Chapter 2 If we compare the attitudes of people around the world, we see remarkable variation from country to country. People living in Sweden, for example, claim that abortion is almost always justified; people living in Jordan, by contrast, almost never support this procedure. For people living in the United States, abortion is an issue on which public opinion is fairly evenly divided. By making such global comparisons, we see that society guides people’s attitudes on various issues, which is part of the way of life we call culture. CULTURE

Culture LEARNING OBJECTIVES LO 2.1 Explain the development of culture as a human strategy for survival. LO 2.2 Identify common elements of culture. LO 2.3 Analyze how a society’s level of technology shapes its culture. LO 2.4 Discuss dimensions of cultural difference and cultural change. LO 2.5 Apply sociology's macro-level theories to gain greater understanding of culture. LO 2.6 Critique culture as limiting or expanding human freedom.

The Power of Society Is how we feel about abortion as “personal” an opinion as we may think?

Culture: What Is…? Culture Kinds of culture Ways of thinking, acting, and material objects that form a person’s way of life Kinds of culture Material Nonmaterial Human beings around the globe create diverse ways of life. Such differences begin with outward appearance. Less obvious but of even greater importance are internal differences, since culture also shapes our goals in life, our sense of justice, and even our innermost personal feelings. Material culture: Physical things created by members of a society Nonmaterial culture : Ideas created by members of a society LO 2.1 Explain the development of culture as a human strategy for survival.

Culture: What Is…? Culture shock Involves personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life May occur within domestic and foreign travel Cultural relativism Involves a more accurate understanding of cultures

What Is Culture? Society Thoughts to ponder People who interact in a defined territory and share a culture Thoughts to ponder No particular way of life is “natural” to humanity. Only humans rely on culture rather than to create a way of life and ensure survival. All societies contain cultural differences that can provoke a mild case of culture shock.

What Is Culture? Culture and human intelligence 12,000 years ago: Birth of civilization Today: Efficient survival scheme fashions natural environment resulting in cultural diversity Culture, nation, and society Culture: Shared way of life Nation: Political entity Society: People who interact in a defined territory and share a culture U.S. is nation and society. Many nations are multicultural.

What Is Culture? How many cultures? Language is an indicator of culture. Globally, experts document almost 7,000 languages. Some languages are becoming extinct due to globalization.

Elements of Culture: Symbols Humans transform elements of the world into symbols. Symbols are anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture. Societies create new symbols all the time. Meanings vary within and between cultures. Reality for humans is found in the meaning things carry with them. Because gestures vary from culture to culture, they can occasionally be the cause of misunderstandings. Commonplace “thumbs up” gesture we use to express “Good job!” can get a person from the United States into trouble in Greece, Iran, and a number of other countries, where people take it to mean “Up yours!” Reality for humans is found in the meaning things carry with them The basis of culture; makes social life possible People must be mindful that meanings vary from culture to culture. Meanings can even vary greatly within the same groups of people. Fur coats, Confederate flags, etc LO 2.2 Identify common elements of culture.

Language: What Is…? Language Cultural transmission System of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another Cultural transmission Process by which one generation passes culture to the next Language sparks human imagination to connect symbols in new ways, creating limitless range of future possibilities.

Elements of Culture: Language Does language shape reality? Sapir-Whorf thesis People perceive the world through the cultural lens of language Current view Language does not determine reality. People can imagine new ideas or things before devising a name for them.

Values and Beliefs: What Is…? Culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and that serve as broad guidelines for social living Beliefs Specific ideas that people hold to be true

Elements of Culture: Values and Beliefs Key values of U.S. culture (Williams) Equal opportunity Achievement and success Material comfort Activity and work Practicality and efficiency Progress Science Democracy and free enterprise Freedom Racism and group superiority

Values and Beliefs Values Are sometimes in harmony and sometimes in conflict Change over time Vary from culture to culture

Norms: What Are…? Norms Mores and folkways Rule and expectations by which society guides member behaviors Mores and folkways Mores: Norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance Folkways: Norms for routine or casual interaction

Norms: Ideal Versus Real Culture Ideal culture Is the way things should be Involves social patterns mandated by values and norms Real culture Is the way things actually occur in everyday life Involves social patterns that only approximate cultural expectations

Technology and Culture Every culture Possesses wide range of physical human creations (artifacts) Uses artifacts that reflect underlying cultural values Reflects societal level of technology Determines cultural ideas and emerging artifacts from level of technology (Lenski/sociocultural evolution) LO 2.3 Analyze how a society’s level of technology shapes its culture.

Technology and Culture: Hunting and Gathering Societies Sociocultural evolution involves four major levels of development. Hunting and gathering societies Use simple tools to hunt animals and gather vegetation for food Have no formal leaders Provide important sociocultural history .

Technology and Culture: Horticulture and Pastoralism Horticultural societies Hand tool use to raise crops Material surplus that allows expansion of societal roles Increased belief in one God Pastoralism societies Domestication of animals Nomadic lifestyle More unequal social structure; ruling elites

Technology and Culture: Agrarian and Industrial Societies Agrarian societies More powerful energy sources and large food supplies; use of money as common exchange Social life more individual and impersonal; more social inequality Industrial societies More advanced sources of energy to drive large machinery Higher living standard and life expectancy; more individualism but less sense of community

Technology and Culture: Postindustrial Information Technology More economic production use new information technology Changes in skills that define way of life Capacity to create symbolic culture increases

Cultural Diversity: What Is…? High culture Cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite Popular culture Cultural patterns that are widespread among a society’s population High culture better? NO! First, neither elites nor ordinary people share all the same tastes and interests; people in both categories differ in many ways. Second, do we praise high culture because it is inherently better than popular culture or simply because its supporters have more money, power, and prestige? LO 2.4 Discuss dimensions of cultural difference and cultural change.

Cultural Diversity: Many Ways of Life in One World Subculture Culture patterns that set apart some segment of a society’s population Multiculturalism Perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions Eurocentrism Afrocentrism Subcultures involve not just difference but also hierarchy. Some sociologists therefore prefer to level the playing field of society by emphasizing multiculturalism.

Cultural Diversity: Many Ways of Life in One World Counterculture Cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society Cultural change Change in one societal dimension of cultural system usually precipitates changes in others. Cultural integration Cultural lag (Ogburn) Subcultures involve not just difference but also hierarchy. Some sociologists therefore prefer to level the playing field of society by emphasizing multiculturalism.

Cultural Diversity: Many Ways of Life in One World Causes of cultural change Invention Discovery Diffusion

Is There a Global Culture? The Basic Thesis Flow of goods: Material product trading has never been as important. Flow of information: Few places left where worldwide communication is not possible. Flow of people: Knowledge means people learn about places where life might be better. Global economy -> global communications -> global migration

Is There a Global Culture? Limitations to the global culture thesis All the flows have been uneven. Premise assumes affordability of goods. People do not attach the same meaning to material goods.

Functions of Culture: Structural-Functional Theory Culture is a strategy for meeting human needs. Values are core of a culture. Every culture has cultural universals. Cultural universals: Traits part of every known culture; family, funeral rites, jokes LO 2.5 Apply sociology's macro-level theories to gain greater understanding of culture.

Functions of Culture: Structural-Functional Theory Evaluation Cultural diversity is ignored. Importance of change is downplayed. Cultural universals: Traits part of every known culture; family, funeral rites, jokes

Inequality and Culture: Social-Conflict Theory Cultural traits benefit some members at the expense of others. Cultural values of competitiveness and material success are tied to our country's capitalist economy. This theory is rooted in Karl Marx and materialism. Society's system of material production has a powerful effect on the rest of a culture.

Inequality and Culture: Social-Conflict Theory Evaluation Understates the ways cultural patterns integrate members into society This theory is rooted in Karl Marx and materialism. Society's system of material production has a powerful effect on the rest of a culture.

Evolution and Culture Sociobiology Theoretical paradigm Explores ways in which human biology affects how we create culture Is rooted in Charles Darwin and evolution Proposes living organisms change over long periods of time based on natural selection

Evolution and Culture Evaluation Might be used to support racism or sexism Little evidence to support theory People learn behavior within a cultural system

Culture and Human Freedom Culture as constraint We know our world in terms of our culture Culture as freedom Culture is changing and offers a variety of opportunities Sociologists share the goal of learning more about cultural diversity LO 2.6 Critique culture as limiting or expanding human freedom.