Transcript Ch 03

Chapter 3
Culture
Chapter Outline
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Culture and Society in a Changing World
Components of Culture
Technology, Cultural Change, and
Diversity
A Global Popular Culture?
Sociological Analysis of Culture
Culture in the Future
Culture
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The knowledge, language, values,
customs, and material objects that are
passed from person to person and from
one generation to the next in a human
group or society.
Examples of cultural interruption
 Residential Schools
 Genocide
Culture
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Culture is essential for survival and
communication with other people.
Culture is learned through interaction,
observation and imitation.
Culture is fundamental for the survival of
societies.
How Much Do You Know About Culture
and Intolerance Toward Others?
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True or False?
 Core values in the United States are
opposed to racism and a belief in the
superiority of one’s own group.
How Much Do You Know About Culture
and Intolerance Toward Others?
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False.
 Among the core American values
identified by sociologists is the belief
that one’s own racial or ethnic group
should be valued above all others.
Inherent in this belief may be the
assumption of racism—that members
of racial–ethnic categories other than
one’s own are somehow inferior.
How Much Do You Know About Culture
and Intolerance Toward Others?
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True or False?
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As the United States is increasing in
diversity, most dominant group
members (middle- and high-income
white Anglo-Saxon Protestants) are
becoming more tolerant of social and
cultural diversity.
How Much Do You Know About Culture
and Intolerance Toward Others?
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False.
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Recent polls show that as the U.S. has
increased in diversity, most dominant-group
members are not becoming more tolerant.
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Examples include recent demands that
immigration laws be strictly enforced,
interest in establishing English as the
“official” language of the United States,
and pressure to eliminate affirmative
action programs that benefit minoritygroup members.
Question
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During the last few years, has anyone in
your family brought a friend who was a
the opposite race home for dinner?
GSS National Data
Education
No High
School
Diploma
High
School
Diploma
College
Education
Yes
24.4%
31.9%
42.1%
No
75.6%
68.1
57.9%
Question
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_____ consists of knowledge, language,
values, customs, and material objects.
a. Social structure
b. Society
c. Culture
d. Social organization
Answer: c
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Culture consists of knowledge, language,
values, customs, and material objects.
Gestures With Different Meanings
in Other Societies
“Hook ‘em Horns”
or
“Your spouse is
unfaithful”
Gestures With Different Meanings
in Other Societies
“He’s crazy”
or
“You have a
telephone call”
Gestures With Different Meanings
in Other Societies
“Okay”
Or
“I’ll kill you”
Material Culture
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Physical creations that members of a society
make, use, and share.
 Items of material culture begin as raw
materials such as ore, trees, and oil.
 They are transformed through technology.
 Sociologists define technology as knowledge,
techniques, and tools that make it possible for
people to transform resources into usable
forms, and the skills required to use them after
they are developed.
Nonmaterial Culture
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Abstract or intangible human creations
of society that influence people’s
behavior.
 Language, beliefs, values, rules of
behavior, family patterns, and
political systems are examples of
nonmaterial culture.
 A central component of
nonmaterial culture is beliefs.
Question
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All of the following statements regarding
culture are true, except:
a. culture is essential for our survival.
b. culture is essential for our
communications with other people.
c. culture is fundamental for the survival of
societies.
d. culture is always a stabilizing force for
societies.
Answer: c
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The following statement regarding culture
is not true: culture is fundamental for
the survival of societies.
Cultural Universals
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Examples:
 Appearance (bodily adornment,
hairstyles)
 Activities (sports, dancing, games,
joking)
 Social institutions (family, law,
religion)
 Practices (cooking, folklore, gift
giving)
Components of Culture
Symbol
Language
Anything that meaningfully
represents something else.
Symbols that express ideas
and enable people to
communicate.
Components of Culture
Values
Norms
Collective ideas about what is
right or wrong and good or
bad.
Established rules of behavior
or standards of conduct.
Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis
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According to this theory, language shapes
the view of reality of its speakers.
If people are able to think only through
language, then language must precede
thought.
Language and Gender
Male Term
Female Term
Neutral Term
Teacher
Teacher
Teacher
Worker
/employee
Working mother
Worker
/employee
Janitor/
maintenance man
Maid/
cleaning lady
Custodial
attendant
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis…
Does language shape
how we think?
Linguistic Relativity and Linguistic
Determinism
Languages Spoken
in U.S. Households
Language
Total Estimated
Number of Speakers
English only
215,423,557
Spanish
28,101,052
Chinese
2,022,143
French
1,643,838
German
1,383,442
Tagalog
1,224,241
Languages Spoken
in U.S. Households
Language
Total Estimated
Number of Speakers
Vietnamese
1,009,627
Italian
1,008,370
Korean
894,063
Russian
706,242
Polish
667,414
Arabic
614,582
Ten Core American Values
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Individualism
Achievement and Success
Activity and Work
Science and Technology
Progress and Material Comfort
Ten Core American Values
Efficiency and Practicality
7. Equality
8. Morality and Humanitarianism
9. Freedom and Liberty
10. Racism and Group Superiority
6.
Question
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Which of the following hypothetical
statements does not express a core
U.S. value?
a. "How well does it work?"
b. "Is this a realistic thing to do?"
c. "My freedom is important to me."
d. "It is good to be lazy."
Answer: d
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The hypothetical statement, “It is good
to be lazy." does not express a core U.S.
value.
Cultural Diversity
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The Danger of a Single Story
Cultural differences between and within
nations are caused by:
 Natural circumstances
 Climate, geography
 Social circumstances
 Technology, composition of the
population
Norms
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Norms are established
rules of behavior or
standards of conduct.
Prescriptive norms state
what behavior is
appropriate or acceptable.
Proscriptive norms state
what behavior is
inappropriate or
unacceptable.
Social norms
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are the "customary rules of behavior that coordinate our
interactions with others."
may be explicit or implicit.
Failure to follow the rules can result in severe punishments,
including exclusion from the group
established and approved ways of doing things, of dress, of speech
and of appearance
 These vary and evolve not only through time but also vary from
one age group to another and between social classes and
social groups.
 What is deemed to be acceptable dress, speech or behavior in
one social group may not be accepted in another.
Social norms tend to be tacitly established and maintained through
body language and non-verbal communication between people in
their normal social discourse.
Formal and Informal Norms
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Formal norms are written down and involve
specific punishments for violators.
 Laws are the most common type of formal
norms.
Informal norms are unwritten standards of
behavior understood by people who share a
common identity.
 When individuals violate informal norms,
people may apply informal sanctions.
Folkways
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Everyday customs that may be violated
without serious consequences within a
particular culture.
In the United States, folkways include:
 using underarm deodorant
 brushing our teeth
 wearing appropriate clothing for a
specific occasion
Mores
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Strongly held norms with moral and ethical
connotations that may not be violated without
serious consequences.
 Taboos are mores so strong that violation is
considered extremely offensive and even
unmentionable.
 The incest taboo, which prohibits sexual
relations between certain kin, is an example
of a nearly universal taboo.
Laws
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Formal, standardized norms that have
been enacted by legislatures and are
enforced by formal sanctions.
 Civil law deals with disputes among
persons or groups.
 Criminal law deals with public safety
and well-being.
Technology, Cultural Change, and
Diversity
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Changes in technology continue to shape the
material culture of society:
 The introduction of the printing press more
than 500 years ago and the advent of
computers and electronic communications in
the twentieth century.
Cultural lag is a gap between the technical
development of a society and its moral and
legal institutions.
Cultural Diversity
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Cultural differences between and within
nations are caused by:
 Natural circumstances
 climate, geography
 Social circumstances
 technology, composition of the
population
Cultural Diversity of U.S.
Society: Religion
Question
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In what religion were you raised?
 Protestant
 Catholic
 Jewish
GSS National Data
Region
East
Midwest
South
West
Protestant
43.2%
67.8%
80.1%
58.8%
Catholic
52.2%
31.1%
18.3%
38.1%
Jewish
4.6%
1.1%
1.6%
3.1%
Cultural Diversity of U.S.
Society: Income
Cultural Diversity of U.S.
Society:Race/Ethnicity
Question
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In which of these groups did your total
family income, from all sources, fall last
year before taxes, that is?
 $1K-$14999
 $15K-24999
 25K and up
GSS National Data
Education
No High
School
Diploma
High
School
Diploma
College
Education
49.5%
22.6%
13.2%
21.1%
20.7%
13.3%
29.3%
56.7%
73.5%
$1K-$14999
$15K-24999
25K and up
Then and Now
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Changing Culture Activity
 Group pics
 Two pics of contrast in culture
The Old Order Amish
Subculture
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Strong faith in God.
Rejection of worldly concerns.
Rely on horse and buggy for
transportation.
Examples of Countercultures
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Beatniks of the 1950’s
Flower Children of the 1960’s
Drug Enthusiasts of the 1970’s
Culture Shock, Ethnocentrism, and
Cultural Relativism
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Culture shock refers to the anxiety
people experience when they encounter
cultures radically different from their own.
Ethnocentrism is the assumption that
one’s own culture is superior to others.
Cultural relativism views and analyzes
another culture in terms of that culture’s
own values and standards.
Question
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An alternative to ethnocentrism is:
a. racism
b. Prejudice
c. cultural relativism
d. xenophobia
Answer: c
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An alternative to ethnocentrism is cultural
relativism.
High Culture and Popular
Culture
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High culture consists of activities patronized by
elite audiences, composed of members of the
upper-middle and upper classes.
 Examples: classical music, opera, ballet, live
theater
Popular culture consists of activities, products,
and services that are assumed to appeal to
members of the middle and working classes.
 Examples: Rock concerts, spectator sports,
movies, soap operas, situation comedies
Three Forms of Popular
Culture
1. Fads - a temporary but widely copied
activity followed enthusiastically by large
numbers of people.
2. Fashions - A style of behavior, thinking,
or appearance that is longer lasting and
more widespread than a fad.
3. Leisure activities
Cultural Imperialism
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The extensive infusion of one nation’s culture
into other nations.
 Some consider the use of the English
language in countries that speak other
languages as a form of cultural
imperialism.
If the world develops a global culture, it will
likely include a diffusion of literature, music,
clothing, and food from many societies and
cultures.
Sociological Analysis of
Culture
Functionalist
Conflict
Culture helps people meet
biological, instrumental and
expressive needs.
Ideas can be used by the ruling
class to affect members of other
classes.
Sociological Analysis of
Culture
Symbolic
Interactionist
People create, maintain, and
modify culture during their
everyday activities.
Postmodern
Culture is based on simulation of
reality rather than reality itself.
Quick Quiz
1.
________ consists of the physical or
tangible creations that members of a
society make, use, and share.
a. Nonmaterial culture
b. Cultural universals
c. Material culture
d. High culture
Answer: c
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Material culture consists of the physical
or tangible creations that members of a
society make, use, and share.
2. Language, beliefs, values, rules of
behavior, family patterns, and political
systems are examples of:
a. material culture
b. high culture
c. nonmaterial culture
d. cultural universals
Answer: c
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Language, beliefs, values, rules of
behavior, family patterns, and political
systems are examples of nonmaterial
culture.
3. An example of a symbol is:
a. a dove
b. all of the choices
c. a heart
d. Nazi swastika
Answer: b
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An example of a symbol is a dove, a
heart, and a Nazi swastika.
3. According to the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis:
a. reality is objective and is easily
understood by humans.
b. language shapes the view of reality of
its speakers.
c. reality is based on the interactions of
individuals.
d. with more knowledge, a person
minimizes the influence of language.
Answer: b
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According to the Sapir-Whorf
Hypothesis, language shapes the view
of reality of its speakers.
4. According to Karl Marx, and Marxist theorists:
a. none of the choices.
b. ideas are used by agents of the wealthy to
affect the thoughts and actions of members
of other classes.
c. ideas are effective for the working classes
to motivate the wealthy.
d. ideas have little impact on the relations
between the wealthy and poor in societies.
Answer: b
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According to Karl Marx, and Marxist
theorists, ideas are used by agents of
the wealthy to affect the thoughts and
actions of members of other classes.
5. Popular culture consists of:
a. activities, products, and services that
are assumed to appeal primarily to
members of the middle and working
classes.
b. media events, which are typically on TV
or the Internet.
c. ideas that can transform a society, but
have yet to take shape or form.
d. fads to keep the populace uninterested
in politics which can remove the status
quo from power, disrupting organization
and stability in everyday life.
Answer: a
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Popular culture consists of activities,
products, and services that are
assumed to appeal primarily to
members of the middle and working
classes.
6. According to Functionalists, a function of
popular culture is to:
a. keep members of society
preoccupied so they do not realize
inequalities within society.
b. keep members of society focused
on the important things within
society.
c. be the glue that holds society
together.
d. teach cultural relativism.
Answer: c
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According to Functionalists, a function of
popular culture is to be the glue that
holds society together.