Slides Created and Designed by Apple Mountain Software, Inc. Sociology In Our Times Diana Kendall Chapter 3: Culture Slides Created and Designed by Apple Mountain Software, Inc. http://www.apmtnsoft.com

DEFINITION OF CULTURE Culture is the Knowledge, Language, Values, Customs, and Material Objects That Are Passed From Person to Person and From One Generation To The Next In a Human Group or Society.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE CULTURE SIMPLIFIES OUR DAY-TO-DAY INTERACTIONS CULTURE MEETS OUR NEEDS CULTURE DETERMINS HOW WE THINK AND ACT CULTURE IS LEARNED CULTURE IS THE “TAKEN FOR GRANTED”

MATERIAL AND NON-MATERIAL CULTURE PHYSICAL OR TANGIBLE CREATIONS NON-MATERIAL CULTURE: ABSTRACT OR INTANGIBLE CREATIONS

COMPONENTS of CULTURE SYMBOLS FOUR COMMON NON-MATERIAL Cultural Components LANGUAGE VALUES NORMS

Progress and Material Comfort CORE AMERICAN VALUES Progress and Material Comfort Science and Technology Activity and Work Achievement and Success INDIVIDUALISM Racism and Group Superiority Freedom and Liberty Morality and Humanitarianism Equality Efficiency and Practicality 10 Core American Values

NORMS CIVIL LAW FORMAL NORMS CRIMINAL LAW FOLKWAYS INFORMAL NORMS Prescriptive and Proscriptive Norms CRIMINAL LAW FOLKWAYS INFORMAL NORMS MORES TABOOS

POPULAR CULTURE Popular Culture Consists of Activities, Products, and Services That Are Assumed To Appeal Primarily To Members of the Middle and Working Classes.

POPULAR CULTURE 1. DIFFERENT FROM “HIGH CULTURE” 2. PIERRE BOURDIEU’S “CULTURAL CAPITAL” 3. FUNCTIONALIST VIEW: POPULAR CULTURE IS GLUE THAT HOLDS SOCIETY TOGETHER 4. CONFLICT VIEW: POPULAR CULTURE IS CREATED BY CORPORATIONS

The Process of Reshaping Existing Cultural Items Into A New Form Cultural Change CONCEPT DEFINITION Discovery The Process of Learning About Something Previously Unknown or Unrecognized Invention The Process of Reshaping Existing Cultural Items Into A New Form Diffusion The Transmission of Cultural Items or Social Practices From One Group or Society to Another Cultural Lag A GAP BETWEEN THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT OF A SOCIETY AND ITS MORAL AND LEGAL INSTITUTIONS

ISSUES IN CULTURE 1. CULTURAL DIVERSITY RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES SUBCULTURES COUNTER CULTURES 2. ETHNOCENTRISM 3. CULTURAL RELATIVISM

RACE AND ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S. 74.80% White African American 11.88% 9.50% Latino 3.09% ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDERS American Indian 0.73%

SOCIOLOGICAL VIEW OF CULTURE 1. FUNCTIONALIST COMMON LANGUAGE & VALUES NEEDED FOR STABLE SOCIETY 2. CONFLICT VALUES AND NORMS IMPOSED BY DOMINANT GROUP 3. INTERACTIONIST NORMS & VALUES NEGOTIATED

Sociological Analysis of Culture Analysis Level Nature of Culture Functionalist Macro Helps Meet Biological, Instrumental, and Integrative Needs Conflict Macro Values and Norms Create False Consciousness to Dominate Masses and Maintain Privileges for Few Interactionist Micro Continually Negotiated Through Symbolic Communication and Definition of Situations