What are they (broadly)? Why do they exist? Cultural Universals What are they (broadly)? Why do they exist?

CULTURAL DIVERSITY Chapter 2 section 2

Groups within a culture… Subcultures… have the same overall culture, but are distinguished by maintaining certain values, norms, and lifestyles (Example: Muslim American’s taking part in Ramadan). Counterculture… a group who’s unique values, norms and lifestyles conflict with the dominant culture. (Example: hippies in the 60’s)

Geography Music Sports Age As a class, let’s think of subcultures that exist because of the following… Geography Music Sports Age

Counterculture or Subculture?

Remember… Society is comprised of individuals who share the same territory and are bound together by economics and politics. Culture is the societies “way of life”…material and non-material things.

Cultural Diversity Cultural Diversity and ethnocentrism are opposing forces. Cultural Diversity = a social situation in which people with distinct ways of life exist within one society. The culture of the U.S. becomes more diverse every day. Because of this diversity there are many subcultures and countercultures.

Three factors that contribute most to cultural diversity… Immigration Social Activism (makes it ok for subcultures to be recognized) Technology (media, transportation)

Cultural Diffusion Process of spreading culture traits from one society to another. The more contact a society has with other societies, the more culture traits it will borrow.

Elite vs. Popular Culture ELITE culture is culture enjoyed by a select few... Usually the educated upper class. Examples: opera, art, etc. POPULAR culture is what the majority of the people enjoy, use, and do at the present time. What is currently popular. Constantly changes with the times…

Sports, the ultimate study in Sociology It’s all about the group…”there is no I in team”. Sports reinforce norms and values that are important to society, like competition and teamwork. Nearly every culture values sports… they bring people together.

Some sociologists criticize organized sports…Why? They encourage aggression. Directs certain students toward sports, not academics. False hope…many believe they can play sports as a career (FYI, only one in 12,000 high school athletes will become pro.) Do you agree????

Media as a carrier of popular culture. Media reflects society… we watch what we are interested in as a culture. Media influences society… we participate in trends and fads, and develop some values based on media influence. FYI… 99% of American homes have a TV. Average family watches 7hr/day Like it or not… TV teaches most “western” societies their norms and values.

Discussion Questions… Does TV lead to cultural diversity by allowing us to see and understand other cultures that we may otherwise not have contact with? OR Does TV lead to cultural polarization by showing some cultures in a negative light and/or showing the same type of culture all of the time?

“TELEVISION LEADS TO A MORE CULTURALLY DIVERSE SOCIETY” Journal Write… Write one paragraph either agreeing or disagreeing with the following statement. Explain your answer. “TELEVISION LEADS TO A MORE CULTURALLY DIVERSE SOCIETY” When finished, put in Journal section of notebook.