1. What is Culture?
Unit 2

2. Culture shapes our personalities
A shared perspective of world; the values, beliefs, behavior and objects that together form way of life
Culture shapes our personalities
Fundamental aspects shared by all, but more complex a society, less that is culturally shared

3. 1. Tangible things created by members of a society Nonmaterial
Culture
Material
1. Tangible things created by members of a society
Nonmaterial
1. Intangible world of ideas created by members of a society

4. CULTURE
Difference
People have tendency to view their own way of life as natural
Culture shock: disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life

6. Culture
Intelligence
Only humans rely on culture rather than instinct to ensure survival
Culture is socialized
No way of life is “natural” to humanity
Homo sapiens = thinking person
12,000 years ago, humans began fashioning environment for ourselves

7. Culture
Culture/Nation/Society
Culture = shared way of life, products that people create
Nation= political entity
Society: organized interaction of people within some boundary

8. Culture Levels of Culture
Culture traits: individual tool, act, or belief related to a particular need
Cultural complexes: cluster of interrelated traits
Culture patterns: combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole
CULTURE

9. The Components of culture
Symbols
Language
Values and Beliefs
Norms
(Material Culture)

10. Not understanding symbols leaves a person feeling isolated
Components of culture
Symbols
Anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture
Not understanding symbols leaves a person feeling isolated
a. Can experience or inflict culture shock
Symbolic meaning can vary within society

11. Components of culture B. Language
System of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another
Language is key to cultural transmission, by which one generation passes culture to the next
“Oral Cultural Transmission: transmission of culture through speech

13. a. Statements of what ought to be Underlining beliefs, specific
Components of culture
C. Values and Beliefs
Values are culturally defined standards by which people assess goodness and that serve as broad guidelines for social living
a. Statements of what ought to be
Underlining beliefs, specific
statements people hold to be
true

14. Proscriptive: what we SHOULD NOT do Prescriptive: what we SHOULD do
Components of Culture
D. Norms
Rules and expectations by which society guides the behavior of its members
Proscriptive: what we SHOULD NOT do
Prescriptive: what we SHOULD do
Mores refer to norms that have great moral significance
Folkways are norms with routine or casual interaction

16. COMPONENTS OF CULTURE
Material Culture and Technology
Tangible elements called artifacts
Artifacts can reflect cultural values
Technology: knowledge people use to make a way of life in their surroundings

17. Table talk on Culture shock
What aspects of American culture might be shocking to foreign visitors who visit this country for the first time?
- ex. food, transportation, music, etc.

18. How does culture influence the individual in society?
More Table talk
How does culture influence the individual in society?
Is it possible for an individual to live in society without the influence of culture?
Why or why not?