Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[UKbug]

hey guys!!
anyone can help me with this- culture bound!!!??!
thanks, tho

[ad-miral]

"Culture bound" is an adjective. It is used to describe something particular which is only or mostly found in one culture. For example having blond hairs is a culture-bound syndrome of the men in west.
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If I say "I love you" to someone, then I also have to say "I also love everyone else inside you, I love the whole world because of you, I also love myself inside you." -- Erich Fromm, the Art of Love

[ad-miral]

In Wikipedia they say:

[UKbug]

what about the stereotype?!?!? is it the same??!?

[ad-miral]

I think it's not the same.

Stereotype are ideas held by some individuals about members of particular groups, based solely on membership in that group. They are often used in a negative or prejudicial sense and are frequently used to justify certain discriminatory behaviors. More benignly, they may express sometimes-accurate folk wisdom about social reality.

Culture-bond is more objective. Because this culture had done this and that and because this culture has this and that genes, this culture has this special ability according to the other culture. For exampe there are Europeans with blue eyes but you won't find any Asian with blue eyes.

The stereotype of the European man is 1.87, blond, blue eyes, very big and narrow nose. He is a picture of a imaginery man.
The culture bond-characteristic is that many European men are taller than Chinese men, many have blond hair, many have blue eyes...
_________________
If I say "I love you" to someone, then I also have to say "I also love everyone else inside you, I love the whole world because of you, I also love myself inside you." -- Erich Fromm, the Art of Love

[beancurdturtle]

"Stereotype" also often has a negative connotation as well because it's a gross generalization. Though certainly not as derogatory as racial bigotry.

For example; people in the US might say Asian people are good at math and drive poorly. Or all guys in Southern California are surfers with blond hair and blue eyes, and not very smart. It's not always a negative thing, and it's not hateful, and it's not always true.

Stereotypes are often used by comedians for humor because they are mostly harmless.
_________________
Daniel

�Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.�
--Dr. Seuss

[UKbug]

oh dear!!!!!!!!!! it makes me puzzled.............so culture bound is positive, 'n' stereotype is negative?!?!!?

[beancurdturtle]

"Culture bound" could be a neutral reference, or negative, or positive for that matter. It really depends on the context and subject to which "culture bound" is referenced.

However, the word "stereotype" carries a slightly negative feeling because a stereotype is often an unkind generalization. You would probably call a positive generalization a "quality" or "characteristic" rather than a stereotype.

For example:
1. "Sportsmen are not intelligent." stereotype
2. "Sportsmen are strong and healthy." characteristics

It's a minor issue in any case. Chinese has the same concept - two words can have the same objective meaning, yet one has a negative feel and the other a positive feel.
_________________
Daniel

�Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.�
--Dr. Seuss

[UKbug]

thanks, tho!! i finally get it!!!!!!!!