SECOND EDITION You May Ask Yourself Dalton Conley An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist Chapter 3 Culture and Media

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. What Is Culture? Culture can be loosely defined as a set of beliefs, traditions, and practices. 2

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. What Is Culture? The concept of culture has evolved and expanded throughout history. The oldest understandings of culture focus on the distinction between: –natural environment and –what is modified or created by humans. 3

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. What Is Culture? As Europeans came into contact with non-Westerners, culture evolved in terms of differences between peoples, which could be viewed positively or negatively. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a new dimension was added to the concept of culture – the idea that culture involved the pursuit of intellectual refinement. 4

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Material vs. Nonmaterial Culture Material culture is everything that is a part of our constructed environment, such as books, fashion, and monuments. Nonmaterial culture encompasses values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms. 5

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Cultural Relativism Coined by Ruth Benedict in the 1930s, this is the idea that we should recognize differences across cultures without passing judgment on or assigning value to those differences. 6

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Cultural Scripts Cultural scripts are modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal or natural, but that may strongly shape beliefs or concepts held by a society. 7

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Subcultures A subculture is a group united by sets of concepts, values, traits, and/or behavioral patterns that distinguish it from others within the same culture or society. 8

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Values and Norms Values are moral beliefs. Norms are how values tell us to act. Socialization is the process by which a person internalizes the values, beliefs, and norms of society and learns to function as a member of that society. 9

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Reflection Theory Reflection theory states that culture is a projection of social structures and relationships into the public sphere. A Marxist version of reflection theory argues that cultural objects reflect the material labor and production relationships that went into making them. 10

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. What Is Media? Media are any formats or vehicles that carry, present, or communicate information – books, posters, Web pages, clay tablets, and radio. Mass media refers to any form of media that reaches the mass of the people. 11

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Media Hegemony refers to the impact of media on culture and how people and societies shape, and are shaped by, the dominant culture. 12

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. The Media Life Cycle Media studies open paths of investigation, including: –textual analysis and audience studies –how people create media and the biases involved in that creation –how media reflect the culture in which they exist –how individuals and groups use the media to change culture 13

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Media Effects Media effects can be placed into four categories according to their duration and intention: –short-term and deliberate –long-term and deliberate –short-term and unintentional –long-term and unintentional 14

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Where Do Stereotypes Come From? Intentionally or unintentionally, subtly or overtly, the media can create or reinforce ethnic, racial, gender, religious, and other stereotypes. 15

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Political Economy of the Media Media ownership in the United States is in the hands of six companies. Those companies affect the information and messages communicated to the public. 16

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Political Economy of the Media The media, especially advertisements, play a large role in the maintenance of consumerism: the belief that happiness and fulfillment can be achieved through acquisition of material possessions. 17

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Political Economy of the Media The globalization of the media has spread American culture around the world. This has effects on culture, values, and ideas on others' behavior, and it has experienced a drop in popularity recently because of some American foreign policies. 18

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Political Economy of the Media Culture jamming is one example of subverting the power of media. 19

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 1. Which of the following is an example of material culture? a)Buddhist temple b)music Web site c)English garden d)all of the above 20

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 2. Ideology can be described as _____. a)an aspect of material culture b)a system of concepts and relationships that guides an individual or large group c)an extreme point of view on a given topic d)none of the above 21

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 3. Cultural scripts are _____. a)modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal or natural b)a type of role-playing that helps people learn about different cultures c)a type of study developed by sociologists to catalog cultural differences d)patterns of behavior that can be found in almost all cultures 22

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 4.Examples of media include _____. a)television, websites, and radio b)books, magazines, and ancient scrolls c)records, cave paintings, and streaming video d)all of the above 23

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 5. True or false? The globalization of the media has spread American culture around the world. a)true b)false 24

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Discussion Questions 1. Have you traveled to another country? a)yes b)no 25

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Discussion Questions 2. In your opinion, how does the media impact culture? a)The media creates culture (we do what we see on TV). b)The media simply shows us culture (we don’t mimic TV – TV mimics us). c)Both of the above: TV shows us our culture, and then we mimic what we see. d)None of the above: the media has no impact on culture. 26

Table 3.1 Emoticons You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 3.1 Popularity of the Name Kim You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

Figure 3.2 Media Effects You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

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