Traits of Culture What makes a culture? WG #3: describe elements of culture, including language, religion, beliefs and customs, institutions, and technologies

Traits of Culture Sociological Technological Language Technology Traditions Food Ideological Recreation Belief System Art Social Structure Dress Institution http://socialstudies.pppst.com/culture.html

What does this show us about culture? TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIOLOGICAL http://blog.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/the-iceberg-model-of-culture/ IDEOLOGICAL

What do you have to know to get this joke? What language do you see? (Sociological) darn Where tools do you see? (Technological) What stories do you see? (Ideological) Who would get this joke?

Which cultures seen are you familiar with? http://socialstudies.pppst.com/culture.html Are we seeing visible, or invisible culture? What do we NOT see?

What cultural traits might this continent have in common? How did that happen?

Sociological Traits Traits which are visible Reflects physical behaviors

1. What is the purpose of “language”? Communication of ideas, information and knowledge

2. Traditions reveal history Based on behavior that served a purpose Shaking hands showed lack of weapons Demonstrate respect for history Opening doors for women showed that men protected and cared for the women above themselves Standing for the countries flag showed that you would “stand for your country” during war.

3. How do we choose our food? Based on locally available foods Based on area tolerances for spice and flavoring Based on historical migration of people Today food is often a reflection of personal taste based on many representations of cultures in our area.

Journal practice Think about the restaurants near your home…what cultures or types of food are sold here? (response should be 1-2 sentences)

4. What is recreation? Recreation is any type of activity which people do in their spare time such as…reading, sports, entertainment, hobbies and group activities. How people spend their spare time reveals what they hold as important to their values and priorities.

5. Why do we create Art? Art is expressions that reflect ideas and opinions of a culture Art can take many forms including physical and behavioral Examples are: dance, theatrical, painting, sculpting, drawing, writing or audio (music)

6. What do people wear/dress locally? Clothing is based on climate, tradition and personal choice Groups who value tradition or religion choose clothing that reflects that such as headscarves, fabric or style Clothing is normally chosen on locally available materials or styles Pricing reflects difficulty in availability of style, designer or materials

TECHNOLOGICAL TRAITS Traits which show or use tools Includes basic tools, devices, inventions and physical items or knowledge which allow a group to accomplish a task with less work, less people, or reduced time.

8. What is the purpose of “technology”? Technology improves the standard of living Technology takes many forms both physical and intellectual Example are: Hand tools (hammer, pulleys, screwdriver) Electronics such as phones or computers Specialized knowledge such as computer programming, engineering or creative thought Technology reduces the need for labor, time or effort Scottish Wind Farm

Ideological Traits Traits or beliefs that are not visible or physical Ideas which guide decisions, values or goals for a group of people

7. How does a Belief System affect daily lives? “Belief System” reflects what people believe or think Religion, philosophy, Guides choices based on values or accepted ideas Honesty, hard work, diversity, fairness, or family priorities

7. What does a social structure do for a community? “Social” means interaction Family, friends, community, groups, and collegues, peers are all social structures “structure” refers to HOW people interact and rules to the interaction Social structure guides interaction to help a society function more smoothly Examples are everyday greetings, common courtesies, name identification, patriarchal vs. matriarchal, hierarchies

Institution Process created by people to accomplish a specific task Examples are schools, community organizations, local, state, national government, courts, etc. Institutions allow groups to reach common goals by creating a uniform process

Practice with Traits Read the following text selection then identify which group sociological, technological or ideological each falls into for the following questions Cultural traits can be numerous and varied, but can roughly be divided into three categories. First, sociological traits are those that are involved in interaction between individuals and other members of a group, i.e., family, school, or church. Secondly ideological traits are those that are associated with a society’s belief systems. These may include ideas, convictions, faith, or legends as well as how they are transmitted. Thirdly, technological traits are the tools, skills, and techniques that a society possesses to meet the needs of the members of that group, i.e., food, clothing, housing, defense, or material goods. The traits in the three groups do not always exist in isolation. They can be interrelated and influence each other.

Let’s see what we know… Which are you ready to answer, and which do you need a peek? Using the reading, into which group(s) would the religion of a culture primarily fall? A sociological B ideological C technological D all three groups

Let’s see what we know… Which are you ready to answer, and which do you need a peek? Using the reading, into which group(s) would the education or schooling of a culture fall? F sociological G ideological H technological J all three groups Using the reading, into which group(s) would the language of a culture primarily fall? A sociological B ideological C technological D all three groups

Write a short response, and then talk to me… Describe elements of culture, INCLUDING language, religion, beliefs and customs, institutions, and technologies. What makes a culture?

Resources http://socialstudies.pppst.com/culture.h tml http://cultureby.com/2008/10/culture- capture.html http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2147206 2/The-7-Elements-of-Culture