Culture

What is culture?

• Shared products of human groups– Includes physical

objects, beliefs, values, and behaviors shared by a group

Material vs. Nonmaterial culture

• Material culture – physical objects

• Ex: automobile, books, buildings, computers

• Nonmaterial culture – abstract human creations

• Ex: beliefs, ideas, language, politics, economic system, skills, rules, and family patterns

Society

• Group of interdependent people who have organized to share a common culture and feeling of unity

• Society = people• Culture = material and

nonmaterial products

Components of Culture

• 1) Technology – combination of physical objects and rules for using objects– Ex: computer – physical;

knowledge of computer = skill; hacking = unacceptable behavior

• 2) Symbols – anything that represents something else– How we create and

communicate in culture– Ex: church service, class ring

• 3) Language – organization of written and spoken symbols

Components of Culture (con’t)

• 4) Values – shared beliefs about what is good/bad and right/wrong– Ex: war and physical

strength vs. cooperation and sharing

• 5) Norms – shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations– Expectations for behavior– Ex: pay bills vs. walk away

from house

2 Types of Norms

• 1) Folkways – norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral significance– Ex: shake hands when

introduced– Ex: do not put food in

mouth with a knife

• 2) Mores – norms that have great moral significance

• Violation of these endangers society’s well-being and stability– Ex: murder, fraud

• Law enforce mores essential to social stability

• Laws can also enforce folkways like parking in handicapped spot

Informal vs. Formal Norms

• Informal – informal routines that people regularly follow

• No major punishment for violating except maybe a weird look

• Ex: socks with sandals• Some may be mores with

great moral significance but no actual formal law

• Ex: incest

• Formal – behaviors that are spelled out and expected to be followed

• They are enforced by penalties and consequences

• Ex: Class Rules, Club Rules, Laws

Cultural Universals

• Cultural universals – common features that are found in all human cultures– Ex: cooking, family,

housing, language, myths, funerals

– Universals may be expressed differently

Cultural Variations

• Exist among and within societies

• Subculture – a group that shares values, norms, and behaviors not shared by society as a whole– Ex: Chinatown – same schools,

toys, work, leisure but different language, food, and celebrations

– Ex: Emo – dress, music, hair• Subcultures need to add

diversity and to make society open to change

• Counterculture – group that rejects societies values, norms, and practices and replaces them with a set of cultural practices– Ex: hippies, mafia

Response to Cultural Variations• 1) Ethnocentrism –

tendency to view one’s culture and group as superior– Risk = if becomes extreme

then limit acceptable members and risk excluding beneficial influences• No ability to adapt and

change– Sociologists must be careful

not to let ethnocentrism make findings bias

• 2) Cultural Relativism – belief that cultures should be judged by own standards rather than applying standards of another culture– Helps keep open mind– Helps sociologists

understand cultural practices that may seem strange and different

Process of Cultural Change• 1) Cultural Diffusion – the

process of spreading cultural traits from one society to another

• Most common• Material culture changes faster

than nonmaterial (values, norms, etc)

• Cultural lag – time between changes when ideas and beliefs are adapting

• Ex: mass transportation, internet, and plane make it easier because more contact with other cultures

Process con’t

• 2) Discover – people recognize new uses for existing elements in the world

• 3) Invention – use existing knowledge to create something that did not previously exist China Wok

El ToroAbuelosGreat Wall

Cultural Leveling

• Process in which cultures become more and more alike

• Globalization and diffusion have led to this

• Ex: McDonald’s – 31,000 in 100 countries

• Ex: Yankee hats

American Value System• 1) Personal Achievement – US

built by those that valued competition and individualism– Gaining wealth = sign of success

• 2) Progress and material comfort– Look to future

• 3) Work– Some overwork– Some see those that don’t work

as lazy • 4) Individualism

– Success comes from hard work and initiative

– If you fail it is your fault

Values (con’t)• 5) Efficiency and Practicality

– Believe every problem has a solution

– Judge objects on usefulness and people on their ability to get things done

• 6) Morality and Humanitarianism– View world in terms of right and

wrong– Help those less fortunate

• 7) Equality and Democracy– Equal opportunity but success is a

reward– Right to express opinion and

participate in gov’t

• 8) Freedom- free speech, religion, press

• Not want direct gov’t interference

• Values can lead to inter and intra personal conflict– Ex: Personal achievement vs.

morality

Changing Values• 1) Self-fulfillment –

commitment to full development of one’s personality talents and potential– Physical fitness, leisure,

youthfulness– Ex: gyms, self help books

• Some social scientists see new value as narcissism (extreme self-centeredness)– Feel it weakens value of hard-

work– Some said it is beneficial and

moving away from material gain

• 2) Environmentalism

Perspectives on Culture

• 1) Functionalists – culture reflects and enforces values

• Encourages harmony and stability

• Ethnocentrism encourages group solidarity

• 2) Conflict – culture reflects and enforces values of those in power

• Encourages and maintains social inequality

• Subcultures challenge those in power

• Ethnocentrism encourages discrimination against powerless

Perspectives con’t

• 3) Interactionist – culture maintained and modified through social interaction

• Interaction among subculture group helps transmit customs and traditions and introduces new cultural meaning systems

• Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. – John Wooden

• • Happiness is when what you think, what

you say, and what you do are in harmony.• -Mahatma Gandhi