Chapter 2 Cultural Diversity

What is Culture? Culture consists of all the shared products of human groups.  This includes both physical objects and the beliefs, values and behaviors shared by a group.  The physical objects that people create and use form a group’s material culture.  Examples include: automobiles, books, buildings, clothing, computers and cooking utensils.

What is Culture?  Abstract human creations form a group’s nonmaterial culture.  Examples include: beliefs, family patterns, ideas, language, political and economic systems, rules, skills and work practices. Society vs. Culture: NOT the same! Society consists of people and culture consists of the material and nonmaterial products that people create.

The Components of Culture Specific examples of the material and nonmaterial elements of culture vary from society to society, but all cultures have certain basic components. They include: 1.Technology 2.Symbols 3.Language 4.Values 5.Norms

Technology Symbols Technology Symbols  Society’s culture consists of not only physical object but also the rules of using those objects; these rules are referred to as technology.  Examples: skills are required to use material culture such as the knowledge of computer languages or the ability to access and surf the Internet are all skills related to the computer, rules such as “hacking” are considered unacceptable behavior.  The very basis of human culture are symbols. A symbol is anything that represents something else, in other words, a symbol has a shared meaning attached to it.  Any word, gesture, image, sound, physical object, event (church service, a class ring, the Lincoln memorial, a handshake).

Language  Most obvious aspect of any culture.  The organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system. Values  Language and symbols are important because they let us communicate our values to one another. Values are shared beliefs about what is good and bad. Norms All groups create norms to enforce their cultural values.All groups create norms to enforce their cultural values. Norms are shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations. Norms are expectations for behavior, not actual behavior.Norms are shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations. Norms are expectations for behavior, not actual behavior.

3 Levels of Culture 1. Cultural Trait: the simplest level of culture. It is an individual act, tool or belief that is related to a specific situation or need. Example: Using utensils when we eat. 2. Cultural Complex: A cultural complex is a cluster of interrelated cultural traits. Example: The game of football is a cultural complex that involves a variety of traits such as specific items like the ball, helmets, benches or actions like running and kicking

3 Levels of Culture 3. Cultural Patterns: The largest level of culture. It is a combination of a number of cultural complexes into an interrelated whole. Example: Football, baseball, swimming, basketball all make up American Athletics.

Pyramid of School Cultures 1.Prep Dominance: Preps and jocks dominate the social aspects of school. Example: Columbine. 2.Prep Dominance with Pluralist Groups: Preps are still the dominant but other groups support alternative crowds. Example: Jocks, theatre, punks, Academic Challenge.

Pyramid of School Culture continued… 3. Contestant Dominance: Preps and jocks are favored by teachers. Mostly found in predominately white schools. There is also a small counterculture (Drugs). 4. Oppositional Takeover: The school is taken over by countercultures like druggies. There is usually a democratic base and can happen easily when there is a small middle class.

Pyramid of School Culture continued… 5.Pluralism: There is an absence of a dominant culture or structure and the school emphasizes diversity. 6.Fragmentation: There is a very little dominance from any group. Each group goes there own way and there is more loyalty to their group rather than to the school community.