to change in different ways; to evaluate material inventions; to carry more payload at a lower unit cost; to appear both rapidly and predictably; to fluctuate unevenly; competing forms and styles; to free somebody from something; direct parental observation; regular progression from one form of economic system to another; to lack directional character of change; impressive aspects of modern life; the concept of “culture lag”; changes requiring adjustments to be made in various areas of nonmaterial culture; to work right on the homestead; a diplomatic atmosphere attuned to the requirements of this century; the resulting imbalance; an abundant evidence of resistance to change in material culture; fads and fashions; to keep current with smth.; allegedly; subordinate concepts of material culture.
2. Find English equivalents for:
подчинять; происходить (от); решающий/определяющий фактор; находиться под постоянным наблюдением; нарушать баланс; в одно и то же время; общепринятые стандарты эффективности; способствовать/облегчать; неравномерно; проблема культурного отставания; быть ответственным за …; с меньшими затратами на единицу веса; оценивать что-либо по соответствующим стандартам; приспособиться; дело вкуса; причуды и моды; на большом расстоянии от …; среди прочего; оценивать; получить наибольшее освещение (в печати); упрощение; дополнительно к …; родительская опека; со временем/по прошествии времени; предсказать; требования века; груз; якобы/как утверждают; не хватать/недоставать; двусторонние отношения; особенно подчеркивать что-либо; получить особое значение; обильный; конкурировать; колебаться; предсказуемо.
3. Answer the questions:
1. What argument received most emphasis in the work of the American sociologist Ogburn and what idea is he responsible for?
2. What did he think of change in material culture?
3. Why do inventions in airplanes building appear rapidly and predictably?
4. Are there any generally accepted standards in the area of nonmaterial culture?
5. How do styles of painting develop?
6. What is lacking in many areas of nonmaterial culture?
7. What do some sociologists, including Ogburn, think about material culture change?
8. What has transformed life in the twentieth century? How has it effected economic systems, family life, education and religion?
9. What made Ogburn formulate the concept of “culture lag”?
10. What do material inventions bring, according to Ogburn?
11. What did invention of the automobile bring? How has it effected a family system? Why did it facilitate crime?
12. How is the period of culture lag defined?
13. Explain why the concept of culture lag is associated with what we call social problems.
14. Do all sociologists accept the premises upon which the concept of culture lag is based? What assumption do they question?
15. What do they think about the origin of material inventions? What realm do they see knowledge and science in?
16. How do they see the relationship between material and nonmaterial culture?
17. What is another point of dispute on?
18. In which culture do some sociologists find abundant evidence of resistance to change?
19. In what areas does nonmaterial culture change exceedingly rapidly? Give an example.
20. What appears at least to be an oversimplification?
4. Translate the following sentences into Russian paying attention to the underlined words and word combinations. Paraphrase them in English.
1. While there is no way to compare directly the rate of change in such areas of nonmaterial culture with that in various areas of material culture, the allegedly more rapid material culture change appears at least to be an oversimplification.
2. It was Ogburn, also, who was chiefly responsible for the idea that the rate of invention within a society is a function of the size of the existing culture base. He saw the rate of material invention as increasing with the passage of time.
3. Even today, we may have a family system that is better adapted to a farm economy than to an urban industrial one, and nuclear weapons exist in a diplomatic atmosphere attuned to the requirements of the nineteenth century.
4. The balance is upset by the appearance of new material objects. The resulting imbalance is defined as a social problem until once again nonmaterial culture changes in adjustment to the new technology.
5. Not all sociologists accept the premises upon which the concept of culture lag is based, or believe it to be a very useful idea.
6. Change in material culture is believed to have a marked directional or progressive character.
7. Whether one prefers a Washol, a Picasso, or a Gainsborough, for example, is a matter of taste, and styles of painting fluctuate unevenly.
5. Match the words from the left column with the words on the right. If necessary use the text:
| 1. to resolve | a. against standards |
| 2. to measure | b. emphasis on smth. |
| 3. to be under | c. appropriate adjustments in corresponding areas |
| 4. to accept | d. observation |
| 5. to make | e. a balance |
| 6. to facilitate | f. current with smth. |
| 7. to fluctuate | g. of taste |
| 8. to put | h. an issue |
| 9. to keep | i. to a farm economy |
| 10. material inventions stem from | j. of invention |
| 11. to upset | k. the general state of knowledge |
| 12. to adapt | l. countless examples |
| 13. reciprocal | m. belong to the realm of nonmaterial culture |
| 14. parental | n. continuous observation |
| 15. the rate | o. relationship |
| 16. a matter | p. the premises |
| 17. knowledge and science | q. crime by making escape easier |
| 18. to provide | r. unevenly |
6. Match the words from the left column with their definitions on the right:
| 1. to compete | a. existing or available in large quantities |
| 2. to subordinate | b. to not have any or enough of something you need or want |
| 3. to evaluate | c. something you consider likely to be true even though you have no proof |
| 4. to fluctuate | d. to try to be more successful than other companies or people in business |
| 5. to predict | e. to be caused by something |
| 6. to facilitate | f. done according to an arrangement by which you do something for someone who does the same thing for you |
| 7. to stem from | g. the way in which two or more people or groups behave towards each other |
| 8. to lack | h. to exercise one's power or authority over somebody to make him feel inferior |
| 9. reciprocal | i. to say what you think will happen in the future |
| 10. abundant | j. to think carefully about something before making a judgment about its value, importance or quality |
| 11. uneven | k. not smooth, not the same in the size or length, not fairly balanced, not happening or appearing in a regular pattern |
| 12. assumption | l. to change frequently |
| 13. to oversimplify | m. to make it possible or easier for something to happen |
| 14. relationship | n. to explain or consider something in a way that makes it seem more simply than it really is |
7. Complete the following sentences using the text:
1. The difference in rates of culture change led Ogburn … .
2. Invention of the automobile freed … , made it possible for men … , and … easier.
3. The period of culture lag is defined as … .
4. The directional character of change in material culture is … .
5. … , received most emphasis in the work of W. Ogburn.
6. Within this century, life … .
7. Material inventions bring … .
8. The concept of culture lag … with the definition of … .
9. Some sociologists see some kind of … between material and nonmaterial culture and if the balance … by the appearance of new material objects, the resulting … is defined … .
10. The relationship between material and nonmaterial culture is … as … .
8. What meaning does the suffix “ship” add to the following words? Translate them into Russian. Use them in English sentences of your own:
friend, dictator, leader, member, scholar, relation.
9. Translate into English:
1. Как называется дисбаланс между материальной культурой и нематериальной, когда вслед за материальными изобретениями не происходит соответствующих изменений в области нематериальной культуры?
2. Можете ли вы сформулировать концепцию культурного отставания?
3. Уровень материальной и нематериальной культуры представляется нам исключительно важным фактором в современном обществе, т.к. культура является одним из основных показателей, как общественного порядка, так и социальных изменений.
4. Как можно дать оценку эффективности материальных изобретений?
5. Кто из социологов считал, что скорость появления новых изобретений со временем увеличивается?
6. Все ли социологи согласны с тем, что материальные предметы следует рассматривать как часть культуры?
7. Есть ли какие-нибудь указания на то, что материальная культура и нематериальная изменяются по разному и с разной скоростью?
10. Translate from English into Russian the definition of “culture lag” given in the Glossary and from Russian into English the definition of “культурный лаг”. Compare the two definitions and comment on it. Do the same thing with the definitions of the terms “value” and “моральные ценности”.
11. Give the main idea of the text “The problem of culture lag”.