Transcultural flight

Objectives:

The objective of this module is twofold :

- To clarify a value system usually found in Great Britain.

- To identify the main values which constitute this frame of reference and which are cultivated by the different bodies and structures of British society.

Method : A simulation program :

At the controls of an aeroplane, you are going to go off on a journey outside your cultural frontiers.

Once you are ready, you are going to take a route that leads you towards British cultural space.

Air beacons will enable you to get your bearings throughout your route.

They will act as your guide and allow you to reach your objective.

Prepare your flight :

The environment in which we evolve expresses values which are always very revealing about the culture of the people who live there.

Your flight preparation will enable you to appreciate the main values expressed in 4 constituents of the Britain environment :

- The geographical and climatic spheres.

- The social milieu.

- The State and its institutions.

- The economic sphere.

Questions :

 Which of these 3 resources is the most valued in your society ?

  1. Experience
  2. Knowledge
  3. Creativity

* On which ground are you going to cultivate it ?

  1. On your field of activity
  2. On your sphere of competence

If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do, chapels had been churches and poor men’s cottages princes palaces.

William Shakespeare in “The Merchant of Venice”

* When you buy a product or a service, what is the main source of your empowerment ?

  1. The capacity to influence

B. The ability to choose

* What ground must you conquer or defend to extend and preserve this ability to choose ?

  1. Your zone of influence
  2. Your space for liberty

Liberty does not consist in mere general declarations of the rights of men.

It consists in the translation of those declarations into definite actions.

* Do you think the following are private or public spaces ?

A. Emotional space : PRIVATE PUBLIC

B. Inner thoughts : PRIVATE PUBLIC

Free men!

Beware of leaving the door to your heart and conscience wide open. For soon someone will enter and make you his slave!

J.L

* Life is ?

  1. A stage
  2. A boxing-ring
  3. A waiting-room

All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players…And one man in his time plays many parts. His acts being seven ages.

William Shakespeare in “As you like it”.

* Do you think one must give lessons to other people so that they can improve themselves ?

  1. Yes
  2. No

The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn of the crow.

William Blake in “The marriage of Heaven & Hell”

* What do eye mobility, the importance of open spaces and bay windows emphasize in Britain ?

  1. The need for visual space
  2. The need for physical space

Suffering is worse than the night, one cannot look at anything.

Adapted from Graham Greene.

* During the reign of William III 1689-1702, the English obtained two important concessions

A. Freedom of the press

B. creation of the bank of England

C. union of Scotland and England

D. right to vote for men

History teaches us that the English have always been the leaders and pioneers of the fundamental rights of man. For example the freedom to think and to act, the freedom to speak and the freedom of information.

A study of the ideas of Calvin shows that the English had learnt early to combine ethics and capitalism.

* What is Home Rule ( 1881 )

  1. A bill to give political autonomy to the Irish
  2. The regulation of domestic policy in England
  3. A reform of society after a long period of economic prosperity

* What countries form ?

Great Britain :

  1. England B. Wales C. Scotland D. Northern Ireland

The United Kingdom :

A. England B. Wales C. Scotland D. Northern Ireland

* Do the Channel Islands form part of the United Kingdom ?

  1. Yes
  2. No

Although administered by the Crown, The Channel Islands and The Isle of Man have their own parliaments and do not form part of the United Kingdom.

* A language is the fruit of a culture!

In the English language…

A past action which continues in the present is written :

  1. In the past simple
  2. In the present perfect

The progress of history is in the last analysis the product of the mobility of the heart of simple men and women.

Adapted from Elizabeth II “Christmas Day Message”, 1954.

Does the present simple have :

  1. A permanent value
  2. A temporary value

This, no to-morrow hath, nor yesterday,

Running (our love) never runs from us away.

But truly keeps his first last, everlasting day.

John Donne in “The Anniversary”.

For a future action which depends on your intentions do you use :

  1. The immediate future (going to)
  2. The future (shall, will)

To choose time is to save time. Francis Bacon in “Essays”.

* Which of the following is more important to you ?

  1. The past
  2. The present
  3. The future

Trust no future, however pleasant. Let the dead past bury its dead. Act, act in living present, heart within and God overhead!

H.W. Longfellow.

* Which of the following do you refer to, to explain the events around you and to decide what you are going to do ?

  1. The past and the future
  2. The past and the present
  3. The present and the future

There is a history in all men’s lives.

William Shakespeare in “Henry IV”

* The actual value of an investment corresponds to ?

  1. The value of your investment at the end of the amortization period
  2. The value of your investment today

Time is the measure of Business…

Francis Bacon in “Essays; of Dispatch”.

* Which of the following do you find most frequently in job advertisements ?

  1. Projects
  2. Creativity
  3. Opportunity

I would rather be an opportunist and float than go to the bottom with my principles round my neck. StanleyBaldwin.

* For you a three-year objective is ?

  1. Necessary long-term planning
  2. Pure chance
  3. Strategic management

Forecasts are risky; hypotheses remain only hypotheses. By a stroke of good fortune, chance makes action exciting and brings you luck.

*1000 years of civilisation plus the cult of tradition is common to all people in the UK. What is the country of origin for each of these traditions ?:

A. Moris dancing : 1/England 2/ Scotland 3/ Ireland 4/ Wales

B.the Orange day Parade : 1/England 2/ Scotland 3/ Ireland 4/ Wales

C. May Day 1/England 2/ Scotland 3/ Ireland 4/ Wales

D. the Edinburgh tattoo 1/England 2/ Scotland 3/ Ireland 4/ Wales

* What do you refer to in order to judge and decide what must be done ?

Idea

Action

He who desires but acts not breeds pestilence.

William Blake in “Proverbs of Hell”.

  1. Strategy

B.Tactics

The important thing is not just to have ideas but to follow them up.

  1. Experience
  2. Diplomas

Experience points out and facts prove; they enable you to attain truth.

  1. Statements
  1. Facts

Weigh oath with oath and you will nothing weigh.

William Shakespeare in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

A.Instincts

Rationality

I believe in instincts, not in reason. When reason is right, nine times out of ten it is impotent and when it prevails, nine times out of ten it is wrong.

A.C. Benson; letter quoted in C. Hassall, Edward Marsh.

Intellect

  1. Feeling

Definition : Feeling is a way of thinking and reacting to things which is emotional and spontaneous rather than logical and rational.

Collins Cobuild Dictionary.

Law

  1. Custom

Custom reconciles us to everything.

Edmund Burke from a speech in Bristol.

  1. Common sense

Reason

Common sense is the natural ability to make good judgements and to behave in a practical and sensible way. Collins Cobuild Dictonary.

A Norm

  1. A Paradox

A paradox is a situation or thing which is strange, because it has or involves two different facts or qualities, which you would think could not both be true at the same time and yet as Oscar Wilde said : “may lead to the truth”.

  1. Content

Form

Errors like straws upon the surface flow. He who would search for pearls must dive below.

John Dryden in “All for love”.

Context

  1. Factual details

Houses are built to live in and not to look on.

Francis Bacon in “Essays; of Building”.

  1. The ‘What’

The ‘How’

Measure not the work until the day’s out the labour done. Elizabeth Barrett Browning in “Aurora Leigh”.

Function

  1. Results

Your results reveal your true value.

Truth

  1. Truths

He who thinks he possesses the truth, is a fanatic and must be silenced.

For political, financial and personal reasons, Henry VIII became Head of the Church of England by the 1534 Act of Supremacy. Which Church was formed as a result of this separation ?

A. The Anglican Church

B. The ProtestantChurch

C. The MethodistChurch

England at this time was already a country willing to compromise. The Anglican Church was a compromise between Catholicism and Protestantism. Later, freedom of religion became one of the fundamental rights of the British citizen.

* The Grand Remontrance , 1641, was a statement of abuses presented to Charles Ist . Who opposed the King ?

A. Pope Urban VIII ( 1623-1644)

B. Parliament

C. Edward Growler, a Yorkshire gentleman farmer

The quarrel between Charles Ist and Parliament lead to the Civil War ( 1642). This resulted in the abolition of Monarchy and the establishment of a Republic : the Commonwealth, led by Oliver Cromwell, the Head of the Puritan Army

* A hero is a person who is ?

  1. Reckless, sufficiently foolhardy to attempt anything
  2. Courageous, sufficiently brave to overcome all ordeals

Be bold, be bold, and everywhere be bold.

Edmund Spenser in “The Faerie Queene”.

* An intelligent man is ?

  1. An admirable person, one of nature’s marvels
  2. A person of bad taste, one of nature’s mistakes

The important thing is not necessarily to be intelligent, but to have the sense of…

* A genius is someone who ?

  1. By the force and acuteness of his intuition is capable of creating and improvising while in action
  2. Thanks to his knowledge and thinking ability provides answers for everything

Genius consisting neither in self-conceit nor in humility, but in a power to make or to do not anything in general, but something in particular.

George Eliot in “Middlemarch”.

* A strong man is one who :

Controls his drives and his instincts

Controls and masters his environment

The highest degree of human wisdom is to know how to adjust one’s character to circumstances and to have an inner calm despite external turmoil.

Adapted from Daniel Defoe.

* Power is exemplary when it is ?

Strong and charismatic

Discreet and conciliatory

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.Lord Acton in “Historical essays and studies”.

* A united group is a group of individuals who ?

Share the same ideas and are of on mind

Share the same aims and objectives

Men unite with the aim of achieving the objectives they cannot achieve alone.

* A professional is one who ?

Knows how to take risks and profit from the experience

Thinks deeply and prepares for action over a long period, so as not to take risks

Prudence is a rich, ugly old woman courted by incapacity.

William Blake in “The marriage of Heaven & Hell”.

*On the British flag, the Union Flag ( familiarly the Union Jack) 3 crosses are superimposed. Each one represents a country. Which ?

A. The cross of St Patrick : 1/England 2/ Scotland 3/ Ireland

B. The cross of St Andrew : 1/England 2/ Scotland 3/ Ireland

C. The cross of St George : 1/England 2/ Scotland 3/ Ireland

The book industry is very powerful in England

Approximately 60,000 titles are published each year. Libraries play an important role in

schools and 1/3 of the British public are enrolled in free public libraries.

*Who wrote?

A.Gulliver’s travel 1/ Charles Dickens 2/Jonathan Swift 3/J.R.R Tolkien 4 /Daniel Defoe

B. The Lord of the Ring 1/ Charles Dickens 2/Jonathan Swift 3/J.R.R Tolkien 4 /Daniel Defoe

C.Robinson Crusoe 1/ Charles Dickens 2/Jonathan Swift 3/J.R.R Tolkien 4 /Daniel Defoe

D. David Copperfield 1/ Charles Dickens 2/Jonathan Swift 3/J.R.R Tolkien 4 /Daniel Defoe

* What type of contract ties you to your society ?

Rights and duties

Shared values

You must obey the values in which you believe, not those people who dictate your rights and duties.

Retrospective responsibility

Prospective responsibility

To mourn a mischief that is past and gone is the next way to draw new mischief on .

William Shakespeare in “Othello”.

* From the following, choose the social values which are basic to British culture :

Utility : Yes No

Utility is an important value; it brings finality to your actions.

Liberty: Yes No

Liberty is the outcome of your will ! If you nurture these values, you’ll become Men and Women capable of changing rather than accepting the course of events. J.L.

Conscience : Yes No

In its battle against the individual, society has three weapons : The law, public opinion and conscience. Adapted from Somerset Maugham.

Tolerance : Yes No

For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

William Shakespeare in “Hamlet”.

Love of one’s neighbour : Yes No

To love one’s neighbour as oneself is by definition impossible; it’s the denial of oneself.

Adapted from Enoch Powell.

Work : Yes No

I like work, it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. I love to keep it by me. The idea of getting rid of it nearly breaks my heart.

Jerome K. Jerome in “Three men in a boat”.

Flexibility : Yes No

He who does not know when to close his eyes, does not know when to open them; he who does not know when to lie, does not know when to tell the truth. In the same way, he who does not know when to curtail his opinions, does not know when to express them.

Adapted from Samuel Butler.

Equality : Yes No

It is better that some should be happy than that none should be happy; which would be the case in a general state of equality.

Samuel Johnson in “Boswell’s life of Samuel Johnson”.

Individual Responsibility : Yes No

There must be in every constitution a centre of resistance against the predominant power. The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited, he must not make himself a nuisance to other people. John Stuart Mill in “On liberty”.

Courage : Yes No

Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live, taking the form of a readiness to die.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton in “Orthodoxy”.

Moderation : Yes No

Some grief shows much of love. But much of grief shows still some want of spirit.

William Shakespeare in “Romeo & Juliet”.

Honesty : Yes No

As a rule, no man in a dilemma is totally honest. And the others? Which others ? Those who do good work. Ah…if they do good work, it’s because they believe in the following

principle : Dupe the others or they will dupe you.

William Makepeace Thackeray – Charles Dickens (a compilation).

* Composure is ?

A rejection of emotions

Self-control

A lack of feelings

Composure means that instincts are expressed only when mastered and submitted to the will. Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor.

Attributed by Francis Bacon to Elizabeth I.

* Which of the following is fundamental to British civilisation ?

Confidence in man and his word

Respect for established laws

The equality of individuals

Everyone is responsible for his acts, whether he lies or tells the truth he must be believed.

* What is the main spring of British morals ?

Love of one’s neighbour

A clear conscience

A sense of decency

Decency, horror of excesses and intolerance are the origins of British liberalism. I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

S.G. Tallentyre.

* Your freedom is a result of :

Your will

The scope and limits of your actions

The benevolence of those who govern you

So every bondman in his own hands bears the power to cancel his captivity.

William Shakespeare in “Julius Caesar”.

* Who judges your acts ?

The community

Those who govern you

No man can justly censure or condemn another, because indeed no man truly knows another.

Sir Thomas Browne in “Religio Medici”.

* In Britain, humour is ?

  1. A bond that unites men

A compensatory need

A means of being noticed

The privilege of absurdity is reserved to man.

Thomas Hobbes in “Leviathan”.

*English society is a non-egalitarian class society. One of the first victories of the British working-class ( or lower class) was the formation of Trade Unions and the passing of the Factory Acts which regulates working hours and conditions for women and children .

When did these first Trade Union Acts occurs ?

A. 1833

B.1904

C.1936

The cult of diversity and a hatred of intolerance guaranteed the existence of state affairs difficult to believe in anywhere else, that in a large number of individuals belonging to different social classes who evolved through dialogue and mutual respect within the same national community

*In 1689 William and Mary accepted the Declaration of Rights, a Constitution was established : it stated that the Monarchs were the first Constitutional monarchs of England.

Which of the following did not form part of the Declaration of Rights

A. The king cannot suspend a law, raise a tax, form an army without the consent of Parliament

B. No Roman Catholic, nor a king married to a Roman Catholic can ascend the British throne

C. All men must respect laws, authority, the family and prosperity

* Grace brings riches and perspectives ?

  1. Now, on earth, to those who know how to take the opportunity

After death, in heaven, to those who have overcome difficulties on earth

Better reign in hell than serve in heaven.

John Milton in “Paradise Lost”.

* Which are symbols of wealth ?

  1. All material gains even modest ones

The love of those around you

The spirit in that drives you

Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result : happiness.

Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result : misery.

Charles Dickens in “David Copperfield”.

* Which of the following perspectives motivate you ?

Enjoying the pleasures of civilized life : Yes No

One wins with moderation rather than fear. Violence can have an effect on servile natures but not on independent creatures.