1. 7 Elements of Culture

2. What is Culture? The ways of life & knowledge of a grp of ppl
According to Ralph Linton:
The knowledge, attitudes, & behavior patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a society
Culture
is passed on by parents, grandparents, teachers, etc
& affects the way we think, what we believe (religiously & morally), what we eat, what we wear, how we behave, how our society behaves

3. #1= Social Organization
The way a culture divides its society into smaller structures/ groups
Sociology= the study of the development, organization, & functioning of society
What is the most important social unit?
Family
Family patterns
Nuclear family- wife, husb, kids.
Typical to industrialized societies
Extended family- Several generations in one household. Parents, kids, grandparents, aunts, uncles. Usually in developing nations.
Patriarchal- family where the oldest male makes the decisions
Matriarchal- family where the oldest female makes all the decisions

4. Kinship= concept that everyone is related to someone
There are rules (ie uncles can’t marry nieces)
Clan= ppl w/in an ethnic grp who claim to be descended from a common ancestor
Social Classes= rank ppl according to status in society
Can be based on $, occupation, heredity, education, etc
Social mobility= chance to move up and down the social ladder.

5. #2- Customs & Traditions
Rules of behavior (enforced by social pressures or by written laws)
ways of doing everyday things
Basic moral values
Language
Linguistics= the study of languages
Language families- most langs have root in same source. Largest major language family is the Indo-European Language
Clothes
Foods
Education
Occupation

6. #3- Arts & Literature
Products of human imagination teach us about cultural values. Can encourage pride or criticize.
Includes:
Painting
Sculpture
music
Drawing
Theatre
Literature
architecture

7. #4- Religion
Helps ppl answer the basic questions about the meaning of life; supports the values of a culture; can shape morals & ethics of a grp of ppl
Monotheism- belief/worship of 1 god
Polytheism- belief/worship of more than 1 god
Animism- belief that everything in nature has a spirit
The 5 Major World Religions:
Hinduism
Buddhism
Christianity
Judaism
Islam

8. #5- Language
Cornerstone of Culture
Culture passed through language
All cultures have language
Language reflects a culture’s identity
Some countries have mixed languages

9. #6- Forms of Government
Gov’t is designed to provide for ppl’s common needs- keeping order in society & protecting it from outside threats
Refers to the person(s) who holds pwr and to society’s laws & institutions.
Types of Gov’t:
Democracy- the ppl have supreme pwr. Gov’t acts by & w/ their consent
Republic- ppl choose the leaders who will represent them
Dictatorship- a ruler (or grp acting as 1) holds pwr by force. Often uses military to stay in office.

10. #7- Economic Systems
How ppl use limited resources to satisfy their wants & needs
3 questions:
What goods & services should we produce?
How should we produce them?
For whom should we produce them?
Traditional economy- ppl prod most of what they need to survive. Hunting/gathering or farming/herding societies.
Market economy- indivs answer the econ questions by buying & selling goods & services
Command economy- gov’t controls what goods are prod, how they are prod & what they cost. Indivs have little econ pwr
Mixed economy- indivs make some decisions & gov’t makes others