Culture
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Transcript of Culture
also refer to expressive culture, which includes plastic and graphic arts, such as sculptures and painting, and language when utilized as an artistic medium
according to sociologists and anthropologists, culture refers to the total and distinctive way of life or designs for living of any society
it is the sum total of human creations—intellectual, technical, artistic, physical and moral
is a people’s social heritage; it refers to
the customary ways in which groups
organize their ways of behaving, thinking
and feeling
is the aspect of our existence which is
familiar to some people but different to
others
Forms of Culture
Material Culture
--refers to the concrete and tangible
objects that humans create, use and share
serving as buffers against the various
elements in the environment
o Nonmaterial Culture
-- consists of knowledge, social norms,
beliefs and sanctions which are abstract
and intangible creations that influence
human behavior
Components of Culture
Norms
Sanctions
Values
Symbols
Language
Norms Norms are established standards of behavior
maintained by a society
Formal norms have been written down and involve
strict rules or punishment
of violators
Norms
Informal norms are generally understood
but are not precisely recorded
Examples: standards of proper dress or
proper behavior at school
Types of Norms (according to
their relative importance to
society)
Folkways are norms governing everyday
behavior whose violation might cause a
dirty look, rolled eyes, or disapproving
comment
Example: Walking up a “down” escalator
in a department store challenges our
standards of appropriate behavior
Types of Norms (according to
their relative importance to
society)
Mores are norms deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society, often because they embody the most cherished principles of people
Each society demands obedience to its mores (violation can lead to severe penalties
Examples: murder, child abuse
Types of Norms (according to
their relative importance to
society)
Taboos are norms that are so deeply held
that even the thought of violating them
upset people
In the U.S. There is a taboo against eating
human flesh
Sanctions
Sanctions are penalties and rewards for
conduct concerning a social norm
Conformity to a norm can lead to positive
sanctions such as pay raise, a medal, a
word of gratitude, or a pat on a back
Norms and Sanctions
NORMSSANCTIONS
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
Formal
Salary bonus Fine
Medal Jail sentence
Diploma Execution
Testimonial
dinnerExpulsion
Informal
Smile Frown
Compliment Humiliation
Cheers Ostracism
Values
are collective concepts of what is considered
good, desirable, and proper-or bad, undesirable,
and improper- in a culture
Values indicate what people find important and
morally right (or wrong)
Values influence people's behavior and serve as
criteria for evaluation the actions of others
Symbols Anything that stands for (or shared meaning
attached to it) something else
“something to which people attach meaning and that they then use to communicate with one another” (Henslin 2007a:39)
Any word, gesture, image, sound, physical object, event can serve as a symbol as long as people recognize that it carries a particular meaning
Ex. Class ring, word hello, handshake = all symbols
Symbols vary from culture to culture
Language
Is one of the most significant cultural
universals (others include marriage and
art).
Languages are complex systems of
communication, which are fundamental
to human social life as they free us from
our immediate environments.
Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is learned.
2. Culture is transmitted.
3. Culture is social, collective, and learned.
4. Culture is ideational.
5. Culture is gratifying.
6. Culture is adaptive.
7. Culture is an integrated whole.