September 22 nd Sign in, deposit participation cards Questions about CCA Paper? Lecture 3: Culture Homework:  Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 16 (only pages )  Outline of research paper and source list due on Wednesday

Lecture Three What Makes Us Social Beings? A Sociology of Culture

What is Culture? Culture is the lens through which we see the world  Gives shape and meaning to our daily lives Analogy: a computer  The hardware – social structure  The software - culture

Culture is a social process Shared Learned Taken for granted Symbolic Varies across time and place

Material and Non-material Culture Material Culture  First indicators of cultural differences Non-material culture  Beliefs – the truth of it all  Values – the right and wrong  Norms – the rules  Rituals – practice and reaffirmation  Language – the heart of it all

Common Culture, Shared Variations Dominant culture  Cultural form that receives the most support in society and constitutes the major belief system Sub-cultures  Values and norms of behavior differ Counter-cultures  Reaction to the dominant culture

Consumer Culture The dominant culture in American society today is the consumer culture  Define ourselves in terms of goods we purchase Consumer culture both unifies us – we all participate – and differentiates us from one another  Sub-cultures (and counter-cultures?) are reflected in our visible consumption

The Functions of Consumption In a consumer society consumption has both manifest and latent functions  Manifest: intended or expressed outcome  Latent: unintended or unexpressed outcome Veblen: “conspicuous consumption is…a heightening or reaffirmation of social status.”  Reference groups: groups that provide the standard

What are the Manifest and Latent Functions of … Cadillac Escalade SUV

Chanel Lipstick

Apple iPod

Look at the advertisement that your groups has been given… What reference group is the add trying to appeal to? How? What is the manifest function of the product?  Does the advertisement focus on this function? How? What latent functions does the advertisement associate with the product?  How does the advertisement present this function? Does the advertisement focus more on the manifest function or the latent (symbolic) function?  Why do you think?

Role of Mass Media Mass Media plays a central role in the consumer culture  Increases the symbolic value of “Brands”  Stretches our reference groups How much influence?  Adults see an average of 2000 advertisements a day  Children see an average of 40,000 commercials a year  We use 6.5 hours of mass media a day

Marketing Culture Mass media shapes the public sphere and directs cultural flows in our modern society  “Culture Industries” : The Big TenThe Big Ten With the Internet, Satellite TV, radio, and film, cultural practices are not longer fixed to locality  Speed up of cultural flows  Unified global market of consumers

Cultural Globalization Two contradictory processes emerge 1. Homogenization 1. Spread of Anglo-American values 2. Consumer Culture 2. Differentiation 1. Glocalization: new cultural forms emerge that have both global and local characteristics

So What? Do you think cultural globalization is a good thing or a bad thing? Why? Do you think the cultural exchange through global mass media is even?