学术英语 社科
Academic English for
Social Sciences
5
Sociology Matters
Cultures all share certain basic
characteristics despite differences. In this
unit we will see how those characteristics
change as cultures develop, and how
cultures influence one another through their
technological, commercial, and artistic
achievements.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Unit Contents
Lead-in
Text A
Text B
Text C
Listening
Speaking
Writing
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Lead-in
Task Read the first paragraph of the text. Work
in pairs and write down two examples of the
development of culture in China.
1 _____________________________________________
2 _____________________________________________
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
• Text A
–
–
–
–
Critical reading and thinking
Difficult sentences
Group discussion
English language for academic purpose
• Collocations
• Signpost language
• Formal English
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
Analyzing the text by explaining key terms
1 Culture
the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs,
knowledge, material objects, and behavior
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
2 Cultural universals
adaptations to meet essential human needs, such as
people’s need for food, shelter, and clothing
e.g. athletic sports, cooking, funeral ceremonies,
medicine, and sexual restrictions (Anthropologist
George Murdock) (Para.2)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
3 Innovation
the process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture:
1) discovery: making known or sharing the existence of some
aspect of reality
e.g. the finding of the DNA molecule;
identification of a new moon of Saturn(Para.5)
2) invention: an invention results when existing cultural items
are combined into a form that did not exist before.
e.g. the bow and arrow, automobile, the Internet (Para.5)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
4 Globalization
the worldwide integration of government policies,
cultures, social movements, and financial markets
through trade and the exchange of ideas
e.g. Starbucks in China (Para.6)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
5 Diffusion
the process by which a cultural item spreads from group
to group or society to society.
e.g. Diffusion can occur through a variety of means:
exploration, military conquest, missionary work, the
influence or the mass media, tourism, and the Internet.
(Para.7)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
6 McDonaldization
the process through which the principles of the fast-food
restaurant have come to dominate certain sectors of
society, both in the United States and throughout the
world
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
McDonaldization is associated with the melting of
cultures.
Examples:
In Japan: African entrepreneurs have found a thriving
market for hip-pop fashions popularized by teens in the
United States. (Para.9)
In Austria: the McDonald’s organization has drawn on
Austrians’ love of coffee, cake, and conversation to
create the McCafe fast-food chain. (Para.9)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
In some societies, McDonaldization has met resistance to
the invasion of too much culture from other countries.
Examples:
In Canada: 35% of a station’s daytime radio programming
is required be devoted to Canadian songs or artists.
(Para.10)
In Brazil: Barbie’s popularity has been eclipsed by Susi, a
doll that looks more like Brazilian girls. (Para.10)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
7 Technology
cultural information about how to use the material
resources of the environment to satisfy human needs and
desires
e.g. Technology has increased the speed of cultural
diffusion and broadened the distribution of cultural
elements. (Para.11)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
8 Material culture
the physical or technological aspects of our daily lives,
including food items, houses, factories, and raw
materials
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
9 Nonmaterial culture
ways of using material objects and customs, beliefs,
philosophies, governments, and patterns of
communication
It is more resistant to change than material culture.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Critical reading and thinking of Text A
Text Analysis
10 Cultural lag
the period of maladjustment when the nonmaterial culture
is still struggling to adapt to new material conditions
e.g. the ethics of using the Internet, such as issues
concerning privacy and censorship (Para.12)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
•
Text A
Difficult sentences
The cultural practices listed by Murdock may be
universal, but the manner in which they are
expressed varies from culture to culture. (Para.3)
→ These cultural practices in Murdock’s list are
common to many societies, but these practices
are carried out in ways that differ greatly among
different cultures.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
•
Text A
Difficult sentences
Each generation, and each year for that matter, most
human cultures change and expand through the
processes of innovation and diffusion. (Para.4)
→ ‘For that matter’ is used to show that a statement is
true in another situation. Here it emphasizes the fact
that human cultures change rapidly.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
•
Text A
Difficult sentences
Today, more and more cultural expressions and
practices are crossing national borders, transforming
the traditions and customs of the societies exposed
to them. (Para.7)
→ Today cultural expressions and practices of
different countries are influencing each other. Hence
the traditions and customs of many societies are
changed under the influence .
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
•
Text A
Difficult sentences
Sociologist George Ritzer
“McDonaldization”… (Para.8)
coined
the
term
→ Coin: to use a word or phrase that no one has used
before. Coining of new terms is common in social
science studies, often serving to introduce a new
concept or theory.
•
Her wardrobe includes…(Para.10)
→ The clothes that the Brazilian doll has…
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
•
Text A
Difficult sentences
Today’s technological developments no longer need await
publication in journals with limited circulation. Press
conferences, often carried simultaneously on the Internet,
now trumpet new developments.(Para.11)
→ Today when new technology is developed, it does not
have to introduce itself in specific journals; rather it
normally draws on online press conferences to spread
the information.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
•
Text A
Difficult sentences
…the ethics of using the Internet, particularly issues
concerning privacy and censorship, have not yet caught
up with the explosion in Internet use and technology.
(Para.12)
→ The Internet ethical issues, particularly privacy and
censorship issues are not fully discussed and well
developed, thus is lagging behind the rapid increase in
the Internet use and technology.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
Group Discussion
It is said that people in different societies take
different attitudes toward diffusion.
What kind of attitude do Chinese people take toward
diffusion?
Use examples to illustrate your point.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Collocation
Task 1
1 Translate the following expressions related to
sociology into English (P96)
1. 人们对衣食住的需求
→ people’s need for food, shelter, and clothing
2. 推出新概念
→ introducing a new idea
3. 解除现有的工作关系
→ sweep away existing working relationships
4. 改变社会传统和习俗
→ transform the traditions and customs of the society
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Collocation
Task 1
1 Translate the following expressions related to
sociology into English (P96)
5. 削弱社会文化中的特殊方面
→ dilute the distinctive aspects of a society’s culture
6. 来自于其他国家的文化侵略
→ the cultural invasion from other countries
7. 满足人类的需求和欲望
→ satisfy human needs and desires
8. 关于隐私和审查的问题
→ issues concerning privacy and censorship
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Collocation
Task
1
2
2 Complete the sentences with the collocations
in the box. (P97)
human needs and desires level of privacy
material culture
social consequences
working relationship
worldwide integration
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Collocation
Task 1
22 Complete the sentences with the collocations
in the box. (P97)
1. Internet users may achieve an adequate
level of privacy
__________________
through controlled disclosure
of personal information.
2. This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the
social consequences of population decline and
__________________
aging in Japan.
3. Sociologists use the term “globalization” to refer to
the resulting worldwide
_________________
integration of government
policies, cultures, social movements and financial
markets.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Collocation
Task 1
2 Complete the sentences with the collocations
in the box. (P97)
4. A final recommendation of the consultants was a
radical attempt to forge a closer working
_______________
relationship
between the board and staff members.
material culture
5. In the social sciences, “__________________”
is a
term that refers to the relationship between artifacts
and social relations.
6. Abraham Maslow wrote his Hierarchy of Needs
theory wherein he attempted to document the five
human needs and desires
levels of ________________________.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Signpost language
Task 2 Classification
Read the paragraph on Page 98 and underline signpost
language of classification.
•
•
•
•
•
…may be classified in a variety of ways
At the essay level…
…be sorted into functional groups
Depending upon the purpose or intent of the writer…
Paragraphs may also be classified…
Unit 5
Text A
Sociology
Matters
English language for academic purpose
Formal English
In academic writing, claims are often couched in
tentative language. This is known as hedging.
•Modal auxiliary verbs:
can, could, may, might, should, would
•Other modal verbs:
appear, look, seem, tend
•Probability adjectives:
likely, possible, probable, unlikely
•Probability adverbs:
perhaps, possibly, probably, presumably
•Frequency adverbs:
generally, occasionally, often, seldom, usually
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Formal English
Task 3 Complete the sentences with hedging
2expressions. (P98)
1. The cultural practices listed by Murdock ____
may be
universal, but the manner in which they are
expressed varies from culture to culture. For
may let its members choose
example, one society ____
their own marriage partners. Another ____
may
encourage marriages arranged by the parents.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Formal English
Task 3 Complete the sentences with hedging
2expressions. (P98)
2. Globalization ____
may be defined as the worldwide
integration of government policies, cultures,
social movements, and financial markets
through trade and the exchange of ideas.
3. One economist went so far as to suggest that
could be simply summarized:
the entire field ______
“People respond to incentives. The rest is
commentary.”
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text A
English language for academic purpose
Formal English
Task 3 Complete the sentences with hedging
2expressions. (P98)
4. When deciding how safely to drive, rational people
perhaps unconsciously, the marginal
compare, ________
benefit from safer driving to the marginal cost.
5. Economists, like astronomers and evolutionary
usually have to make do with
biologists, ________
whatever data the world happens to give them.
6. Workers unemployed for many months are more
_______
likely to suffer economic and psychological
hardship.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
• Text B
– Critical reading and thinking
– Difficult sentences
– English language for academic purpose
– Researching
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Critical reading and thinking
Main points of the text
• Sociologists’ view on globalization
→ “Globalization means an increase in the
geographic range of locally consequential social
interactions.” (Charles Tilly)
• tourist gaze
→the expectation on the part of the tourist that he
or she will have exotic experiences while
traveling abroad
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Critical reading and thinking
Main points of the text
• Effects of globalization on international
tourism
→Globalization has greatly expanded the
possibilities for international travel. (Para.2;find
statistics to illustrate it)
→High level of international tourism translated into
an increase in the number of face-to-face
interactions between people of different
countries.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Critical reading and thinking
Main points of the text
• exotic experiences
→experiences that violate our everyday
expectation about how social interaction and
interaction with the physical environment are
supposed to proceed
e.g. Americans traveling in England may delight
in the fact that the British drive on the left-hand
side of the road.(Para.3)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Critical reading and thinking
Main points of the text
• Most of tourists do not want their experiences to
be too exotic.
e.g. the popularity of McDonald in Paris among young
American tourists (Para. 4)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Critical reading and thinking
Main points of the text
•What can sociologists study about the tourist
increases with the march of globalization?
e.g. dominant patterns of interaction that emerge
between tourists and locals; whether these interactions
are friendly or antagonistic (Para.6)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Difficult sentences
•
Americans, of course, have always interacted with
people from foreign lands if for no other reason than
America itself is an ethnically and culturally diverse
nation.(Para. 1)
→ Americans, of course, have always communicated
with people from other cultures simply because
America itself is an ethnically and culturally diverse
nation.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Difficult sentences
•
“globalization
→
Globalization means those social interactions
that used to just impact the local community
now has an impact that reaches beyond the
local area.
means an increase in the
geographic range of locally consequential social
interactions” (Para. 1)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
Difficult sentences
•
High levels of international tourism, of course,
translate into an increase in the number of faceto-face interactions between people of different
countries. (Para.3)
→ High levels of international tourism, of course,
leads to an increase in face-to-face
communications between people of different
countries.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Text B
English language for academic purpose
Collocation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
witness the effects of globalization
social interaction
a proportion of
delight in
be disconcerting to
take pleasure in
put strains on
with the march of globalization
Text B
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Researching
Team work: Form groups of 4-5 and conduct a
research about Chinese tourists traveling
abroad. The following prompts may be helpful:
•
•
•
•
•
the number of Chinese tourists abroad every year
the countries they visit and the length they stay there
the aspects or things they are interested in
their shopping behaviors
how the tourists interact with locals
Unit 5
Unit 5
Text B
Sociology
Sociology
Matters
Matters
Suggested answers
•
Text
C
Task 1 (P103)
1. The “tourist gaze” refers to the expectation of a
tourist when he or she travels abroad to have
–Critical
reading
experiences
different from
that he or she enjoys
back at home.
2. The tourist gaze may put strains on face-to-face
interactions between tourists and locals, especially
those who do not benefit from tourism because
some tourists may require too much and become too
judging.
Unit 5
Text C
Sociology
Matters
Suggested answers
Translate Paragraph 5 of Text C into Chinese
要了解你与人沟通的风格不是件容易的事。随意拉住
别人问他们觉得你是哪种人，随意的？好辩的？友好
的？活泼的？这样做颇为尴尬，也不太妥当。所以要
进行自我观察和分析，你必须对别人给你的反馈保持
敏感，并诚实地解读收到的反馈。这样的观察和分析
通常称为“自我监控”，其好处在于能够帮助你发现
各种状况下恰当、得体的行为，控制你的情绪反应，
给别人留下良好印象，还能在你从一种状况转换到另
一种状况时帮助你修正行为。
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
• Listening
– Note-taking symbols
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Listening
Academic activities
Listening: Note-taking symbols (See Page 106)
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Listening
Suggested answers
Task 1 (P106)
1 Four concepts the speaker explains in the lecture:
1) culture identity
2) ethnic identity
3) cultural group
4) ethnic group
2 Definitions of the four concepts:
1) Culture identity embodies standards of behavior
and the ways in which beliefs, values, and attitudes
are transmitted to the younger generation. It also
entails the ways in which kinship relationships and
marital and sexual relationships are structured.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Listening
Suggested answers
Task 1 (P106)
2) Ethnic identity refers to the geographic origin of a
minority group within a country or culture.
3) Cultural group refers to a set of people who
embrace core beliefs, behaviors, values, and
norms and transmit them from generation to
generation.
4) Ethnic group is a set of people who are embedded
within a larger cultural group or society and who
share beliefs, behaviors, values, and norms that
are also transmitted from generation to generation.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Listening
Suggested answers
Task 2 (P107)
Dictation
One’s cultural identity is an important aspect of being
human. Cultural identity evolves from the shared
beliefs, values, and attitudes of a group of people. It
embodies standards of behavior and the ways in
which beliefs, values, and attitudes are transmitted to
the younger generation. Cultural identity also entails
the ways in which kinship relationships and marital
and sexual relationships are structured. Examples of
the vast array of cultural identities in the United States
include Anglo American, Italian American, African
American, and Asian American – to name just a few.
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
• Speaking
–Turning to a new point
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Speaking
Turning to a new point
In a seminar, you can take the initiative to move on to
the next point by using the following expressions:
• All right, I think we've finished that item.
•If we can now turn to...
•Can we move on to the next point now?
•I'd like now to move on to…
•Turning now to…
•Moving on now to…
•Having looked at…, I'd now like to consider...
•I now want to turn to...
•Another interesting point is...
•The next aspect I'd like to consider is...
•I'd now like to turn to...
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
• Writing
– Writing methodology
Writing
Writing methodology
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Task 1 Read the Methodology part in Sample 2 and
complete the table about the main components of the
methodology part.
Type of research
Sampling method / technique
combination of qualitative and
quantitative research
random sampling
Respondents (e.g. location,
procedures)
mothers at the healthcare facilities and
institutions in Las Pinas City
Questionnaire (e.g. questions,
materials)
background information;
previous infant feeding practices;
birth of the youngest infant and the
baby’s general health and age;
factors influencing mother’s infant
feeding decisions;
the type of infant formula
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
• Getting ready for the next unit
– After class tasks
Unit 5
Sociology
Matters
Getting ready for the next unit
Do the following tasks after class
1.
2.
3.
4.
Find out main points of Text A.
Define the key terms with examples.
Mark the specialized vocabulary and explain them.
Underline the collocations you think important.