By: Selena & Sofia& Shannon

Culture Culture: a complex concept that is used in many different ways ( to describe food and eating habits, ritual, clothing, communication patterns, religion, and status behavior). Matsumoto (2004) mentions a book from 1998 that analyzed 128 different definitions of culture.

Two levels of culture may be distinguished:  1) the surface culture, which changes at a relatively rapid rate, including popular music and entertainment, clothing and hair styles and can be externally influenced and  2) the deep culture, which is relatively slow to change, including attitudes toward life, religious and philosophical beliefs, and values in human relationships.

Culture Examples Objective and Subjective Aspects  People notice that food is different when they travel to another country, and they say that is due to cultural differences.  In some countries women are covered and in others they are not.

Kuschel(2004) Variation and Generalization  Culture cannot be seen but we can see the manifestation  SHOULD NOT be used as an explanation of behavior.  SHOULD be used to understand how people have survived in their environment, how they have organized in social groups, and what attitudes, beliefs and norms influence behavior in the social and cultural groups.

Kuschel(2004)Cont.  SHOULD ask questions related to how specific factors in the culture result in behaviors. Ex: Infanticide, rain dance, or initiation rites.  If culture is simply an explanation of behavior, it will lead to circular arguments.  It should never be used as an explanation in itself, since the concept of culture is so vague and includes so many variables.

POP QUIZ!  In your own words what are the levels of culture??

Looner (1995) Culture: common rules that regulate interaction and behavior in a group as well as a number of shared values and attitudes in the group.

Hofstede (2002)  His definition of culture is, “ mental software”, that is, cultural schemas that have been internalized so that they influence thinking, emotions, and behavior.  The mental software is shared by members of a sociocultural group.

Theorists of Psychology  Took a solely western view  Looking for “rules” of human behavior that could be applied to all cultures around the world.  Etic approaches are typically taken within cross-cultural psychology where behavior is compared across specific cultures.  Emic approach looks at behavior that are culturally specific. Challenges psychologists to re- examine their ideas of “truth” with regard to culture.

Mead (1935)  Anthropologist  Documented many instances of cultural variations in gender in her study of three different cultures living close to each other in New Guinea.  The Arapesh people were characterized by women and men having the same sensitive and non- aggressive behavior, and “feminine” personalities; among the Mundugamor, both men and women were ruthless, unpleasant, and “masculine”; in the Tchambuli community, women were dominant and men were more emotional and concerned about personal appearance- an apparent reversal of western norms.  Showed that a valid indication of how society can powerfully influence gender- role development.

Cultural norms  Are behavior patterns that are typical of specific groups.  Passed down from generation to generation by observational learning by the group’s gatekeepers- parents, peers, teachers, and religious leaders.  Includes - how marriage patterns are chosen -attitude towards alcohol consumption - acceptance (or rejection) of spanking children

Pop Quizz!!  In Looner (1995) definition of culture is???  Hofstede (2002) definition of culture is???  Some examples of Cultural Norms??

Work Cited com/2011/02/13-define-the-terms- culture-and-cultural-norms3.pdf com/2011/02/13-define-the-terms- culture-and-cultural-norms3.pdf om/Define+the+term+culture+and+cultur al+norms. om/Define+the+term+culture+and+cultur al+norms