Society and Culture
What is a society? a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior -- an abstract "mental blueprint" or "mental code." a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior -- an abstract "mental blueprint" or "mental code." A shared perception of reality A shared perception of reality Commonly known as Commonly known as “Commonly known as” “Commonly known as” Common sense Common sense “They say” “They say” “Everybody knows” “Everybody knows”
Why bother with societies and cultures? Humans are weak Humans are weak Societies are mutual support pacts Societies are mutual support pacts
Let’s build a society An individual An individual Two people Two people More than two… More than two… Or twenty… Or twenty… Or twenty million Or twenty million 1 st purpose of a society: reduce friction between people in the society 1 st purpose of a society: reduce friction between people in the society 2 nd purpose: separate one society from others 2 nd purpose: separate one society from others
Early Human Culture Small groups of around 25 Gatherer/huntersNomadic Limited possessions more permanent settlements Became tribes xenophobia
End of the Ice Age About 12,000 BCE About 12,000 BCE The high grasslands began to dry out The high grasslands began to dry out Tribes migrated down into the river valleys looking for food Tribes migrated down into the river valleys looking for food Tigris/Euphrates Tigris/Euphrates Indus Indus Yellow Yellow Nile Nile
The first great change
Domestication of animals
Irrigation
Canals
Fields
Granary
Pharaoh
Pyramid of Zoser
The Torah
Class and Clothing
Chinese Fingernail Shields
Jocks vs. Nerds
Weighing the Heart
Ramses II
Queen Hatshepsut
Nazis
Soviets
Sparta vs. Athens
Rome vs. everybody
War of the Roses
English Civil War
American Revolution
French Revolution
American Civil War
Inquisition
Women’s Suffrage
Civil Rights
Timothy McVeigh / John Allen Muhammad / Aileen Wuornos
James von Brunn; Scott Roeder; Jim David Adkisson
Anders Behring Breivik