Culture People’s way of life

Culture Culture refers to people’s way of life. Includes how people meet their basic needs for food and shelter Includes language, literature, music, and art, beliefs about the world and their religion, and even their technology and their material objects.

Things people usually do Customs Things people usually do Foods they eat Clothes they wear How holidays are celebrated Turning points are celebrated (birth, coming of age, weddings, etc)

Roles Based on rules for proper behavior of individuals in particular positions and situations Mother might be expected to behave a certain way toward children

Institutions Organizations developed by each society to make social roles clear and to take care of social needs. Families Arrange for reproduction, the care of family members, upbringing of young Schools Teach the young the values of society and prepare them for the responsibilities of adulthood Governments Governments protect us from outsiders, promote social cooperation, and regulate individual behavior

Rural or Urban Culture is also affected by how people live together. Rural living Countryside, small villages, simple homes Generally farmers, herders, or village craftsmen Do not tend to communicate beyond their local environs Traditional ways/economies Urban living Large cities, advanced technology, roads, bridges, buildings, (infrastructure) Sewage systems, hot and cold water, electricity, etc. Read news, watch television, travel widely and generally have more opportunities than rural dwellers

Social structure Upper Class Middle Class Working Class Peasants Earns or inherits wealth and owns large share of property. Luxurious lifestyle and often serve in leadership roles of a society Middle Class Intermediate group of people, mostly educated and successful – managers, professionals, shopkeepers Working Class Manual workers who work in factories, mining, transportation, construction, or craftspeople. Peasants Farm workers or owners of small farms mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture – little education and limited experiences in the world outside their village Lower Class Often uneducated and unskilled. Take least desirable and worst paying jobs. Often face prejudice and social handicaps from members of higher societies.

Multicultural societies Homogeneous societies Almost everyone belongs to a same ethnic group and shares same language and traditions Heterogeneous (multicultural) Mix of peoples and cultures. Ethnic groups are missed throughout the country Minority An ethnic or religious group other than the dominant group – culture of majority often decides how minorities treated (laws to safeguard them, or not, or even persecuted)

Religion A set of beliefs about the meaning of life, the nature of the universe, and the existence of the supernatural (including God or a Supreme Being). A set of customs and practices that relate to the worship of God (or several gods) and a set of rules for the conduct of a good life An organization, such as a church or other place of worship, which overseas the conduct of religious practices Most religions designate some special places as sacred or holy