CULTURE CHAPTER 3

SOCIETY People who interact in a defined territory And share a culture Society & Culture-> Interdependent

Society

Entire way of life for a group of people What is Culture? Entire way of life for a group of people Ways of thinking and acting Material objects

Culture

Culture: Two Categories 1. Material Culture Physical things created by members of society 2. Non-Material (Symbolic)Culture Ideas created by members of society

Physical objects people create and give meaning Material Culture Physical objects people create and give meaning Examples: Homes School buildings Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques Cell phones Clothes Cars Computers Books

Material Culture:

Material Culture

Non-Material Culture Common elements: Symbols Language Values Norms

Symbols Humans create meaning Meaning recognized by people who share a culture Humans create meaning

Symbols

Cultural Transmission Language System of symbols: People communicate Language: Key to accumulating knowledge Cultural Transmission Passing culture one generation to the next

Human Languages: A Variety of Symbols Here the single English word “Read” is written in twelve of the hundreds of languages.

Values Values Culturally defined standards What is desirable, good, and beautiful Broad guidelines for social living

Values

Key Values of U.S. Culture Robin Williams Jr. (1970) 10 values 1.Equal Opportunity 2. Individual Achievement & Personal Success 3. Material Comfort 4. Activity and Work 5. Practicality and Efficiency 6. Progress 7. Science 8. Democracy & Free Enterprise 9. Freedom 10. Group Superiority

Non-material / Symbolic Culture We communicate through: Signs Gestures Language

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis The way people think is strongly affected by their native languages. Controversial theory by linguist Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Whorf

Does language shape reality? See and understand world through language Cannot think without language Language connects symbols with emotions

9/22 Language & Reality Cartoon Introduction to linguistic relativity (6 min) http://vimeo.com/42744105

Does language determine thought? English the word is camel. Arabic, more than 400 words for the animal. Eskimo language has many words involving snow. For example: apun= “snow on the ground”, qanikca= “hard snow on the ground”, utak= “block of snow”

Language & Reality English, time & objects counted & talked about in same way Time is objectified Hopi, concept of time as “becoming later”, Not a physical quantity that you can “have”

Words Past and Present 60s & 70s Slang 40s Slang Skinny Take a powder Can you dig it? Spaz Far out Chill Bread A gas Bug out 40s Slang Take a powder Fuddy-duddy Gobbledygook Eager beaver Flip your wig Lettuce Pass the buck

Language and Emotions Language influences emotional experiences Words such as anger or sadness

Connecting symbols with Emotions

One indication is language 7,000 languages How Many Cultures? One indication is language 7,000 languages

Beliefs= Statements accepted as true

Norms Rules that guide behavior People respond with Sanctions: Rewards Punishments Sanctions encourage conformity to cultural norms

Norms

Laws Norms established by an “authority” Examples: Speed limits Income Tax Crime

Mores (“more rays”) or Taboos Norms widely observed Great moral significance Religious dietary restrictions Polygamy Pedophilia Incest Cannibalism

Folkways Norms for routine or casual interaction Correct manners Appropriate dress Proper eating behavior

Sanctions Shame Guilt Painful sense that others disapprove Negative judgment we make about ourselves

Ethnocentrism People use their culture as standard to evaluate another group or individual Viewing other cultures as abnormal You may have experienced this yourself—if you’ve ever watched a program on television where they’re showing you some remote tribe of people, and their way of life seems so different you might say “Oh, that is so gross, I can’t believe those people eat that…” You’re assuming that your way of life is better than their way of life. Interestingly, if that tribe watched your daily life, they would question some of the things that you consider “normal.” *For an in class activity, ask your students to tell you some of the things that are part of their daily routine. You’ll probably get some responses like shaving, getting dressed, driving to work, going through the drive-thru, making coffee… things that seem very mundane to Americans. Ask them to try to explain the purpose of these activities to a Martian who is visiting earth. You could even “play” the Martian, and “badger” your students to try to explain why they do the things they do. It might get them to think more about how strange Americans would seem to an outside perspective. You can also discuss the “Nacirema” tribe, from pg. 97.

Researchers use cultural relativism Understanding other cultures on their terms Researchers use cultural relativism Objectivity You can think about the importance of cultural relativism when thinking about studying distant or remote cultures, or even when studying different cultures within the United States. For instance, New Yorkers tend to communicate differently than people from Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If you’re a researcher from New York, you have to consider these differences when you’re conducting research in Gatlinburg.

High Culture & Popular Culture Cultural patterns of society’s elite Popular Culture Cultural patterns widespread among a society’s population

High Culture Opera Ballet Art

Popular Culture

Dominant Culture, Subcultures, and Countercultures Dominant culture refers to the values, norms, and practices of the group within society that is most powerful in terms of wealth, prestige, status, and influence. In the United States, the dominant culture is often referred to as “WASP” for white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, and the dominant culture also typically includes males rather than females. The dominant culture varies from society to society.

Dominant Culture, Subcultures, and Countercultures A subculture is a group within society that is differentiated by its distinctive values, norms, and lifestyle. Subcultures tend to exist harmoniously within the larger society. They interact with the dominant group, but maintain their distinctive values, norms, and lifestyles. Subcultures include skateboarders, vegetarians, and college students. [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goth-p1020641.jpg] [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Wings_win_Stanley.jpg]

Dominant Culture, Subcultures, and Countercultures A counterculture is a group within society that openly rejects and/or actively opposes society’s values and norms. Countercultures tend to exist separately from the dominant culture in many ways. They generally openly reject society’s values, so it would be difficult for them to interact within that culture. Example include religious extremists and white supremacists. [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ku_Klux_Klan_Virgina_1922_Parade.jpg] [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Student_Vietnam_War_protesters.JPG]

Applying Theory: Culture