Anthropologists say culture is a system of ideas, values, behaviours, & attitudes shared by the members of a society Sociologists believe culture refers to the ways in which social groups differentiate themselves from other groups Differences are based on language, attire, food, social etiquette, attitudes & roles, religious values, and political beliefs Culture is commonly accepted & learned by members of a society through the process of socialization (passed on) Socialization unifies, communicates, & maintains societies cultural beliefs Culture is a tool that helps explain behaviour among & towards other groups

Culture influences an individual’s perception & self-concept So it effects the development of social identity too Sociologists are very interested in cultural universals They are beliefs common across all cultures --- examples? Ppl rely on culture to guide us in social situations (to make appropriate decisions)

Recall – norms help est. acceptable behaviours in society Social behaviour that doesn’t fit w/ est. rules of society is either shunned or punished It is Deviance: a violation of society’s social norms & accepted standards Emile Durkheim was the 1 st sociologist to write about anomie Durkheim stated anomie referred to a state of normalness & represents an individual’s breakdown in relation to social order and structure (a violation of society’s est. norms)

Deviance is an attractive option esp. if societies rules are restrictive Merton claimed deviance occurs when individuals cannot obtain the society’s goals, through the means society provides Strain Theory of Behaviour Belief that indy’s will pursue illegitimate actions to obtain societies highest goals when they are blocked from accessing institutional means to them IOW Society causes deviance b/c it pressures ppl to conform to its goals Work w/in the structure or join/create a deviant subculture

Unequal access to social rewards/privileges can lead to alienation Alienation is a feeling of separation or isolation (from society) It can occur in any situation when someone is left-out Causes: social inequalities, cultural differences, alt. lifestyle Can feel alienated from social norms, values, roles OR from social institutions not serving needs effectively Often leads to a rejection of the dominant culture

Mainstream culture is what we define culture as on a large scale (i.e. CDN culture) Most ppl fulfill their needs w/in it Others look to subcultures to meet needs Small groups w/in a larger group that share common values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviours, and/or lifestyles different from the dominant culture Differences are often exaggerated or distorted versions of mainstream culture Sociologists describe subcultures as deviance from the norm & prevalent amongst youth Subcultures are often labelled Labelling is a theoretical approach to defining deviant behaviour through the creation of a subculture Subcultures over-time can become popular enough to become mainstream

More extreme than subcultures are countercultures These reject the most popular values & most important norms of society, replacing them w/ their own extreme views on violence, family, & loyalty Can be +ve or –ve for society Most extreme are cults Extremist religious groups w/ rigid social/moral views that oppose mainstream culture & led by a charismatic leader