THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN THE CONTEXT OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE TEACHERS FOR INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

The article examines the role of culture as a multidimensional and dynamic social phenomenon that influences personality formation, socialization processes, and intercultural communication. The author analyzes key approaches to defining culture, including anthropological, functionalist, cognitive, and psychological perspectives. It is shown that culture functions as an orientation system that determines ways of thinking, behavior, and the interpretation of others’ actions. Considerable attention is given to the distinction between objective (institutional, artefactual) and subjective (value - based, normative, symbolic) culture, which allows for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which it affects social behavior. The article explores the significance of culture as a fundamental factor in shaping future teachers’ readiness for intercultural communication. An analysis of theoretical approaches demonstrates that effective intercultural interaction in a teacher’s professional activity is impossible without a deep understanding of cultural specificities, values, norms, and traditions — both one’s own and those of other cultures. The role of culture in the process of socialization is revealed, during which the individual acquires social norms, values, and models of communicative behavior. It is argued that cultural identity is an important condition for integration into society, but it can also give rise to ethnocentrism and alienation. The author emphasizes that cultural knowledge is often acquired unconsciously, which complicates intercultural understanding. The relationship between individual personality and collective cultural identity, formed under sociocultural influence, is also examined. Attention is drawn to the role of language as an instrument of cultural representation, which shapes communicative practices in different sociocultural environments. The article includes an analysis of manifestations of the cultural unconscious that influence the interpretation of social signals during intercultural interaction. It is concluded that effective intercultural communication is possible only with the development of critical cultural awareness, reflection on one’s own assumptions, overcoming stereotypes, and readiness for dialogue within conditions of cultural diversity. Recognizing the multidimensional nature of culture enables not only the avoidance of conflicts but also a deeper understanding of human interaction in a globalized world.