The Socio-cultural Level of Analysis

Prologue to Obj. 4.2 Obj. 4.1: Define the terms culture and cultural norms.

What is culture? Define the terms culture and cultural norms.

Defining culture Mr. Freeman defines it as being "mental software" or a series of socio-culturally shared schemas that are shaped over generations and shared through common interactions and reactions. As with any software, it can upgraded and change over time.

The difficulty of defining culture The world culture itself is not easily definable. Matsumoto (2004) mentions a book that contains 128 definitions just for the one word.

Surface culture For example, on the surface, food in the Philippines is drastically different than it is in Western Culture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qXHwQKyD0hs

Surface culture Can be describe as the aspects of a culture that change at a relatively rapid rate, including popular music and entertainment, clothing and hair styles, The change in Western Culture…

Deep culture Continuing on the idea of culture, there is also a "deep culture," as defined by Kuschel (2004). Deep Culture can be defined as what causes these regional differences in culture, what has allowed them to survive in their environment and how it has shaped the people it influences.

The distinction Deep culture, which is relatively slow to change, including attitudes toward life, religious and philosophical beliefs, and values in human relationships. Whereas surface culture changes daily, weekly, yearly, and by decades. Deep culture is relatively stable over a long period of time –- throughout hundreds or thousands of years.

The distinction Thus clearer boundaries between cultures may be seen at the deep culture level. It is at the deep level of culture we find the Great Traditions of the world such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam -- the enduring philosophies and religions of the world upon which civilizations are built. These are the values that seem to define a society (from a cultural relativist view)

Deep culture Aesthetics: consideration of what is beautiful in literature, art, music, dance, and architecture Beauty is subjective. What is considered beautiful in one culture may be considered ugly in another. In some cultures, great value is-placed on hand-crafted items as opposed to machine-manufactured items. Ceremonies: appropriate behavior on particular occasions Courtship and marriage: attitudes about dating, marriage, and child rearing Ethics: the learning and practicing of principles, honesty, and morality

Deep culture Precedence: customary manners toward older and younger people and peers In many cultures, titles are given to the elderly as a sign of respect. Religion: attitudes about the divine and supernatural and the impact they have on an individual's daily life. Space: attitudes about oneself in relation to the physical environment and to others within that environment. In some cultures, the conversational distance between people is smaller than in other cultures.

Cultural Norms Norms have been defined as the agreed-upon expectations and rules by which a culture guides the behavior of its members in any given situation. Of course, norms vary widely across cultural groups. Of course, norms vary widely across cultural groups. Americans, for instance, maintain fairly direct eye contact when conversing with others. Asians, on the other hand, may avert their eyes as a sign of politeness and respect.

Share Buddy Discussion Briefly explain a few cultural norms that are displayed in your culture.

Cultural Norms Sociologists speak of at least four types of norms: folkways, mores, taboos, and laws. Folkways, sometimes known as “conventions” or “customs,” are standards of behavior that are socially approved but not morally significant. For example, belching loudly after eating dinner at someone else's home breaks an American folkway.

Cultural Norms Mores are norms of morality. Breaking mores will offend most people of a culture. Certain behaviors are considered taboo, meaning a culture absolutely forbids them. Finally, laws are a formal body of rules enacted by the state and backed by the power of the state. Virtually all taboos, like child abuse, are enacted into law, although not all mores are.

Cultural Norms They are controlled by the "gatekeepers" such as parents, teachers, elders etc. They can control almost every element of the culture such as marriage, communication, how food is eaten, social class structure and its effect on interclass communication and the list goes on.