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A Level Sociology

Culture, Norms and Values

Task 1 What is culture?

In small groups discuss the following questions and make notes.

1. What is culture?

2. Using your own words, define culture.

3. ow does someone acquire culture?

!. ow might a person e"press their particular culture?

#he word $culture% comes from the &atin cultura, meaning $culti'ation%. #hrough the (iddle )ges it was

used as an agricultural term. In the se'enteenth century the term $culture% *egan to *e used in relation to

the *etterment of indi'iduals through education. It was later used to refer to peoples or nations. #oday,

the concept has *ecome *roader still and is now used widely in e'eryday life to refer to a way of life.

+ne possi*le sociological definition might *e

The ideas, customs, and social ehaviour o! a "articular "eo"le or society#

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Task $ Norms and values

Norms can *e defined as what is considered to *e normal *eha'iour.

Valuesare *eliefs, which a person feels are important to them.

Normsand valuesare present in all societies and play a large role in shaping the culture of a group.

-ort the following statements into norms, 'alues or *oth.

1. Waiting in a queue rather than simply pushing to the front.

2. olding the door open for someone.

3. #he idea that it is wrong to kill another person.

!. oys wearing trousers and not skirts.

/. #he *elief that it is wrong to take other people%s property.

0. ood manners, for e"ample, saying thank you for something.

. Using a knife and fork to eat with.

e"t, take three e"amples from the list a*o'e and e"plain what happens if these norms or 'alues are

ignored *y indi'iduals. What are the consequences?

1.

2.

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3.

1. What does this acti'ity tell us a*out the importance of norms and 'alues in society?

2. 4oes e'eryone in your own society agree on shared norms and 'alues?

3. What are some of the possi*le consequences of there not *eing agreement o'er shared norms

and 'alues?

!. What might shape a person%s *eliefs and 'alues?

/. What is the relationship *etween norms, 'alues and culture?

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Task % Cultural universals, cultural di!!erences

5onsider your own culture and make notes on the following ta*le. #hen using the summary information

*elow, complete the ta*le for the cross6cultural e"amples. -ee how many you can fill in and carry out

research into any missing *o"es. #hen answer the questions *eneath.

Cultural

characteristic&our culture The Na The San

'a"ua Ne(

)uinea

Norms

Values

*ress

+elationshi"s

conomic

system

Language

*iet

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Cross Cultural e-am"le 1. The Na o! China

+therwise known as the (osuo, this society of farmers is found in the imalaya region of 5hina. #hey

speak the a"i language. 7eligion is 'ery important to the a. It is made up of two forms of religion8 theirown *elief system known as 4a*a and the a is also influenced *y #i*etan uddhism. #he a used to

use a *artering e"change system *ut now cash is *eing used in some cases. #hey ha'e a good diet

*ased on smoked and salted meat8 as there is no refrigeration, food has to *e preser'ed in different

ways.

#he women wear long white pleated skirts folded into a waist sash. #hey wear different coloured long

slee'e mandarin collared shirts. #hey usually wear an ornament in their hair. 9oung women adorn their

hair with many flowers and attracti'e ornaments. Women start to wear the traditional dress and hairwhen they reach the age of thirteen. oth men and women choose to wear *rightly coloured traditional

dress for important e'ents that in'ol'e the whole community.

#here is no tradition of marriage within this culture. &i'ing arrangements are organised around si*lings8

*rothers and sisters li'e together in the same houses. #hese si*lings raise the women%s children

together. Incest is for*idden. 7elationships take place through a system of secret 'isits during the night,

where a man from another house will 'isit a woman%s home. oth men and women may ha'e a num*er

of lo'ers. #hese relationships are *egun *y a man taking an o*:ect that a woman has chosen. If the

woman responds *y smiling, then this means that the woman agrees to the relationship. #he man will

return the o*:ect to the woman that night or the ne"t night. ;'eryone has the right to accept or refuse,

and women are a*le to initiate relationships in the same way.

Cross Cultural e-am"le $. The San

#he -an are one of the last remaining hunter6gatherer societies *ased in -outhern )frica. #hey ha'e an

e"cellent knowledge of their en'ironment, understanding different plants and how to use them as well as

ha'ing the a*ility to track and hunt animals. #he -an feel a special connection to their land, regarding it

as *eing connected to their ancestors.

#his society is *ased upon the principles of equality. 4ecisions are made as a group and disputes are

resol'ed through lengthy discussions. #here are no formal leaders, people are only distinguished if they

e"cel in particular areas such as healing or hunting.

-haring is considered 'ery important and indi'iduals ha'ing more than they need are frowned upon. #he

-an li'e in relati'ely small groups and within these societies, nuclear families. (en hunt for meat and

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women generally forage. #he -an consume a wide range of animals and plants and mo'e around to

make sure that they can eat what is a'aila*le according to the season.

ealing dances are seen to *e a 'ery important part of culture, a way to resol'e pro*lems. )ll the adults

share responsi*ility for the children, regardless of whether someone is their *iological parent or not.

Womenound in the acific, north of )ustralia, there are an estimated one thousand different cultural groups

that make up apua ew uinea, each with its own dress, art and clothing amongst other things. #here

are o'er @/A languages in apua ew uinea. +'er @AB of the population li'es in the country in widely

dispersed societies, which often ha'e 'ery little contact with other societies. (any societies are *ased on

su*sistence farming, growing enough to sur'i'e. (any areas of apua ew uinea still do not ha'e a

cash economy.

#here are strong concerns a*out human rights in apua ew uinea, particularly in relation to gender6

*ased 'iolence, which is widespread. 5orruption is also rife and crime rates are 'ery high. #here is a

strong *elief in witchcraft amongst many cultural groups within apua ew uinea. If a person is

suspected of *eing a witch they are treated 'ery se'erely, often *eaten or killed. 5onflict *etween groups

in some parts of apua ew uinea has *een a regular occurrence. In the past, headhunting and

canni*alism ha'e *een practised although these ha'e since *een *anned for some time.

(arriage plays an important role in maintaining alliances *etween different families, or clans. #hese

families together may share a common spiritual ancestor and this connection can reduce the potential for

conflict *etween groups. olygamy, where a hus*and can marry more than one wife, is also practised in

some parts of apua ew uinea.

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/uestions

1. )re there any norms or 'alues that appear to e"ist in all cultures?

2. What are the key similarities and differences *etween the cross6cultural e"amples and your own

culture?

3. What is your reaction to the 'alues e"pressed in each cross6cultural e"ample?

!. What pro*lems do you think a sociologist might ha'e in trying to understand another culture?

/. $5ulture can 'ary within and *etween societies.% ;"plain what is meant *y this quote.