Cultural stereotype as a way of mastering reality. Cultural stereotypes

21.04.2019

Human consciousness is endowed with the property of reflecting the environment around a person objective reality, and this reflection is a subjective image of the objective world, i.e. a certain model, a picture of the world. When reality is objectified by consciousness, the mechanisms of stereotyping are activated. The result of the reflection of a fragment of the world picture in the individual’s consciousness is a stereotype, a fixed mental “picture” [Krasnykh 2002:177-178]. Thus, from a content point of view, a stereotype is a certain stable fragment of the picture of the world stored in the mind.

The phenomenon of “stereotype” itself is considered not only in the works of linguists, but also sociologists, ethnographers, cognitive scientists, psychologists, ethnopsycholinguists (U. Lippman, I. S. Kon, Yu. D. Apresyan, V. A. Ryzhkov, Yu. E. Prokhorov, V.V. Krasnykh, V.A. Maslova).

Social stereotypes manifest themselves as stereotypes of thinking and behavior of an individual. Ethnocultural stereotypes are a generalized idea of typical features characterizing any people. German neatness, Russian “maybe”, Chinese ceremonies, African temperament, hot temper of Italians, stubbornness of Finns, slowness of Estonians, Polish gallantry - stereotypical ideas about the whole people that apply to each of its representatives.

In cognitive linguistics and ethnolinguistics, the term stereotype refers to the content side of language and culture, i.e. is understood as a mental (thinking) stereotype that correlates with “ a naive picture peace." We find such an understanding of the stereotype in the works of E. Bartminsky and his school; the linguistic picture of the world and the linguistic stereotype are correlated in him as part and whole, while the linguistic stereotype is understood as a judgment or several judgments relating to a specific object of the extra-linguistic world, a subjectively determined representation of an object in which descriptive and evaluative features coexist and which is the result of the interpretation of reality within the framework of socially developed cognitive models. We consider a linguistic stereotype not only a judgment or several judgments, but also any stable expression consisting of several words, for example, a stable comparison, cliche, etc.: a person of Caucasian nationality, gray-haired as a harrier, a new Russian. The use of such stereotypes facilitates and simplifies communication, saving the energy of communicants.

A stereotype is interpreted in modern social sciences as “a set of stable, simplified generalizations about a group of individuals, which makes it possible to distribute group members into categories and perceive them in a stereotyped way, according to these expectations.” However, the stereotype does not only apply to groups of subjects. It also expresses a person’s habitual attitude towards any phenomenon or event. Stereotypes are formed in the process of socialization of the individual [Ryzhkov 1988:11] and are formed under the influence of social conditions and previous experience.

In linguoculturology, the following types of stereotypes are distinguished: simple and figurative. Both have autostereotypes and heterostereotypes. (think about examples).

Stereotypes are always national, and if there are analogues in other cultures, then these are quasi-stereotypes, because, while coinciding in general, they differ in nuances and details that are of fundamental importance. For example, the phenomena and situation of the queue in different cultures are different, and therefore, stereotypical behavior will be different: in Russia they ask “Who is last?” or just stand in line, in a row European countries They tear off the receipt in a special machine and then follow the numbers that light up above the window, for example, at the post office.

According to Harutyunyan, “a peculiar national flavor of feelings and emotions, way of thinking and action, stable and national traits habits and traditions formed under the influence of the conditions of material life, the peculiarities of the historical development of a given nation and manifested in the specifics of its national culture.” In other words, a set of character traits inherent in a particular nation.

Ethnic cultural stereotypes cannot be considered separately from the culture of communication, since interethnic communication is not an isolated area social life, but a mechanism that ensures the coordination and functioning of all elements of human culture.

The culture of interethnic communication is a system of stereotypical forms, principles, and methods of communicative activity specific to a given ethnic group. The system of ethnocultural stereotypes is specially adapted to perform socially significant functions in the life of an ethnic group.

Ethnic stereotypes in situations of intercultural communication act as “guides” of behavior. Based on the formed ideas, we predict in advance the behavior of representatives of another ethnic group, and without meaning to, we establish a distance in the process of intercultural communication.

The perception of another ethnic group is a direct reaction to contact with a foreign ethnic environment. Typically, perception comes through the prism of one’s ethnic “I,” that is, a certain traditional stereotype of thinking and behavior determined by ethnicity. Now, when ethnic differences dominate people’s behavior more and more, determining the nature of perception of other ethnic groups, intercultural communication gives rise to many problems.

The basis for the formation of ethnic stereotypes are cultural differences, which are easily perceived during intercultural interaction. Forming in the zone of ethnocultural contacts on the basis of systems of ethnic ideas about the imaginary and actual features of one’s own and others ethnic groups, stereotypes are fixed on a subconscious level as an unquestionable imperative in relation to representatives of other ethnic cultures.

What is a stereotype as a phenomenon of a social system? Representatives of various sciences study stereotypes as part of their tasks. Philosophers, sociologists, cultural scientists, and ethnographers are interested in the ethnic aspects of stereotypes. Psychologists consider the influence of gender stereotypes. The single concept of “stereotype” covers all spheres of human life.

Stereotype - what is it?

At the end of the 17th century, the French publisher F. Didot invented a device that allowed saving time, labor and price in the printing business. Before the invention, the text for a book was typed anew every time, which led to huge expenditures of resources. New creative solution Dido consisted of making casts of the typed text, then casting metal plates-stamps, allowing books to be printed in large quantities. F. Dido called his invention a stereotype: “στερεός” - solid “τύπος” - image.

What does stereotype mean as a concept in modern world? In 1922, American publicist Walter Lippmann introduced the term "stereotype" into the public sphere and described its meaning as: the inability of an individual to know the whole picture real world without simplifying it. A person carries out his activities based not on the obvious direct knowledge, and to ready-made cliché templates introduced by others: relatives, acquaintances, the system, the state.

Types of stereotypes

A child is born and with mother’s milk absorbs lullabies, fairy tales, traditions and legends belonging to his ethnic group. As the child grows up, he learns the norms and regulations characteristic of his family and the clan as a whole. Educational institutions contribute. This is how stereotypical thinking gradually develops. A person literally becomes overgrown with stereotypes. Common types of stereotypes identified by various experts:

thinking stereotypes
behavioral stereotypes;
ethnocultural stereotypes;
response stereotypes;
communication stereotypes, etc.

The functions of stereotypes can be divided into “positive” and “negative”. The main positive aspect of the stereotype is the economy of human mental activity. Man, for his short life cannot know everything about everything, but based on the experiences of others he can have an idea about many things, even if they are not related to his reality. The negative aspect is that personal experience(even a one-time) confirmation of the correctness of this or that stereotype is fixed in the subconscious and prevents us from perceiving people and phenomena differently.

Gender stereotypes

Man performs different social roles, including gender. The gender role determines the norms of recommended behavior based on male or female gender and the cultural characteristics of the country. What's happened ? The role of a man or woman in society is determined by many traditions and ways of life that have been established over centuries. Stereotypes have still not outlived their usefulness, the echo of which can be seen in proverbs and sayings of different peoples:

woman is the keeper of the hearth;
the man is the breadwinner;
women are fools;
a woman without children is like a tree without branches;
a lonely woman is a wingless bird;
a man without a wife is like a barn without a roof;
a man promises, a man fulfills;
The guy is not a flirt, but he loves to fight.

Ethnic stereotypes

Effective interethnic communication today plays an important role in achieving peace and cooperation between nations. National stereotypes are cultural ideas of a people as a nation about themselves (autostereotypes) and about other peoples (heterostereotypes) developed over centuries. The study of ethnic groups - stereotypes - helps to learn the characteristics, habits, culture for useful interaction between different countries.

Social stereotypes

What is a social stereotype? Stable and simplified matrices of images of social objects (person, group, profession, gender, ethnicity). In this case, thinking stereotypes may turn out to be false and form erroneous knowledge. Typically, a stereotype is based on observations based on real facts and personal experience, but sometimes a stereotype plays a destructive role when it is applied in a situation that falls outside the general pattern and labeling occurs on a person. Examples of social stereotypes:

without “clan” it is impossible to build a successful career;
the child must be obedient;
to be successful you need to graduate from a prestigious university;
all men need only one thing from women...;
all accountants are bores and lawyers are crooks;
money is evil;
Japanese cars are the highest quality;
Jews are the most cunning;
the man is a womanizer, a drinker.

Cultural stereotypes

Cultural stereotypes of society affect human emotions, which are associated with physicality and are reinforced by gestures. Emotions and gestures are a universal language among peoples with similar cultural customs, but in individual countries they can take on completely opposite meanings. Before you travel to other countries, it is useful to study the customs of these countries. Culture combines: stereotypes of goal setting, communication, perception, picture of the world. Stereotypical behavior - important stage in the formation of rituals (religious) of various cultures.

Popular stereotypes

What is a stereotype? This question is usually answered “correctly”, “stereotypically”. Society is accustomed to thinking in popular terms, the reason for this lies in the insufficiency or shortage of information and the inability to confirm this information. The stereotype of thinking (mental attitude) - “I am like everyone else” means belonging to one’s family, group, people, state, and has a downside: it drives one into a framework of restrictions, impoverishes a person’s personal experience. Popular stereotypes accepted in society:

audacity second happiness;
figure standard - 90/60/90;
It’s good there - where we are not;
hits - means loves;
eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, give dinner to your enemy;
a woman on a ship - there will be trouble;
you need to get married before 30;
girls should wear pink, boys blue;
women are the weaker sex;
expensive means high quality;

Stereotypes about Russians

Stereotypes about Russia can be traced in various stories and anecdotes invented both by the Russians themselves and by other peoples. Stereotypically, Russians appear in jokes as “shirtless guys, extremely hardy, who love to drink and get rowdy.” Interest in Russia is great. This power remains mysterious and majestic, and for some, a hostile country. What do representatives of other states think about the country, Russian women and men:

Russians are the heaviest drinkers;
bears walk along the streets;
Russian girls are the most beautiful;
men walk with a stone face and do not smile;
Russia is a country of balalaikas, nesting dolls and kosovorotkas;
the most hospitable;
illiterate and illiterate;
girls dream;

Stereotypes about the French

The whole world watches the French catwalks with trepidation, buys French perfume, and is touched by the most romantic films planets. “See Paris and die!” - a phrase said by the Soviet writer-photographer I. Ehrenburg - has long become a catchphrase and is spoken with aspiration and a dreamy look. Stereotypes of France that are strongly associated with this beautiful country:

French women are the most sophisticated, elegant;
Paris dictates fashion to everyone else;
the French are the best lovers in the world;
croissants, wine, foie gras, frogs, baguettes and oysters are the daily national food;
beret, vest, red scarf - standard clothing
the most smoking nation in the world;
strikes and demonstrations “with or without reason”;
the most inveterate pessimists;
freedom of morals and frivolous behavior;
get annoyed if foreigners pronounce words incorrectly in French;
patriots of their homeland affectionately call the country “La dos France” (“Dear France”).

Stereotypes about Americans

America is a country of contrasts and unlimited possibilities, where the most cherished dreams- Americans think about their state this way. The USA is a country that is in many ways incomprehensible to the Russian mentality, causing rejection among some, and in light of the existing tense relations between Russia and America - distrust of the most smiling American nation. Myths and stereotypes about Americans:

a nation of fast food and fat people;
love to organize surprises;
they want to take over the whole world;
lack of style and taste in clothing;
the most patriotic nation;
Every American has a gun;
are not shy about the violent manifestation of emotions.

Stereotypes about the British

What associations do people have who have never been to England, but have heard about this country? Those who studied English at school remember the famous Big Ben clock mechanism and that England is a country of rain, fog and oatmeal for breakfast. There are legends about the stiffness of the British. English detective stories about Sherlock Holmes are loved to be read all over the world. Stereotypes about the British:

constantly talking about the weather;
drink tea according to schedule;
The British are the most polite;
arrogant snobs;
conservatives;
strange English humor;
everyone goes to the pub;
the most law-abiding citizens.

Stereotypes are always national, and if there are analogues in other cultures, then these are quasi-stereotypes, because, while coinciding in general, they differ in nuances and details that are of fundamental importance. For example, the phenomena and situation of queuing are different in different cultures, and therefore, stereotypical behavior will also be different: in Russia they ask “Who is last?” or simply stand in line; in a number of European countries, they tear off a receipt in a special machine and then follow the numbers that light up above the window, for example, at the post office.

To belong to specific culture is determined precisely by the presence of a basic stereotypical core of knowledge, which is repeated in the process of socialization of the individual in a given society, therefore stereotypes are considered precedent (important, representative) names in culture. A stereotype is a phenomenon of language and speech, a stabilizing factor that allows, on the one hand, to store and transform some of the dominant components of a given culture, and on the other, to express oneself among “one’s own” and at the same time identify one’s “one.”

The formation of ethnic consciousness and culture as regulators of human behavior are based on both innate and acquired in the process of socialization factors - cultural stereotypes, which are acquired from the moment a person begins to identify himself with a certain ethnic group, a certain culture and recognize himself as an element of them. .

The mechanism for the formation of stereotypes are many cognitive processes, because stereotypes perform a number of cognitive functions - the function of schematization and simplification, the function of forming and storing group ideology, etc.

We live in a world of stereotypes imposed on us by culture. The set of mental stereotypes of an ethnos is known to each of its representatives. Stereotypes are, for example, expressions in which a representative of a rural, peasant culture will talk about light moonlit night: it’s so light that you can sew, while a city dweller in this typical situation will say: it’s so light that you can read. Similar stereotypes are used by native speakers in standard communication situations. Moreover, almost any feature, not just the logically main one, can become dominant in a stereotype.

The culturosphere of a certain ethnic group contains a number of elements of a stereotypical nature, which, as a rule, are not perceived by bearers of another culture; These elements are called lacunae by Yu. A. Sorokin and I. Yu. Markovina: everything that the recipient noticed in a foreign cultural text, but does not understand, that seems strange to him and requires interpretation, serves as a signal of the presence in the text of national-specific elements of the culture in which a text has been created, namely gaps.

The stability of a culture and its viability are determined by the extent to which the structures that determine its unity and integrity are developed. The integrity of culture presupposes the development of cultural stereotypes - stereotypes of goal setting, behavior, perception, understanding, communication, etc., i.e. stereotypes big picture peace. An important role in the formation of stereotypes is played by the frequency of occurrence of certain objects and phenomena in people’s lives, often expressed in longer human contacts with these objects compared to others, which leads to stereotyping of such objects.

A behavior stereotype is the most important among stereotypes; it can turn into a ritual. And in general, stereotypes have much in common with traditions, customs, myths, rituals, but they differ from the latter in that traditions and customs are characterized by their objectified significance, openness to others, while stereotypes remain at the level of hidden mentalities that exist among “their own.”

So, a stereotype is characteristic of the consciousness and language of a representative of a culture, it is a kind of core of culture, its bright representative, and therefore the support of the individual in the dialogue of cultures.

To describe the language of a particular region in the light of linguoculturology, we use the scheme proposed by N. I. Tolstoy in ethnolinguistics: literary language corresponds elitist culture, dialects and dialects - folk culture etc.

This scheme can be used in the linguocultural description of any other region.

The brightest linguistic feature, which reflects the culture of the people, are phraseological units and proverbs, metaphors and symbols. For example, mythologems, archetypes, standards, stereotypes, customs, rituals, and beliefs are fixed in language.

The national and cultural identity of phraseological units, metaphors, and symbols is formed through cultural connotation. And yet we maintain that language is not the repository of culture.

The unit of language - the word - is only a signal, the function of which is to awaken human consciousness, to touch upon certain concepts in it that are ready to respond to this signal.

Language is only a mechanism that facilitates the encoding and transmission of culture. Texts are the true guardian of culture. Not the language, but the text displays spiritual world person. It is the text that is directly related to culture, because it is permeated with many cultural codes; it is the text that stores information about history, ethnography, national psychology, national behavior, i.e. about everything that makes up the content of culture. In turn, the rules for constructing a text depend on the cultural context in which it appears.

The text is created from linguistic units of lower levels, which, with appropriate selection, can strengthen the cultural signal. Phraseologisms are primarily such units.

Maslova V.A. Linguoculturology - M., 2001.

Cultures are partly similar and partly different in solving common problems. For each pair of cultures being compared, the area of agreement is perceived as correct and is usually not noticed. The area of difference causes surprise, irritation, rejection and is perceived as a typical national trait - a cultural stereotype.

Russian stereotype: lazy, irresponsible, melancholic.

American stereotype: naive, aggressive, unprincipled, workaholic.

German stereotype: insensitive, bureaucratic, overzealous at work.

French stereotype: arrogant, hot-tempered, hierarchical, emotional.

A concept close to the concept of culture is national mentality - an integrating characteristic of people living in a particular culture, which allows us to describe the uniqueness of these people’s vision of the world around them and explain the specifics of their response to it.

Topic 5. The concept of “culture shock”. Strategies for overcoming intercultural conflict

The phenomenon of cross- culture shock widely known. Almost everyone who worked or lived abroad for a relatively long period has encountered it.

Cross-cultural shock is a state of confusion and helplessness caused by the loss of normal values and the inability to answer the questions: where, when and how to do the right thing?

Especially often, collisions that arise on the basis of cross-cultural errors occur during first meetings and acquaintances. It is in these situations that managers and executives, especially those who do not speak foreign languages and do not have much experience in contacts with foreigners, should be extremely attentive and careful.

Six forms of culture shock:

stress due to the efforts made to achieve psychological adaptation;

a sense of loss due to deprivation of friends, position, profession, property;

a feeling of loneliness (rejection) in a new culture, which can turn into denial of this culture;

violation of role expectations and sense of self-identity; anxiety that turns to resentment and disgust after recognizing cultural differences;

feeling of inferiority due to inability to cope with the situation.

The main cause of culture shock is cultural differences. Symptoms of culture shock can be very different: from exaggerated concern for the cleanliness of dishes, linen, and the quality of water and food to psychosomatic disorders, general anxiety, insomnia, and fear.

Cross-cultural shock, characterized by a state of indecision, helplessness, depression, and dissatisfaction with oneself. Almost without exception, businessmen have experienced this condition. This is connected not only with moving to another country, but also with a change in type of activity, change in official position, transfer from one company to another, etc.

Many researchers believe that the basis of cross-cultural shock is a violation of intercultural communications. There are usually four classic phases of cross-cultural shock.

The phase of euphoria, joyful revival. This phase is often called the “honeymoon” of cross-cultural shock. This period is characterized by a high degree of expectations and a desire to focus on positive values.

The phase of culture shock itself, frustration and irritation. Symptoms of this phase include homesickness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, irritability and even aggression. For many, this condition is accompanied by the development of an inferiority complex, a reluctance to perceive new culture, limiting communication only with their compatriots.

Phase three is the phase of gradual adaptation, recovery. During this period, the new cultural environment is comprehended, a positive perception of the surrounding world returns, and a sense of hope for the best grows.

The fourth phase is the phase of complete adaptation, reverse culture shock. This phase is characterized by awareness of the values of the new culture and at the same time a critical understanding of the culture of one’s own country.

Reverse culture shock is a set of sensations that a person who has lived abroad for a long time experiences when returning home.

Success in the market largely depends on the cultural adaptability of the company, its employees, and their competence in the field of intercultural communications. Cultural incompetence and inflexibility in intercultural communication expose the success of the company to risk, including monetary risk. If an unsuccessful transaction is made, here too, perhaps, an important role is played by the inability to communicate with a foreign partner, ignorance of the customs, history, and culture of the partners’ country, the volume of sales and purchases may decrease, and the attitude of buyers towards the company will worsen. An important component of the effectiveness of cross-cultural contacts is knowledge of foreign languages. Language plays an important role in collecting information and evaluating it, language gives access to understanding the culture of other people, they become more open. Cross-cultural research shows that without knowledge of a foreign language it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to seriously study and understand the culture of another country. Entering global world, successful international business requires the development of cross-cultural literacy. Another barrier in intercultural communications can be stereotyping, simplified perception and standardization of reality phenomena. A manager who has trusted previous experience and stereotypes often makes mistakes. His communication skills are difficult and most often lead to cross-cultural shock. Strictly speaking, stereotyping paralyzes creative thinking and has a detrimental effect on the ability to perceive new things.

In a cross-cultural environment, an important place is occupied by the system of values, norms and traditions of a particular country. Respect not only for the cultural heritage of the country, but knowledge of the religious and ethical norms of a given country is necessary for a manager associated with international activities. Unfortunately, the most important reason for the disruption of cross-cultural communication and the occurrence of cross-cultural shock is still ethnocentrism, which is associated with a sense of superiority that representatives of one culture experience in relation to others. There is nothing more destructive to cooperation than a disdainful attitude towards a partner, the desire to impose your system of values and views on him. The manifestation of ethnocentrism and egocentrism is always detrimental to business and is usually accompanied by a loss of competitiveness. It is impossible in modern conditions to achieve business success without respecting the culture and traditions of other countries, just as it is impossible to achieve career success in a company whose business culture the manager does not accept and condemns. In business, as in any activity, the golden rule of morality still applies: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

The severity of culture shock and the duration of intercultural adaptation depend on many factors: internal (individual) and external (group).

In the first group of factors, the most important are the individual characteristics of a person: gender, age, character traits. Therefore, recently researchers believe that the education factor is more important for adaptation. The higher it is, the more successful the adaptation is. Education, even without taking into account cultural content, expands a person’s internal capabilities. The more complex a person’s picture of the world, the easier and faster he perceives innovations.

In connection with these studies, scientists have made attempts to identify a certain universal set of personal characteristics that a person who is preparing for life in a foreign country with a foreign culture should have. Usually called the following features personalities: professional competence, high self-esteem, sociability, extroversion, openness to different views, interest in other people, a tendency to cooperate, tolerance of uncertainty, internal self-control, courage and perseverance, empathy. If the cultural distance is too great, adaptation will not be easier. The internal factors of adaptation and overcoming culture shock also include the circumstances of a person’s life experience. The most important thing here is the motives for adaptation. Having knowledge of the language, history and culture certainly makes adaptation easier.

Foreign companies operating in Russia bring new methods of communication, new models for organizing work processes, and new requirements for the professionalism of employees. Despite the fact that many employees of international companies have a good command of foreign language, orientation in complex cultural space can be very difficult, which affects decision-making and simply communication between employees. A prerequisite for successful staff interaction is the development of cross-cultural competencies.

Ways to resolve an individual’s conflict with an alien environment:

Ghettoization (from the word "ghetto"). This phenomenon occurs when immigrants, having arrived in a foreign country, for various internal or external reasons, become isolated in their own circle, minimizing communication with the surrounding society and its culture. They often settle in the same area of the city, where they speak their native language, and retain the consumption patterns to which they are accustomed in their homeland. In many large and even medium-sized cities of the West you can see Chinese and Indian quarters. Brighton Beach in New York is a cultural enclave created in America by immigrants from Soviet Union, unable or unwilling to undergo socialization again. In such cultural ghettos, restaurants offering national cuisine, souvenir shops of the corresponding country, etc. are concentrated. In these areas, a corresponding demand is formed for the attributes of the culture of the country where the residents of the area or their ancestors came from.

Assimilation is a way of overcoming culture shock, the opposite of ghettoization. In this case, the individual strives to renounce his own culture as quickly as possible and assimilate the culture of the host country. Such people in America are much more American than those whose ancestors landed in the New World hundreds of years ago.

An intermediate strategy consists in the fact that immigrants strive to assimilate a new culture, but at the same time enrich it with the one they brought with them. So, Italian spaghetti, pizza became national dishes USA, and Indian and Chinese cuisine are part of consumption in the UK, USA and many other countries.

Partial assimilation is the abandonment of one’s culture and the adoption of a new one only in certain areas. Thus, most often, immigrants are forced to adapt to the norms accepted in a given country at work. However, in the family they often try to maintain their national culture and remain committed to national cuisine, apartment decoration style. They often remain committed to their traditional religion.

Colonization is the imposition by immigrants of their cultural values, norms, and language local residents. In this case, the consumption style is introduced to new soil and becomes dominant either in the country as a whole or in certain groups of the population. A classic example of cultural colonization was the creation of empires of Western European countries in Asia and Africa, accompanied by the implantation of elements of European culture there.

However, the Americanization of life in Western Europe after World War II is sometimes cited as an example of cultural colonization. With this approach, cultural shifts in post-Soviet Russia can also be called cultural colonization.

Cognitive dissonance - (from the English words: cognitive - “cognitive” and dissonance - “lack of harmony”) is a state of an individual characterized by a collision in his consciousness of conflicting knowledge, beliefs, behavioral attitudes regarding some object or phenomenon, in which the existence of one element the denial of the other follows, and the feeling of psychological discomfort associated with this discrepancy. Dissonance may arise due to differences in cultural practices.

The phenomenon of “stereotype” itself is considered not only in the works of linguists, but also sociologists, ethnographers, cognitive scientists, psychologists, ethnopsycholinguists (U. Lippman, I. S. Kon, J. Collin, Yu. D. Apresyan, Yu. A. Sorokin, V.A. Ryzhkov, Yu.E. Prokhorov, V.V. Krasnykh, P.N. Shikhirev, A.V. Mikheev, S.M. Tolstaya, E. Bart-minsky, A.K. Bayburin, G. S. Batygin, S. V. Silinsky, etc.).

Representatives of each of these sciences highlight in a stereotype those properties that they notice from the perspective of their field of study, and therefore social stereotypes, communication stereotypes, mental stereotypes, cultural stereotypes, ethnocultural stereotypes, etc. are highlighted. For example, social stereotypes manifest themselves as stereotypes of thinking and behavior of an individual. Ethnocultural stereotypes are a generalized idea of the typical features that characterize a nation. German neatness, Russian “maybe”, Chinese ceremonies, African temperament, hot temper of Italians, stubbornness of Finns, slowness of Estonians, Polish gallantry - stereotypical ideas about the whole people that apply to each of its representatives. Most jokes about national character are based on stereotypical ideas. Let's give an example: “We sent representatives of different nationalities a film with the following content: a hot desert and a scorching sun. A man and a woman are walking with difficulty. And suddenly the man takes out a juicy orange and gives it to the woman. Viewers are asked the question: what nationality is he?”

The French spectator replies: “Only a Frenchman could treat a lady so gallantly!” Russian: “No. This is Russian: you have to be such a fool! I would eat it myself." Jew: “No, it’s a Jew: who else could get an orange in the desert?” Here the stereotypes are the gallantry of the French, the recklessness of the Russians, the resourcefulness of the Jews.

There are autostereotypes that reflect what people think about themselves, and heterostereotypes that relate to other people, and they are more critical. For example, what is considered a manifestation of prudence among one’s own people, is considered a manifestation of greed among another people. People perceive ethnocultural stereotypes as models that must be conformed to so that “people don’t laugh.” Therefore, stereotypes have a fairly strong influence on people, stimulating in them the formation of character traits that are reflected in the stereotype.

Experts in ethnic psychology who study ethnocultural stereotypes note that nations at a high level of economic development emphasize such qualities as intelligence, efficiency, and enterprise, while nations with more backward economies emphasize kindness, cordiality, and hospitality. This can be confirmed by the research of S.G. Ter-Minasova, according to her results, in English society professionalism, hard work, responsibility, etc. are more valued, and in Russian - hospitality, sociability, fairness (Ter-Minasova, 2000, p. 255).

N.V. Ufimtseva differentiates ethnic stereotypes and cultural stereotypes: ethnic stereotypes are inaccessible to the self-reflection of a “naive” member of an ethnic group and are facts of behavior and the collective unconscious, they cannot be specially taught, and cultural stereotypes are accessible to self-reflection and are facts of behavior, the individual unconscious and consciousness, they can already be taught.

The concept of a stereotype was first used by W. Lippmann back in 1922, who believed that these are ordered, schematic “pictures of the world” determined by culture in a person’s head, which save his efforts when perceiving complex objects of the world. With this understanding of the stereotype, two of its important features stand out - being determined by culture and being a means of saving labor effort, and, accordingly, linguistic means. If algorithms for solving mathematical problems save a person’s thinking, then stereotypes “save” the personality itself.

In cognitive linguistics and ethnolinguistics, the term stereotype refers to the content side of language and culture, i.e. is understood as a mental (thinking) stereotype that correlates with a “naive picture of the world.” We find such an understanding of the stereotype in the works of E. Bartminsky and his school; the linguistic picture of the world and the linguistic stereotype are correlated in him as part and whole, while the linguistic stereotype is understood as a judgment or several judgments relating to a specific object of the extralinguistic world, a subjectively determined representation of an object in which descriptive and evaluative features coexist and which is the result of interpretation reality within the framework of socially developed cognitive models. We consider a linguistic stereotype not only a judgment or several judgments, but also any stable expression consisting of several words, for example, a stable comparison, cliche, etc.: a person of Caucasian nationality, gray-haired as a harrier, a new Russian. The use of such stereotypes facilitates and simplifies communication, saving the energy of communicants.

Yu. A. Sorokin defines a stereotype as a certain process and result of communication (behavior) according to certain semiotic models, the list of which is closed due to certain semiotic-technological principles accepted in a certain society. In this case, the semiotic model is implemented at the social, socio-psychological levels (standard) or at the linguistic, psychological levels (norm). The standard and norm exist in two forms: as a stamp (an overly explicit complex sign) or as a cliche (an insufficiently explicit complex sign).

V. V. Krasnykh divides stereotypes into two types - stereotypes-images and stereotypes-situations. Examples of image stereotypes: a bee is a hard worker, a ram is stubborn, and situation stereotypes: a ticket is a composter, a stork is a cabbage.

Stereotypes are always national, and if there are analogues in other cultures, then these are quasi-stereotypes, because, while coinciding in general, they differ in nuances and details that are of fundamental importance. For example, the phenomena and situation of queuing are different in different cultures, and therefore, stereotypical behavior will also be different: in Russia they ask “Who is last?” or simply stand in line; in a number of European countries, they tear off a receipt in a special machine and then follow the numbers that light up above the window, for example, at the post office.

So, a stereotype is a certain fragment of the conceptual picture of the world, a mental “picture”, a stable cultural and national idea (according to Yu. E. Prokhorov, “super stable” and “super fixed”) about an object or situation. It represents some culturally determined idea of an object, phenomenon, situation. But this is not only a mental image, but also its verbal shell. Belonging to a particular culture is determined precisely by the presence of a basic stereotypical core of knowledge, which is repeated in the process of socialization of an individual in a given society, therefore stereotypes are considered pre-precious (important, representative) names in a culture. A stereotype is a phenomenon of language and speech, a stabilizing factor that allows, on the one hand, to store and transform some of the dominant components of a given culture, and on the other, to express oneself among “one’s own” and at the same time identify one’s “one.”

We live in a world of stereotypes imposed on us by culture. The set of mental stereotypes of an ethnos is known to each of its representatives. Stereotypes are, for example, expressions in which a representative of a rural, peasant culture will say about a bright moonlit night: it is so light that you can sew, while a city dweller in this typical situation will say: it is so light that you can read. Similar stereotypes are used by native speakers in standard communication situations. Moreover, almost any feature, not just the logically main one, can become dominant in a stereotype.

The stability of a culture and its viability are determined by the extent to which the structures that determine its unity and integrity are developed. The integrity of culture presupposes the development of cultural stereotypes - stereotypes of goal setting, behavior, perception, understanding, communication, etc., i.e. stereotypes of the general picture of the world. An important role in the formation of stereotypes is played by the frequency of occurrence of certain objects and phenomena in people’s lives, often expressed in longer human contacts with these objects compared to others, which leads to stereotyping of such objects.

To describe the language of a particular region in the light of linguoculturology, we use the scheme proposed by N. I. Tolstoy in ethnolinguistics: the literary language corresponds to the elite culture, dialects and dialects correspond to folk culture, etc.

This scheme can be used in the linguocultural description of any other region.

The most striking linguistic feature, which reflects the culture of the people, are phraseological units and proverbs, metaphors and symbols. For example, mythologems, archetypes, standards, stereotypes, customs, rituals, and beliefs are fixed in language.

The national and cultural identity of phraseological units, metaphors, and symbols is formed through cultural connotation. And yet we maintain that language is not the repository of culture.

The unit of language - the word - is only a signal, the function of which is to awaken human consciousness, to touch upon certain concepts in it that are ready to respond to this signal.

Language is only a mechanism that facilitates the encoding and transmission of culture. Texts are the true guardian of culture. It is not language, but text that reflects the spiritual world of man. It is the text that is directly related to culture, because it is permeated with many cultural codes; it is the text that stores information about history, ethnography, national psychology, national behavior, i.e. about everything that makes up the content of culture. In turn, the rules for constructing a text depend on the cultural context in which it appears.

The text is created from linguistic units of lower levels, which, with appropriate selection, can strengthen the cultural signal. Phraseologisms are primarily such units.