1. Introduction to Culture Notes

2. What is Culture?
Culture is the shared knowledge, behavioral norms, values and beliefs that help people to live in families, groups and communities
Cultures can also define groups within countries (subcultures)by:
Religion (being Jewish)
Occupation (the military)
Regions (Southern culture)
Other special statuses (gay and lesbian)
culture 3 min

3. Religion Monotheism: belief in one god (Christianity, Islam, Judaism)
Polytheism: belief in more than one god (Buddhism, Hinduism)
Current Conflicts
Israel: Palestinians (Muslims) vs. Israelis (Jews)
Iraq: Sunnis vs Shias
spreading of religions 2 min.

4. Israel
Iraq

5. World Religions

6. Language
US has no official language (30 states have English as official lang.)
US: over 300 spoken languages
51 nations have English as official language
Canada has two official languages: French and English
languages spoken worldwide

7. World Languages

8. Family Life Nuclear: mother, father, children
Extended: aunts, uncles, grandparents
US- most emphasis place on nuclear families
Most in US are single-parent/fused families
Rest of the world- more emphasis on extended

9. Social Classes Ranks of people based on status
US- most people can move throughout the classes
Rest of world- more difficult

10. Government Democracy: the people have the power
Republic: the people elect representatives to make decisions
Dictatorship: ruler or group holds power by force
US: we are a democratic republic

11. Governments

12. Economy Traditional: people produce what they need
Command: the government controls production
Market: the people make the economic decisions
US: we are a mixed economy (combination of market/command)
4 min