Chapter 2 Culture!!!!!!1

Culture Includes a societies beliefs, history, knowledge, language, customs, moral principles and skills.

Cultural terminology Cultural Trait- A single object, action or belief as well as the smallest unit of culture. Cultural Complex- A set of inter-related cultural traits. Material Culture- The set of concrete objects created or used by the people of a culture. Ideal Culture- A collection of cultural beliefs that define what people in a culture should do and what they say they do. Real Culture- Reflected by people’s actual behavior as it appears to an observer.

. . .continued Norms- The guidelines people follow in relationships with one another Folkways- Everyday habits and conventions that people obey without giving much thought to it. Mores- Norms that have powerful moral significance attached to them. Intense reaction often happens if broken. Taboos- Prohibitions against a society’s most important mores.

Sanctions A sanction rewards or punishes an action. Reward- Positive sanction Punishment- Negative sanction Formal Sanction- Given by organization or regulatory body (schools, groups)

Semiotics and its functions Semiotics – Study of how signs affect behavior Symbols- Commonly understood gestures, words, objects, sounds, colors, or design that stands for something else. Language- Organized written or spoken symbols that is standard within a society. Non verbal signs- More flexible than language because they can communicate across languages.

Knowing what you know and believing what you know Knowledge- An element of culture that attempts to define what exists or the reality of the world. Beliefs- The theories and ideas about the nature of the physical and social world.

More-on culture

Examples of similarities across cultures Common ancestry Genetic similarities Common expectations

Cultural Universals Features that are common to all cultures. Many come from universal human needs like eating, need for shelter, taking care of children, and dealing with an ill child or aging parent.

Cultural Diversity Groups holding cultural beliefs and customs that are different from the majority.

Subculture Groups of people who share some broad cultural traditions but also follow values and norms that are unique to their group.

Counterculture A group that rejects the values and norms of the larger culture and replaces them with a new set.

Ethnocentrism The tendency to assume that one’s own culture and way of life are “normal” and superior to all others. Example: “America, love it or leave it.” Is patriotism an example of ethnocentrism?

Cultural Relativism Behavior in one culture should not be judged by the standard of another. Different social groups have different norms and values. Example: Polygamy and the Mormon Church.

Internalization of norm A society’s stability rests largely on its ability to convince members to conform, partly by applying sanctions but also by. . . Internalization of norm: When a person takes on the norms without a present sanction, no rewards or punishment needed.

How society’s change Diffusion- Acculturation- The process by which cultural items are spread from group to group or society to society. Acculturation- Diffusion that leads to the modification of the culture of a group as a result of contact with a different culture. Example: McDonalds in China.

Elements of Culture

Language One unifying element of culture is language. The world’s languages are organized into language families. Large groups of languages having similar roots.

Religion In many cultures religious beliefs influence certain aspects of daily life. Throughout history religious symbols and stories have shaped the arts and architecture. Religious differences have been the root of conflicts in many countries.

Social Groups Cultures have social systems that include families, social classes, and ethnic groups.

Government Despite differences, governments of the world share certain features, such as maintaining internal order, providing for defense, and supplying public services.

Economic Activities Geographers study economies to see how people in different cultures produce, obtain, use, and sell goods and services.

Culture Regions Generally includes different countries that share certain characteristics-economic systems, languages, forms of government, or social groups.

Americanism

American Values Success Work Efficiency Progress Equality Freedom Patriotism

How others might see us Self fulfillment- The commitment to developing ones talents and achieving one’s goals. (Examples: Self Help books)

Narcissism Extreme self-centeredness “Every day we're told that we live in the greatest country on earth. And it's always stated as an undeniable fact: Leos are born between July 23 and August 22, fitted queen-size sheets measure sixty by eighty inches, and America is the greatest country on earth. Having grown up with this in our ears, it's startling to realize that other countries have nationalistic slogans of their own, none of which are 'We're number two!'“ Author David Sedaris