1. A look into Culture

2. Vocabulary
Culture
The collection of behaviors, beliefs and values that all human beings have
Passed down through generations
Outlook and attitudes
Rituals, celebrations and holidays
The way a society views the world and themselves
Is fluid, constantly changing, but cultural change is slow

3. Vocabulary Ethnocentrism
The belief that your culture is superior to others
Viewing another culture by comparing it to your own culture.
Asking “Why don’t they just do it like we do!”
The way the French greet with a kiss is wrong, they should learn our way…the correct way!
Cultural bias or prejudice

4. Two approaches to viewing and studying culture_ +
Ethnocentric approach
Judgmental
Bias & prejudicial
That’s wrong, do it our way!
Cultural Relativist approach
Observant but non-judgmental
Seeks genuine understanding
How does that work for them?

5. Vocabulary Cultural Relativism
Trying to understand a culture, or its values, from a native or local’s perspective. Not judging a group for doing something differently
Asking “How & why does this work for them?”
They way the French greet with a kiss is interesting, what could that explain about other aspects of their culture?
Ideas regarding intimacy in public, love and the role of sexuality in society, passionate people

6. Vocabulary
Diffusion
The process of culture spreading from one location, outward to other place
What is an idea, way of doing something
or an innovation that has diffused?

7. Vocabulary Acculturation
The process in which members of one cultural group adopt the beliefs and behaviors, and innovations of another group.
Example: domestication of plants and animals, writing systems

8. Vocabulary Socialization
The process of actively passed down values and beliefs regarding love, family, social and gender, to younger generations
What is an American value that you believe
your parents have passed down to you?

9. Vocabulary Assimilation
The absorption of an individual or minority group of people into the predominant culture
Learning to fit in
Becoming accepted
Historically it was painful (colonialism)
Native/African/Asian Americans,

10. Vocabulary Surface Culture
Parts of culture that you can experience with the 5 senses (see, hear, smell, taste, feel)
When you arrive in a new location…
What surface culture
might immediately catch your attention?

11. Vocabulary Deep Culture
More complex parts of culture, not understood by outsiders. These can include things like:
Social roles and Gender rules
Importance of work and Family bonds
Concepts about beauty and Ideas about sin
Religious beliefs and Ideas about justice

12. Deep & Surface Culture

13. Vocabulary Culture Region
A way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs within a certain geographic area

14. Cultural Region could be local slang:
Is it Soda, Pop or Coke?

15. Vocabulary Folk vs. Popular Folk: Popular:
Traditional and Unique idea/items specific to a certain region or smaller group of people
Bluegrass & Jazz Music started as folk
Amish dress, Cowboy hats/boots
Folk: Popular:
Ideas and behaviors shared over a long distances, spread across the globe. TV, media, internet, international corps etc.
McDonalds, Facebook, Levis jeans
Olympics, Pizza,
Automobile and internet use

16. Surface Deep Folk Pop Overlap will often exist:
‘Bindi” = both Surface and Deep
Time can change culture:
Polka music in Poland/Germany started out folk > now more pop.
Folk Pop

17. Qualify each item: Popular or Folk…Deep or Surface
People in a Andean village believe that the moon and sun are gods and it is necessary to stay up all night long on solstices/equinoxes
Natives from a small Caribbean island make green and yellow textiles with bird patterns woven in them
In Timbuktu, Mali, language classes are offered in French, English, Arabic and Swahili
Aztecs worshipped Quetzalcoatl, the “hummingbird god”, and believed sacrifices of human blood were needed to make the gods happy
Inuit & Eskimo cultures value the skins and meat of seals to make candles, kayaks and cooking oil
The World Cup was viewed by 3.2 billion people

18. Vocabulary Globalization
The process in which connections around the world increase, resulting in cultures becoming alike.
This has resulted in a…
More globally connected economy
What happens in one country can effect other countries (Russian wheat)
Lingua franca – power/prestige languages (Spanish & English)
Destroying indigenous religious beliefs, languages, customs and rituals

19. Causes of Conflict
Resources
Culture
Ideology (ideas)

20. Fossil Fuels
Minerals
Resources
Water
Land/Borders
Other:

21. Religion
Ethnicity
Culture
Language
Human Rights

22. Traditional (folk) vs. Global
Government
Ideology (ideas)
Economy
Traditional (folk) vs. Global