Chapter 3

Culture

Chapter Outline Defining Culture The Elements of Culture Cultural Diversity Popular Culture Theoretical Perspectives on Culture Cultural Change

Defining Culture

Complex system of meaning and behavior that defines the way of life for a society.

Includes: beliefs, values, knowledge, art, morals, laws, customs, habits, language, and dress.

Characteristics of Culture

1. Culture is shared.

2. Culture is learned.

3. Culture is taken for granted.

4. Culture is symbolic.

5. Culture varies across time and place.

Culture is…

Concrete We can observe cultural practices

that define human experience. Abstract

It is a way of thinking, feeling, believing, and behaving.

Elements of Culture

Element Examples

Language English; Spanish;hieroglyphics

Norms Manners

Folkways Cultural forms of dress; food habits

Elements of Culture

Element Examples

Mores Religious doctrines; formal law

Values Liberty, freedom

Beliefs Belief in a higher being

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Language determines what people think

because it forces them to perceive the world in certain terms.

Critics question whether language single-handedly dictates the perception of reality.

The Social Meaning of Language Language affects people’s perception

of reality. Studies find that when college students

look at job descriptions written in masculine pronouns, they assume women are not qualified for the job.

The Social Meaning of Language Language reflects the social and

political status of different groups in society. The term “working woman” suggests

that women who do not work for wages are not working.

The Social Meaning of Language Groups may advocate changing

language referring to them as a way of asserting a positive group identity. Some advocates for the “disabled”

challenge the term “handicapped,” arguing that it stigmatizes people who may have many abilities.

The Social Meaning of Language The implications of language emerge

from specific historical and cultural contexts. The naming of so-called races comes

from the social and historical processes that define different groups as inferior or superior.

The Social Meaning of Language Language can distort actual group

experience. The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” lump

together Mexican Americans, island Puerto Ricans, U.S.-born Puerto Ricans, people from Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, and other Central and South American countries.

The Social Meaning of Language Language shapes people’s

perceptions of groups and events in society. The statement that Columbus

“discovered” America implies that Native American societies didn’t exist before Columbus “found” the Americas.

The Social Meaning of Language Terms used to define groups change over

time and can originate in movements to assert a positive identity. In the 1960s, “Black American” replaced

‘Negro”. Earlier, “Negro” and “colored” were used to

define African Americans. Currently, it is popular to refer to all so-called

racial groups as “people of color.”

Norms Specific cultural expectations for how to

behave in a given situation. A society without norms would be in

chaos; with established norms, people know how to act, and social interactions are consistent, predictable, and learnable.

Social sanctions are mechanisms of social control that enforce norms.

Beliefs Shared ideas people hold collectively

within a culture. Beliefs are the basis for many of a

culture’s norms and values. Beliefs orient people to the world by

providing answers to otherwise imponderable questions about the meaning of life.

Values Abstract standards in a society or group

that define the ideal principles of what is desirable and morally correct.

Values determine what is considered right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, good and bad.

Values can provide rules for behavior, but can also be the source of conflict.

Cultural Diversity The United States has enormous cultural

diversity from religious, ethnic, and racial differences, as well as regional, age, gender, and class differences. 11% of people living in the United States are

foreign-born. In a single year, immigrants from more than

100 countries come to the United States. 18% of young people speak a language other

than English at home.

% Speaking LanguageOther Than English at Home

Polling Question Do you favor or oppose an amendment

to the U.S. Constitution that would make English the official language of the United States?

A.) Favor

B.) Oppose

C.) No opinion

Dominant Culture The dominant culture is the most powerful

group in society. It receives the most support from major

institutions and constitutes the major belief system.

Social institutions in the society perpetuate the dominant culture and give it a degree of legitimacy that is not shared by other cultures.

Subcultures The cultures of groups whose values and

norms of behavior differ from the dominant culture.

Members of subcultures interact frequently and share a common world view.

Subcultures share some elements of the dominant culture and coexist within it.

Countercultures Subcultures created as a reaction against

the values of the dominant culture. Members of the counterculture reject the

dominant cultural values and develop cultural practices that defy the norms and values of the dominant group.

Nonconformity to the dominant culture is often the mark of a counterculture.

Ethnocentrism

Judging a culture by standards of one’s own culture: builds group solidarity discourages understanding can lead to conflict, war, and

genocide

Popular Culture The beliefs, practices, and objects that

are part of everyday traditions. It is mass-produced and mass-consumed. Has enormous significance in the

formation of public attitudes and values, and plays a significant role in shaping the patterns of consumption in contemporary society.

The Influence of the Mass Media The average person consumes some form of

media 71 hours per week—more time than they likely spend in school or at work.

95% of all homes in the United States have at least one television—more than have telephone service.

Watching television is the most popular leisure activity of Americans: 26% say it is their favorite way to spend an evening.

% Of Americans Who Say They Are Offended by Television Content (by Age)

Polling Question Rate yourself on attractiveness to the

opposite sex compared with the average person your age and in your culture.A.) Highest 10 percentB.) Above averageC.) AverageD.) Below AverageE.) Bottom 10 percent

Theoretical Perspectives on Culture

Theory Culture….

Functionalism Integrates people into groups.

Conflict Theory Serves interests of powerful groups.

Theoretical Perspectives on Culture

Theory Culture….

Symbolic Interaction

Creates group identity from diverse cultural meanings.

New Cultural Studies

Is unpredictable and constantly changing.

Sources of Cultural Change

1. A change in societal conditions.2. Cultural diffusion3. Innovation4. Imposition of cultural change by an

outside agency.

Fast Food and the Transformation of Culture The average person in the United States

consumes 3 hamburgers and 4 orders of French fries per week.

Americans spend more money on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, music, computers, and higher education combined.

1 in 8 workers has at some point been employed by McDonald’s.

Fast Food and the Transformation of Culture McDonald’s is the largest private operator of

playgrounds in the United States. McDonald’s is the single largest purchaser of

beef, pork, and potatoes. 96% of American schoolchildren can identify

Ronald McDonald, which is only exceeded by the number who can identify Santa Claus.

Quick Quiz

1. Culture includes all of the following except:a. impulsesb. lawsc. artd. knowledge

Answer: a Culture does not include impulses.

2. Which of the following statements about culture is not true?

a. Cultural beliefs and practices are learned.

b. Cultural beliefs and practices are constantly questioned.

c. Culture is dynamic that is it changes over time.

d. A significant aspect of culture is that it is shared.

Answer: b The statement, cultural beliefs and

practices are constantly questioned, is not true.

3. Expectations about what is appropriate behavior in particular situations are referred to as:

a. values

b. laws

c. norms

d. beliefs

Answer : c Expectations about what is appropriate

behavior in particular situations are referred to as norms.

4. Values can best be defined as:

a. What is considered appropriate behavior

b. Shared ideas that provide a life theme

c. Shared ideas held collectively by people

d. What is considered socially and morally desirable

Answer: d Values can best be defined as what is

considered socially and morally desirable.

4. Which of the following is not an example of subcultures?

a. Inner-city youth

b. Deadheads

c. The Amish

d. Militia groups

Answer: d A militia group is not an example of a

subculture.

5. Which of the following statements reflects the symbolic interactionist view of culture?

a. Culture creates norms and values that help integrate people into society

b. Culture serves to reinforce the position of power enjoyed by the elite

c. Culture is socially constructed

d. Culture can be a source of political resistance

Answer: c That statement, culture is socially

constructed, reflects the symbolic interactionist view of culture.