NOTEBOOK CHECK # 2 ENTRY # 1 – INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE September 25, 2014

Culture is Shared  Society is composed of members that participate in their community.  To be a member of society means sharing a culture.  Being a member means engaging in similar patterns of thought and behavior.

Culture is Learned  People are not born with cultural patterns into their DNA.  No one is born a Christian.  No one is born a English-speaker.  Behavior is learned.  Learning to behave culturally it is vital for individuals to be able to become true members of society.

Culture in Nonmaterial  It means having a shared way of thinking by all members of society.  Examples:  Language  Customs  Music  Political Ideas  Participating in religious services  Participating in organized sports

Culture is Material  It means the actual physical and material products of society.  Examples:  Buildings  Computers  iPods  Museums  National Parks

Culture is “Natural”  Natural: existing in or created by nature  Antonym: artificial  Culture is invisible to society. Members accept culture as the way things are.  As a result, society takes culture for granted and as the “right” way to do things.  Example:  Buying items on the Internet using a credit card  Listening to music on an iPod

Culture Shock  Since society consider culture to me “natural”, society often experiences disorientation and discomfort with other cultures.  Hence the greater the differences between two cultures the greater the shock.  Examples:  England and Ireland drive on the left side of the road.  Japan people bow as a greeting, a sign of respect or an apology.

Bell Ringer # 19/26/14  People are not born with ___________ patterns into their DNA.  For example, no one is __________ a Christian.  Culture is ___________ to society.  Members _____________culture as the way things are.

Ethnocentrism  Ethno refers to ethnic  Centrism refers to central  It is the moral judgment of one society of another’s society.  Meaning one culture views itself as superior and more civilized.  It is impossible to be objective about one’s culture. It is viewed as solidarity and unity.

Negative Impact of Ethnocentrism  Judgment creates a feeling of superior versus inferior.  Judgment can result in:  Hostility  Prejudice  Conflict  Tension  Question: What are possible consequences of ethnocentrism?

Cultural Relativism  Relat refers to relative  It is where people judge other cultures by the standards of that culture.  Individuals do not use their own culture to judge another culture.  However, this does not mean moral relativism.  Accepting culture practices of other societies does not mean human rights violations or oppression is acceptable.  Example: Holocaust

Food Traditions Language Mexican American Southerner Jewish Shared History Celebrations Sense of Belonging

In Class Assignment – Who am I?  In your groups of three, answer the questions listed below the profile. Use Complete Sentences  Now switch groups to form a new group that has three different profiles.  Create a T-Chart – label one side similarities and label once side differences.  Complete using the three different profiles.