1. Sociology
Ch. 3.1
Intro to Culture

2. Bellringer
What is culture? Why is it important to understand it?

3. Key Terms
Culture
Society
Material vs Nonmaterial Culture

4. What is Culture? What the heck is culture anyway? Vid Two main subsets
Material Culture: Food, tools, architecture, etc.
Examples?
A cheeseburger, big cars/SUVs, etc.
Nonmaterial Culture: Abstract ideas: rules, beliefs, rituals, etc.
Shaking hands to seal a deal; saying: “Excuse me” after sneezing, or “You’re welcome” when one says “Thank you”
Sometimes this can lead to problems: vid
What examples did you see?
Even among Americans, we have different cultural beliefs: Vid

5. “How you doin’?”
This simple question can exemplify very well cultural differences. In the Midwest for example, when people ask “How are you?”, an explanation is expected and even appreciated. In New Jersey however, such a response would seem weird, or even rude, if it were anything beyond a “Hey”.
These are all examples of culture, and as budding sociologists we are trying to better understand these. Another related term is society. The two are close, but there are subtle differences:
Culture is the beliefs and practices of a particular group
Society represents the people who share those beliefs & practices.

6. Cultural Universals
There are many differences between cultures, as we have discussed: Vid
However, most cultures share some common threads, no matter where you are or what culture you are part of! These are called Cultural Universals.
For example:
All cultures define a family as a unit that reproduces and cares for children, though how they work can be vary
In Asia, many families live together for a very long time. Older, single parents live with married children, and children will stay living with their parents until they get married (or they might still stay, or join their spouses family!)
Weddings, funeral rites, etc., are all similar examples of universal traits that cultures share.
Humor is also a cultural universal, in that it is used to ease tension and create a sense of unity among people.
George Murdock was the first sociologist to understand this: VID

7. HW: Finish reading Ch. 3.1 “What is Culture?” (posted online)
Speaking of Humor… Group Homework!
Think of a social experiment that you could try, that goes against the culture that you are part of.
Test your behavior in front of unsuspecting people, and keep track of people’s responses.
Create a slide show and present on Monday
Key Things:
What is the societal norm, rule, etc., that you are breaking?
How do you think people will react?
What happened?
Conclusions?