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Cultural Diversity, Conformity, and Adaptation
Unit 2
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Culture What is your personal definition of culture?
What are the specific elements you would include in culture?
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Culture Culture is the physical objects as well as the shared beliefs, values, and behaviors of a group Material Culture – Physical objects Automobiles, books, buildings, clothing, etc… Nonmaterial Culture – Beliefs, family patterns, ideas, language, etc…
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Components of Culture Technology
The physical objects of a group as well as the rules for using that object Using a bow and arrow to hunt Hacking a computer – A way of using a physical object that is not socially acceptable
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Components of Culture Language
Organization of spoken or written symbols into a standardized system Cuneiform – First written language
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Components of Culture Values – Shared beliefs about what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or undesirable Norms – Shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations Folkways – socially acceptable behavior that does not have a great moral significance Mores – socially acceptable behavior with great moral significance Come up with some examples of both types of norms in our society
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Cultural Variation What are some cultural practices that are different in other parts of the world? Have you traveled anywhere where practices were odd to you?
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Variation Ethnocentrism – The belief that ones own culture is superior to other cultures Helps build unity Also can limit potentially beneficial influences Should all nations have a democratic and free society? Is this view ethnocentric? What are some societies that have introduced democracy in the last 25 years? Has it proven successful? Cultural Relativism – Judging cultures on their own standards as opposed to our own
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Cultural Variation Cultures can have extreme variations from each other They are only limited by biological makeup and the physical environment Cultural Universals – Features common to all cultures Cooking Dancing Forms of greeting Medicine Language Etc…
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How has immigration contributed to variation in American culture?
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Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues for American to follow
Temperance – Eat not to dullness, Drink not to elevation Silence – Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself Order – Let all your things have their places Resolution – Resolve to perform what you ought Frugality – Waste nothing Industry – Lose or waste no time Sincerity – Use no hurtful deceit Justice – Wrong none by doing injuries Moderation – Avoid extremes Cleanliness – Tolerate no uncleanliness Chastity – Rarely use venery but for health or offspring Humility – Imitate Jesus and Socrates Do you think Americans follow these virtues today? If so, how many?
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Crash Course Sociology
Symbols, Values, and Norms
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Complete cultural diversity assignment
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Conformity and Adaptation
What is meant by “Make America Great Again?” What specific time period is this making reference to? Create a list of traditional American values
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The American Value System
Traditional American Values Personal Achievement Individualism Work Morality and Humanitarianism Efficiency and Practicality Progress and Material Comfort Equality and Democracy Freedom Do you agree with each of these values? Should any be added or removed?
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The Emergence of Self-Fulfillment
Recently sociologists have noticed a trend in an increase in “self-fulfillment” Leisure, physical fitness, youthfulness Do you consider this growth to be good? Social Historian Christopher Lasch considers this emphasis to be narcissistic and a personality disorder Do you think this shift has been positive or negative?
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Social Control Create a list of norms for your group of friends, your club, or sports team For each norm In what ways does your group ensure members follow each of these norms? Internalization – The process by which a norm becomes part of an individual’s personality
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Sanctions Rewards and punishments to enforce norms
Positive sanctions – Give rewards Pay increases Good grades Negative Sanctions – Punishment or threat of punishment ? Formal Sanctions – Reward or punishment from formal organization Police Business Informal – Spontaneous consequence from individual or group
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Obedience Social influence where a person yields to explicit orders from an authority figure What percentage of people do you think would do something immoral if ordered to by an authority figure? Obedience to authority is generally the norm not the exception
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Examples of Social Control
Stanford Prison Experiment What types of sanctions were noted in the experiment? What norms were being expressed or repressed? Milgram Experiment In both experiments why were people so willing to do what they were told even if it violated their ethics?
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Social Norms and Sanctions
When you go home today Choose one social situation and violate a social norm Face away from the door in an elevator Wear a shirt and tie to a fast food restaurant with friends Wear clothes traditionally worn by the opposite sex Stand too close to someone who is speaking Etc… Don’t inform anyone why you are violating this norm Record the sanctions you receive and from whom
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Social Structures
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Social Structure What is a person’s status in society?
What is your status?
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Status A socially defined position in a group
Role – behavior expected of a person based on status Create a list of statuses of people in this country For each define what their role is Ascribed Status – Status assigned to you Describe two for yourself Achieved Status – Status achieved through personal efforts Are there circumstances where a certain status is ascribed for some member of society and achieved for others? Are there instances where some members of society choose their own status and others have it chosen for them? Explain
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Roles The part you play in society Choose a role you play
Husband – Wife Doctor – Patient Student – Teacher Friend – Friend Choose a role you play What are the expectations for you in this role? What is your actual performance in this role? Find an example of when following this role would violate another role
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Crash Course Sociology
What role does technology play in societies? What are the different types of societies? How does each of them function? What is mechanical and organic solidarity?
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Types of Social Interaction
For each type of interaction Explain what this interaction looks like Give two examples of how this effects your role Exchange – Competition – Conflict – Cooperation – Accommodation - -
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Bureaucracy Ranked authority structure operating by specific rules
Oscar Wilde “The bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the expanding bureaucracy.”
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Create a political cartoon which expresses some of the difficulties of bureaucracies
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Bureaucracies Choose a large formal bureaucracy
Examples include (schools, businesses, non-profit organizations, state governments, etc..) What is the purpose of this organization? Explain the following for the organization Division of labor Ranking of authority Qualifications of employees Rules and regulations Rules of promotion and advancement Create a chart of the hierarchy of positions in the organization What are some of the problems or inefficiencies in this organization? What are some potential solutions?
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