CULTURE CHAPTER 4

What is Culture? that form a way of life Ways of thinking and acting Material objects that form a way of life

What is Culture? Non-Material (Symbolic)Culture Ideas created by members of society Material Culture Physical things created by members of society

Physical objects people create and give meaning Material Culture Physical objects people create and give meaning Examples: Homes Schools Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques Offices and factories Clothes Cars Computers Books

Non-material Culture Thoughts and behavior people learn Examples: Politics Economics Language Rules Customs Beliefs Values Knowledge

Non-material Culture Rules of Etiquette for Eating: Japan

Non-material Culture Rules of etiquette

Non-material Culture: Music http://www.youtube.com/user/beyonce http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuVAeTHqijk Wiz Khalifa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgzGwKwLmgM

Material Culture

Non-material / Symbolic Culture Allows us to communicate through: Signs Gestures Language

SOCIETY People who interact in a defined territory And share a culture Society & Culture are interdependent

Culture

Society

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

Elements of 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.

Does language shape reality? Sapir & Whorf: Linguistic Relativity Distinct symbols Building blocks of reality People see and understand world through language Cannot think without language Languages connect symbols with emotions

Reflects cultural values Language & Reality Reflects cultural values Example: Society where horses are revered have many words for horses Eskimos have many words for snow Americans for cars Norwegians for fish http://vimeo.com/42744105 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS1Dno_d2yA

Language and Reality

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 human emotional experiences English words such as anger or sadness are cultural artifacts of the English language

Connecting symbols with Emotions

Values and Beliefs Values Beliefs Culturally defined standards People decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful Broad guidelines for social living Beliefs Statements that a people accept as true

American Values

Key Values of U.S. Culture Robin Williams Jr. (1970) Ten values central to our way of life 1.Equal Opportunity Not equality of condition but equality of opportunity 2.Individual Achievement & Personal Success 3.Material Comfort

4. Activity and Work Our heroes are “doers” 5. Practicality and Efficiency Practical over the theoretical 6. Progress 7. Science Expect scientists to solve problems and improve our lives

8. Democracy and Free Enterprise Individual rights 9. Freedom Individual initiative over collective conformity 10. Racism and Group Superiority Some people in the U.S. still judge others according to gender, race, ethnicity, and social class

Emerging Values Values change over time: Material comfort Personal growth U.S. always valued hard work Recently, increasing importance of leisure Time off from work for: Travel Family Community service

10/2 Norms Rules that guide behavior People respond with Sanctions: Rewards Punishments Encourages conformity to cultural norms……Norbert Elias

Laws Norms established in a community by an “authority” Examples: Speed limits Income Tax Murder

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.

Cultural Relativism Understanding other cultures on their terms Rather than judging according to own culture Researchers: Use cultural relativism See others more objectively 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

Popular Culture

Applying Theory: Culture Society: The Basics, 9th Edition by John Macionis Copyright © 2007 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.