Transcript Culture - North Pocono School District

Culture
Chapter 3
• I. The Basis of Culture
– Culture—consists of the
knowledge, language,
values, customs, and
physical objects that are
passes down from generation
to generation.
– What are some things that
exist within the culture of the
US?
– Material vs. nonmaterial
Section 1
• A society—a group of
people who share a
common culture.
– One cannot exist without the
other.
– Culture is learned
Society
• Instincts—genetically
inherited patterns of
behavior.
– Studies of twins show that
50% of our personality is
inherited.
– Nature vs. nurture
– Reflexes-automatic reaction
to physical stimuli
– Drives-impulses to reduce
discomfort
Culture &
Heredity
• Sociobiology--is the study
of the biological basis of
human behavior.
– Combines genetics with
Darwinism
– Sociologists would argue that
we have biological behaviors
that contribute to our survival
(love, affection, parental
involvement, education, etc.)
Sociobiology
• II. Language and Culture
– Symbols—things that stand
for something else
• Physical object, smell, or
taste
– Language allows us to create
culture by passing on
experiences and knowledge
to others.
Section 2
• Norms & Values
– Norms—rules that define
appropriate and inappropriate
behavior
– Examples??
– Become so ingrained we do
not realize we are even dong
them.
– Figure 3.2 on page 82
Section 3
• Folkway—rules that lack
moral significance
– Examples: being quiet in a
library, double-dipping
• Mores—norms that have
moral dimensions and
should be followed
– Examples: being faithful to
one’s spouse, not using
drugs,
• Taboos-most serious
mores
--Examples: rape, incest
Folkways,
Mores &
Taboos
• Laws are norms that are
formally defined and
enforced by officials.
• Many laws originate from
mores folkways, and
taboos.
• However, not all mores
become laws.
– Example: Cheating on your
spouse
Laws
• Formal Sanctions
– Punishments or rewards
passed down only by
designated people (such as a
judge)
• Informal Sanctions
– Punishments or rewards that
can be applied by most
members of the group
Enforcing the Rules
• Much more general
• Values—broad ideas about
what most people in a
society consider to be
desirable.
• Different groups within the
same society can have
different values
• Values form a basis for
norms
• Example: personal freedom
Values
• Cultural Diversity &
Similarity
• Culture changes for 3
reasons
– Discovery
– Invention
– Diffusion
Section 5
• Subculture—part of a dominant
culture but differs from it in some
important aspect
– Example: Chinatown
• Counterculture—a subculture
deliberately and consciously
opposed to certain central beliefs
or attitudes of the dominant
culture.
– Example: Goth
Cultural
Diversity
• Ethnocentrism—judging
others based on their own
cultural standards.
• Cultural Universals—traits
that exist in all cultures.
(sports, cooking, etc)
• Cultural particulars—the
way in which a culture
expresses a trait.