Sociology 101 Chapter 2 Culture
Culture The sum total of human creations Two Types Material Culture Non-material Culture Language Symbols Customs Norms: Specific rules for governing behavior Roles: Collections of norms associated with particular positions in a group or society Values: The ultimate aims and most general standards for assessing good and bad
Progress and Material Comfort Core American Values Progress and Material Comfort Science and Technology Activity and Work Achievement and Success Individualism Racism and Group Superiority Freedom and Liberty Morality and Humanitarianism Equality Efficiency and Practicality 10 Core American Values
Multiculturalism And Subcultures A society may have several cultures (Multiculturalism) Subcultures are cultures within cultures These cultures often have a distinctive set of beliefs, morals, customs, etc.
Advantages And Disadvantages Subcultures contribute to the overall American Mosaic African American contributions to art as an example Disadvantages Tensions may occur when some subcultures attempt to impose their values and beliefs on others Fundamentalist religious groups or strident atheist groups as example Often serves as the basis for ascribed status, prejudice and discrimination
Ethnocentrism: Judging other cultures as being inferior because you compare them to your own.
Strategies... What strategies might subcultures have in response to prejudice and discrimination? Assimilation Irish-Americans Accommodation Catholics and Protestants Resistance The Amish
High & Popular Culture High Culture Popular Culture Questions: Consists of classical music, opera, ballet, live theater, and other activities usually patronized by elite audiences Popular Culture Consists of activities, products, and services that are assumed to appeal primarily to members of the middle and working classes. Questions: Is popular culture merely entertainment? Can popular culture be used as a form of accommodation, assimilation, or resistance toward a dominant culture? An Example… Christian Popular Culture
The Christian Popular Culture Industry An industry that has emerged to produce “Christian” popular culture for mostly evangelical Christian consumption
Industry Facts Somewhere between a 4-5 billion dollar per year industry Around 900 producers/suppliers Around 7,000 Christian retailers around the country
An evangelical ideology provides the foundation for the industry The inerrancy of Scripture The Deity of Christ The importance of Christ for salvation The importance of evangelism Individuals in this industry feel they should evangelize and minister as well as entertain and make a profit
"For those musicians and for the people at Myrrh, music isn't just a business--it's a ministry whereby the good news of Christ can be shared over and over. Myrrh: where the music is today and the message is forever." (Myrrh records slogan in 1977)
"There's a difference between a man's vocation or skill and his ministry gift. If I was (sic) just an entertainer, I'd have no problem charging for concerts--but ministry is different." (Keith Green, musician)
Veggie Tales 2002 21 million copies sold since 1994 Veggie Tales have sold around 21 million copies since 1994
Left Behind Series of Novels Has sold around 32 million copies since 1995 Has sold around 32 million copies since 1995
Testamints
BibleMan
T-Shirt
Amy Grant CD Cover – 1982
P.O.D
How would each of the theoretical perspectives analyze/view culture? How would each view Christian popular culture?