Prepared by: Sara Chookolingo What is Socialization? What is Culture? Types of Culture Types of Socialization Theories on Culture Cultural Terms Culture in T&T SOCIALIZATION AND CULTURE

 Socialization is the process by which individuals learn the culture of their society.  They learn about behaviours that are acceptable and those that are not.  Socialization occurs from the moment a person is born and continues throughout their adult life. WHAT IS SOCIALIZATION?

 The agents or institutions that are responsible for the socialization process are:  Family  Peers  School  Religious Institutions  Mass Media WHAT IS SOCIALIZATION?

 There are two forms of socialization:  Primary Socialization –: ▪ FAMILY  Secondary Socialization –: ▪ School ▪ Peers ▪ Religious Institutions (church, temple, mosque, etc.) ▪ Mass Media (TV, social media, etc) WHAT IS SOCIALIZATION?

WHAT IS CULTURE?

 Man is the only animal which does not have instincts.  According to Ralph Linton (1945), the culture of society is the “way of life” of its members. It is the collection of ideas & habits which they learn, share and transmit from generation to generation.  Since humans do not have instincts, their behaviour is based on guidelines they learn.  Without a shared culture, members of society would be unable to communicate & co-operate, and confusion & disorder would result. WHAT IS CULTURE?

 Culture has several qualities:  Learnt  Shared  Transmittable  Adaptive  Dynamic  Symbolic WHAT IS CULTURE?

 There are two types of culture: 1. Material – concrete, tangible For example: food, clothes, musical instruments, housing, paintings, books WHAT IS CULTURE?

 There are two types of culture: 2. Non-material – intangible For example: language, norms, values, religion, customs WHAT IS CULTURE?

 Although culture is a very broad topic, for the purpose of this course, we shall look at a few definitions:  High Culture  Folk Culture  Mass Culture  Subculture WHAT IS CULTURE?

HIGH CULTURE:  Usually refers to cultural creations with ‘high’ status. For example Opera, Theatre and Literature. For those who use the term, it is seen as “superior” to lesser forms of culture.

FOLK CULTURE::  Refers to the culture of ordinary people, particularly those living in pre- industrialized societies. Examples include traditional folk songs and stories that have been handed down from one generation to another.

MASS CULTURE:  This is seen as less worthy than high or folk culture. It is a product of the mass media and includes popular feature films, TV soap operas, reality TV shows and pop music. Critics see it as debasing for individuals and destructive for the fabric of society.

SUB-CULTURE:  Refers to cultural patterns that set apart a group of people from the rest of society. These people are often marginalized from mainstream society.

SUB-CULTURES EXAMPLES:

 Durkheim believed that a shared culture is necessary if a society is to run smoothly.  Culture is passed on from generation to generation and exists over and above the wishes and choices of individuals.  Without culture, people would not be able to conform and society would result in chaos. FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE

 Parsons noted that culture allows people to communicate and work towards shared goals.  Parsons argues that culture is passed on through socialization, particularly through primary socialization in the family; but it is also transmitted through various other ways – religion, school, festivals, etc. FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE

 Parsons and Durkheim: Argued that culture is slow to change but they also recognized that major changes do occur as societies evolve. FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE

 Marx claimed that in class stratified societies, culture can be seen as the ruling class ideology.  He sees the working class as suffering from false-class consciousness; its beliefs and culture are shaped by the ruling class and they have adopted it as their own. CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE

 In other words, Marx examines how the culture (which is transmitted through the super- structure) is shaped by the economic-based infrastructure.  He believes that mass and popular culture is the culture of the upper or ruling class (Bourgeoisie). CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE

CULTURE SHOCK:  The physical and/or psychological reactions people may have when encountering cultural traditions that differ (radically) from their own. Sometimes it can be experienced in one’s own culture. SOME CULTURAL TERMS:

 Making judgments about another culture using one’s own customs and value system.  (What is the difference between being racist and ethnocentric?) ETHNOCENTRISM:

 The recognition that social groups and cultures must be studied and understood on their own terms before valid comparisons can be made. Cultural Relativism is used in studies to avoid ethnocentrism in research, i.e. behaviors must be judged within the context in which they occur. CULTURAL RELATIVISM:

 Forms or patterns for resolving the common basic human problems that are found in all cultures. Cultural universals include the division of labor, the incest taboo, marriage, funerals, the family, rites of passage and ideology. CULTURAL UNIVERSALS:

 The rules of behavior that are agreed upon and shared within a culture and prescribe limits of acceptable behavior. What is “normal” in your culture? NORMS:

 OUR CULTURE WAS INFLUENCED MAINLY BY THE FOLLOWING GROUPS:  TAINOS & KALINAGOES  EUROPEANS  AFRICANS  SYRIANS & LEBANESE  EAST INDIANS  CHINESE TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CULTURE

 Native Amerindians (Tainos & Kalinagoes) were living in the Caribbean and their culture included – hammocks, pepperpot, manioc (cassava).  Christopher Columbus came to the Caribbean Region in the name of Spain and decimated the Native Indian population through war, disease and famine. Many aspects of their culture were erased.  Other European colonizers invaded the region – Portuguese, French, English, Dutch, Danish.  Significant impact on the culture – Carnival, liming, language (Creole/Patois), dress, sports (cricket/football).

 AFRICANS – After the genocide of the Amerindians, the Europeans brought the Africans to the Caribbean. The Africans were forced not to practice their culture openly. Through “syncretism” the Africans were able to retain some aspects of their culture, for example, they secretly applied African deities to Catholic saints.  The Africans, therefore, went through a process of acculturation (also called cultural assimilation) which involved the forced imposition of one culture upon another, usually by a powerful group (Europeans) upon a weaker one (Africans).

 Following the Abolition and Emancipation of the Africans, the Asians were brought to the Caribbean as the new labour source during Indentureship.  EAST INDIANS & CHINESE – these Indentured labourers were allowed to keep their culture and many new aspects were brought to the Caribbean including food, clothing, religious practices, gambling, etc.

 Interculturation is the mutual exchange of cultural traits between groups being in close contact over a long period of time.  Although some of the cultural exchanges may have been forced, over the years, through constant interaction, cultures have been compelled to mix and interact with each other.  This would have had implications for the ‘purity’ of these cultures and the unique blend we have in the region.

 The most prominent feature of the traditional Caribbean society was the plantation society.  George Beckford (1983), like many others, perceived the plantation as a total economic institution.  Features of the Plantation society include:  the prevalence of monocrop agriculture;  marginalization of the peasantry;  dependence on foreign capital and enterprise as the main investors;  dependence on foreign markets for our crops;  forced labour systems;  a taste for foreign products;  lack of democratic tradition because of the long existence of slavery;  social stratification based on the gradations of colour and race. PLANTATION SOCIETY THEORY

 The Plural Society Theory, first conceptualised by J.S. Furnivall (1944) and further promulgated by M.G. Smith (1960), posits that societies with many cultures and ethnicities, such as those in the Caribbean, co-exist but only do so in the marketplace.  Ethnic groups keep their own distinct cultural practices and belief systems with little or no inter-mixing and the sole interaction among the groups is the economic aspect or the marketplace.  Diverse groups share the same physical space, but there is little or no consensus among the groups and they keep a social distance or are kept at a social distance by laws, customs or social pressure in interpersonal relations.  Societies were therefore maintained only by the superior force of the European colonial power. PLURAL SOCIETY THESIS – M.G. SMITH

 Edward K. Braithwaite adds a different perspective on the composition of Caribbean societies.  Whereas the Plural Society Thesis argues that the groups live separate and apart from each other (except in the marketplace), Braithwaite posits that the cultures of the major groups (mainly the Europeans and Africans) are mixed or combined creating a unique ‘Creole’ culture.  Creolisation is a process of change and adaptation that occurs over time.  In the Caribbean, many aspects of our culture, such as music, art, languages, religious rituals, cuisine and people, is represented by this notion of Creolisation. CREOLE SOCIETY THEORY – EDWARD KAMAU BRAITHWAITE

 In contemporary society, our ‘traditional’ culture has drastically evolved.  Many feel that our culture today mimics those of the modern, industrialized societies such as the USA.  This is called Cultural Diffusion which is the spreading of ideas from one culture to another. This is facilitated through globalization.  We live in a technological age where it is easy to transmit cultures from one country to the next. This ‘new age’ will have implications for our conventional cultures. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO’S CULTURE TODAY