Transcript understanding culture - Coach Vasquez/Social Studies

WHAT IS IT?
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
 Culture is a way of life for people who share
similar beliefs and customs.
 Social Scientist divide culture into eight
different elements called cultural traits.
Recognizing these common elements in
people helps us realize if a particular group is
a culture.
THE EIGHT ELEMENTS OF
CULTURE
The following slides outline the different
elements of culture. Please keep in mind, just
because a group exhibits one of these
elements, that doesn’t automatically make
them a culture. In order for a group to be
designated as a culture, they must exhibit
several of these elements.
SOCIAL GROUPS
 One can study cultures by looking at the
different groups that exist in society. People
in groups all share a common factor (rich,
poor, middle class, young, old, roles of men
and women etc.).
 Some groups share a common history,
language, religion and certain physical
characteristics. These are known as ethnic
groups.
LANGUAGE
 Sharing a language is one of the strongest
unifying forces for a culture.
 Sometimes within the same language, groups
will share their own dialect.
 Define the world dialect on your own (in your
notes).
RELIGION
 In many cultures, religion helps people
answer the basic questions about life’s
meaning. In many parts of the world, people’s
ideas about religion is different from our own
ideas here in America.
 Look at the map on p.81 of your textbook and
noticed where different religions are
practiced in different countries around the
world.
DAILY LIFE
 What a person does in his/her everyday life is
another way to identify if that person belongs
to particular culture.
 NOT EVERYONE EATS WITH FORKS AND
KNIVES!!! Some use chopsticks (Asian
cultures), while others simply just eat with
their hands (Middle Eastern, Indian and
African cultures).
HISTORY
 History shapes how we view the world.
People of the same culture share a common
history.
 History tells the stories of how a culture came
into being. It also helps unify people through
shared experiences (times of distress, war,
celebration of accomplishments).
ARTS
 People often express their culture through
the arts.
 Paintings, architecture, dance, music, and
literature specific to a culture help offer
insight into how a groups thinks, feels and
views the world.
GOVERNMENT
 People need rules in order to live together
without conflict. Every culture views
government differently.
 Define the following words in your notes:
democracy, representative democracy, direct
democracy, dictatorship, monarchy.
ECONOMY
How a group of people produce, buy and sell
is culture specific. Some people farm or
manufacture products. Others provide
services such as designing clothes or
preparing food. All of these things are
important in determining how people in a
specific culture make a living.
CULTURAL CHANGE
 Cultures do not always remain the same. Trade,
movement of people, and war often spread
cultures to new places. When this happens, it is
known as cultural diffusion.
 Over time, historians have been able to trace
changes people have made in their cultures.
Many of these changes occurred out of necessity
(People moved in search of food, jobs, shelter).
When people moved, they brought their culture
with them (cultural diffusion).
CULTURAL REGIONS
 Regions are areas that share common
characteristics.
 Today these different areas of the word are
defined as cultural regions by geographers.
 Cultural regions share similar economics
systems, forms of government, social groups,
religions, language, history, and way of life.
HOMEWORK
 Complete chapter 3, section 1 (1-8) questions
and answers. This is due Tuesday February
17th. Have a good weekend. Do not come to
school on Monday because I won’t be here!