Mind’s On – Think Share Write down something you think we need/value in North American culture (product, technology, appliance, etc) Give a brief explanation why it is necessary Put it on the chart on the board – Essential, Nice to Have, Really?

Schools of Thought in the Social Sciences Focus On: Anthropology

School of Thought – Definition A school of thought is a way to use information in a way that is credible It is a much more academic way of discussing similarities and differences in the social sciences than opinion-based arguments

Functionalism Maslow’s Needs As humans we are constantly trying to meet physical and psychological needs Functionalism focuses on the purpose (why) and practice (how) of satisfying those needs Maslow’s Needs

These needs and customs contribute to the institutions that can hold a culture together The focus of functionalism is to explain behaviours and practices of a culture, not judge them

Structuralism Think About It! In your notes list as many things as you can that are opposites in 1 minute (Example – Good and Evil) Structuralists believe that the human mind is based on binary opposites These opposites explain our perspective, and that we like to compare things to make sense of them Culture programs us to think this way

These opposites can be damaging/limiting when taken in the wrong context Example? A criticism of structuralism is that it overemphasizes logic and stability

Cultural Materialism Is based on the idea that technology and economics are the most important factors in moulding any culture Also suggests these factors determine the way we live in and perceive our own culture

Wrap Up – Applying the schools As we watch the following video make a chart and make points on how each School of Thought would view the issue of how computers have evolved to become a dominant – even defining – aspect of our culture Functionalism (Why and How) Structuralism (Binary Opp.) Cultural Materialism (Tech and Econ.)