Intro-sociology: Culture

7/27/2019 Intro-sociology: Culture

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*If something is not an element of culture it

is co-opted by the culture or culturized.

Anything that we humans conceive of, describe,

make or use becomes an element of culture.


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Culture is the entire way of life for a groupof people.

It is hard for us to see our own culture, so we

may not recognize the extent to which itshapes and defines who we are.


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It includes things such as language, standards

of beauty, hand gestures, styles of dress,

food, and music.

Culture is learned. It is passed from onegeneration to the next through

communicationnot genetics.


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A tool for adaptation

Humans are tremendously adaptable

Physical environments

Arctic

Deserts

Moon


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Biology and Culture

The intersection between biology and culture is

human nature or biological needs expressed in an

agreed upon manner

All cultures allow for the expression of

biology-which gives us the rich variety

of cultures around the world

reproduction Eating

Kinship networks


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Ethnocentrism occurs when a person usestheir own culture as a standard to evaluate

another group or individual, leading to the

view that cultures other than ones own areabnormal.

Ethnocentrism is the belief that your own culture is

superior to others and the practices of other

cultures are less enlightened and should conform

to your ideals


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Cultural relativism is the process ofunderstanding other cultures on their own

terms, rather than judging according to ones

own culture.

When studying any group, it is important to

try to employ cultural relativism because it

helps sociologists see others moreobjectively.


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Culture is:

learned

passed on from one generation to another

dynamic over time

from place to place


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Culture has two distinct components

Material Culture

Human Technology --- what we make and use

Non-Material (symbolic) Culture

All Knowledge, Beliefs, Values and Rules for human

behavior


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Human artifacts

All those things that we make and use in our

daily lives

food houses

cars

All these things reflect cultural development

and change culture


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Material culture includes the objects

associated with a cultural group, such as

tools, machines, utensils, buildings, and

artwork.


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Food represents our ability to surviveit

represents our ability to procreate and move

our genes forward

Food is attached to many celebrations,customs and rituals


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Symbolic culture includes ways of thinking

(beliefs, values, and assumptions) and ways

of behaving (norms, interactions, and

communication).

One of the most important functions ofsymbolic culture is to allow us to

communicate through signs, gestures, and

language.


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Signs (or symbols), such as a traffic signalor product logo, are used to meaningfully

represent something else.

Gestures are the signs that we make withour body, such as hand gestures and facial

expressions; it is important to note that

these gestures also carry meaning.


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The most important and powerful component

of non-material culture

Language language reveals much about us and

our ways

language can be used as a tool


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Finally, language is a system ofcommunication using vocal sounds, gestures,

and written symbols.

This is probably the most significantcomponent of culture because it allows us to

communicate.


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Language is so important that many haveargued that it shapes not only ourcommunication but our perceptions of howwe see things as well.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which is theidea that language structures thought andthat ways of looking at the world are

embedded in language, supports thispremise.


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Values are shared beliefs about what a groupconsiders worthwhile or desirable; these

guide the creation of norms.

Norms are the formal and informal rulesregarding what kinds of behavior are

acceptable and appropriate within a culture.


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Values

Those ideas we hold to be true, right or good

wrong or bad


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Rules for appropriate behavior

Norms

Formal norms

Laws

Informal norms

Folkways

Mores

Taboos


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Norms are specific to a culture, time period,

and situation.

Norms can be either formal, such as a laworthe rules for playing soccer, or informal, not

written down and unspoken.


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Types of norms can also be distinguished by

the strictness with which they are enforced.


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Laws (rules)

Explicit codified laws or rules for behavior

Serious consequences for violation

Fines

Loss of rights/privileges

imprisonment Enforced by formal agents of social control


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Afolkwayis a loosely enforced norm thatinvolves common customs, practices, or

procedures that ensure smooth social

interaction and acceptance.


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A taboo is a norm engrained so deeply thateven thinking about violating it evokes strong

feelings of disgust, horror, or revulsion for

most people.


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Sanctions are positive or negative reactionsto the ways that people follow or disobey

norms, including rewards for conformity and

punishments for norm violators. Sanctions

help to establish social control, the formaland informal mechanisms used to increase

conformity to values and norms and thus

increase social cohesion.


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Components

Knowledge

How do we know what we know?

historyscience

religion

intuition


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Components

Beliefs

How do we come to believe what we believe?

religionmedia

socialization


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Multiculturalismvalues diverse racial,ethnic, national, and linguistic backgrounds

and so encourages the retention of cultural

differences within society, rather than

assimilation.


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The dominant culture refers to the values,norms, and practices of the group within

society that is most powerful in terms of

wealth, prestige, status, and influence.


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A subculture is a group within society that isdifferentiated by its distinctive values,

norms, and lifestyle.


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Ethnic subcultures or enclaves

Social class

homeless

super rich

Deviant subculture

organized crime


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Some are not criminal

Some are criminal like the Mafia


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A counterculture is a group within societythat openly rejects and/or actively opposes

societys values and norms.


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Culture is dynamic

Innovation: technological change occurring

directly to a society

Diffusion: the movement of traits from one

culture to another

technology

ethos

missions


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Cultures usually change slowly and

incrementally, though change can also

happen in rapid and dramatic ways.

At times, a subculture can influence the

mainstream and become part of dominant

culture, or something that is dominant can

change to a counterculture.


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F I G U R E 3 . 1

C H A N G E S I N C O M M U N I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G I E S


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2 0 0 9

C H A N G E S I N C O M M U N I C A T I O N T E C H N O L O G I E S


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C lt ral Crossroads


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When a person uses their own culture as a

standard to evaluate another group or

individual, this is called:

a. egotism.

b. egocentrism.c. ethnocentrism.

d. material culture.

Cultural Crossroads

Concept Quiz

Cultural Crossroads


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Which of the following is NOT a component of

culture?

a. material culture

b. signs

c. language

d. symbolic culturee. All of the above are components of culture.

Cultural Crossroads

Concept Quiz

Cultural Crossroads


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Which norm has the greatest moral

significance?

a. folkways

b. pathways

c. mores

d. symbolic culture

Cultural Crossroads

Concept Quiz

Cultural Crossroads


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Which of the following groups within society

that openly rejects and/or actively opposes

societys values and norms?

a. the dominant culture

b. a subculture

c. a counterculture

d. a materialistic culture

Cultural Crossroads

Concept Quiz


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The Real World: An Introduction To Sociology, 3rdEdition

Copyright 2012 W. W. Norton & Company


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The Real World: An Introduction To Sociology, 3rdEdition

Intro-sociology: Culture

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