Culture: Elements

Characteristics of Cultures Learned (consciously; unconsciously) Transmitted Based on symbols Changeable (innovation; diffusion; acculturation) Integrated Ethnocentric Adaptive

Components of Cultures Beliefs: shared explanations of experience (describe what is) Values: broad, abstract, shared standards of what is right, desirable, and worthy of respect (describe what ought to be) Norms and sanctions: rules about what people should or should not do, say, or think in a given situation with socially imposed rewards and punishments by which people are encouraged to conform to norms

Technology: body of practical knowledge and equipment enhancing the effectiveness of human labor and altering the environment for human use Symbols: something which can express or evoke meaning, often physical objects that have acquired cultural meanings beyond their instrumental purposes Language: shared set of spoken/written symbols and rules for combining those symbols in meaningful ways

Theories of Why We Have Cultures Structural-functional Social conflict Sociobiological

Topical Headings in Analyzing Cultures (“Life Ways”) Family ways: the structure and function of household and family Gender ways: customs that regulate social relations between men and women Marriage ways: courtship, marriage, and divorce Child-rearing ways: nature and nurture of children Sex ways: conventional sexual attitudes and acts, and treatment of sexual deviance

Age ways: attitudes toward aging and age relationships Death ways: mourning practices and mortuary rituals Building ways: dominant forms of vernacular and high architecture and their organization in planned and unplanned settlements Social ways: patterns of association and affiliation Food ways: patterns of diet, nutrition, cooking, eating, feasting and fasting Dress ways: customs of dress, demeanor, and personal adornment

Work ways: nature of and attitudes toward work Leisure ways: attitudes toward recreation and leisure; games and sports Learning ways: patterns of education; attitudes toward literacy and learning Religious ways: religious architecture and patterns of worship Order ways: ideas of order and disorder, enforcement of order and treatment of disorderly conduct Power ways: attitudes toward authority and power