Sociology 12: Culture How do cultures change?

How do cultures change? First… a quick review! Culture is everything that is learned and shared and produced by members of a social group. This includes the values or ideas about what is important to the people in the group.

Definitions ethnocentrism—regarding one’s own culture as the superior standard by which all other inferior cultures are judged cultural relativism—viewing and analyzing the behaviours and customs of a culture by the culture’s own standards

Factors that shape culture… Climate, resources, and geography limit or provide opportunities for food, clothing and physical well being. Isolation or integration can help or hinder acquiring from other countries. Example: Ancient Greece …Athens and Sparta Discoveries and inventions can provide advantages. Cultural goals and values can direct efforts and shape cultural institutions.

Cultural Change Cultural change- the process by which new patterns of shared/learned behaviours are developed to meet the needs not provided by traditional patterns

Cultural Change Cultures do not generally remain static Many forces shape and change culture Adaptation vs culture shock leading to ethnocentrism Material and non-material culture can both change

Dynamic- societies- change is rapid Pace of Change… Dynamic- societies- change is rapid Stable societies- cultural change is slow but still occurs

Culture Lag Rules for teachers example Think of forces or changes that have dramatically shaped our culture in the last 50 years Culture Lag: a gap between the technical development of a society and its moral and legal institutions Page 81 Example: Medical Records Database Cell phone use

Innovation: Discovery and Invention Discovery : the process of learning about something previously unknown or unrecognized Discovery often occurs through science How did the following produce cultural change? Fire The shape of the earth Vaccinations

Innovation: Discovery and Invention Invention: the process of reshaping existing cultural items into a new form How have these cultural items been reshaped? Guns Video games Charter or Rights and Freedoms

Cultural Diffusion Cultural Diffusion is the transmission of cultural items or social practices from one group or society to another “McDonaldization” (Ritzer, 2000) Could globalization and McDonaldization water down unique aspects of various cultures

Cultural Diffusion vs. Cultural Confusion Cultural diffusion can be very beneficial or it can be problematic… Bhutan- introduction of broadcast television in 1999 Marketing Hall of Shame (pg 82)