1. Chapter 2 - Culture

2. Culture -
Knowledge, values, customs,and physical objects that are shared by members of a society.
How much of our personality is heredity and how much is learned from the culture in which we grow?

3. Nature vs. Nurture Studies done on identical twins
Shows it is about

4. Language and Culture
Transmission of culture from one generation to next relies heavily on symbols
The biggest symbol is language
symbol - a thing that stands for or represents something else

6. Language and Culture cont’d
Sapir - Whorf Hypothesis -
“Hypothesis of Linguistic Relativity”
our idea of reality depends largely on language
More important to society = more words to describe it

7. Norms and Values
Norms - Rules defining appropriate/ inappropriate behavior. 3 types:
1. Folkways - rules that cover customary ways of thinking but lack moral overtones
sleeping in a bed
hat off in bldg
applause after performance
matching socks
waiting turn in line

9. Folkways cont’d
When folkways broken, we may consider people odd, but not wicked
Sometimes people are not aware of a norm UNTIL it has been broken

10. Norms cont’d
2. Mores - norms that have moral dimensions and should be followed by society.
Standing for National Anthem
Cursing in a church
Able bodied men working
taboos - MOST serious mores.Violation demands punishment

11. Norms cont’d
3. Laws - norms that are formally defined and enforced by officials
Consciously created and enforced
Some mores become laws (smoking in public)
Not ALL laws start as mores (parking, seatbelt)

12. Enforcing Norms :
Sanctions: rewards/punishments used to encourage people to follow norms
formal - medals, fines, whippings, prison
informal - “thanks”, smile, glare

13. Values -
Broad ideas about what is good/desirable shared by people of a society
freedom
life
honesty
democracy
equality
achievement
hard work

14. Beliefs Belief - ideas about the nature of reality
Can be true or false
People base their behavior on their beliefs

15. Beliefs & Material Culture
Nonmaterial culture – ideas, knowledge, and beliefs that influence people’s behavior

16. Material Culture Concrete, tangible things that make up a culture
No meaning or use apart from what people give them

17. Beliefs & Material Culture
Values, norms, knowledge, ideas (nonmaterial) + Physical objects (material) = CULTURE

18. Ideal Culture vs. Real Culture
Ideal - Cultural guidelines that group members CLAIM to accept
Real - ACTUAL behavior patterns of members of a group
EXAMPLE: honesty

19. Cultural Change - Why?
1. Discovery - Finding something that already exists

20. Cultural Change
2. Invention - Creation of something new

21. Cultural Change
Diffusion - borrowing of aspects of culture from other cultures

22. Cultural Diversity
Social categories - groupings of persons who share a social characteristic (age, sex, religion)
Subcultures - part of a dominant culture but differs from it in some important aspect (Chinatown, Circus members)

23. Cultural Diversity cont’d
Counterculture - a subculture that is DELIBERATELY, consciously opposed to certain beliefs of the dominant culture

24. Ethnocentrism
Judging others in terms of one’s own cultural standards

25. Class assignment
You are asked to be a member of a welcoming committee for a group of new exchange students. Create a brochure to help them understand more about the culture of American teenagers!

26. Cultural Universals Music sports cooking housing courtship government
marriage
property rights
Family
hospitality
mourning
religious ritual
education

27. Review Chapter 2
Review Worksheet
Questions??
Quiz Chapter 2