Transcript Culture - Humble ISD

Warm-up:
Make a list of how you
resemble your parents,
brothers, and sisters.
Now…
• Consider how the culture influences
you.
• Do your parents dislike the music you
listen to?
• Do you like a certain style of dress
because it’s the trend?
• You are all the products of both
hereditary and culture.
Culture
The Basis of Culture
Culture defines how people in a
society behave in relation to others
and to physical objects. Although
most behavior among animals is
instinctual, human behavior is
learned. Even reflexes and drives do
not completely determine how
humans will behave, because
people are heavily influenced by
culture.
Culture and Society
• The culture you live in
refers to the knowledge,
language, values, customs
and physical objects that are
passed from generation to
generation among members
of a group.
• Material aspects of our
culture include skyscrapers,
computers, cell phones and
cars.
Culture and Society
• Nonmaterial aspects
include beliefs, rules,
customs, family systems
and a capitalist economy.
• Culture and society are
interwoven.
• A society is a group of
people who live in a
defined territory and
participate in a common
culture.
Culture and Society
• A society is a group of people who live in a defined
territory and participate in a common culture.
• Culture is that society’s total way of life.
Culture and Heredity
• Instincts are genetically inherited patterns
of behavior. Humans, unlike animals,
cannot rely on instinct alone for survival,
so we rely on our culture.
• Examples of human instincts?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
PxbPwWEQFjs
• However, culture is not the only influence
on our behavior.
Culture and Heredity
• Other factors include:
– Heredity—genetically inherited traits
– Reflexes—simple, biologically inherited
automatic reactions to physical stimuli.
–What is the difference between an
instinct and a reflex?
– Drives—impulses
• These expressions of such biological factors
can vary depending on the culture.
• How do different cultures have different
drives/reflexes?
Sociobiology
• Sociobiology is the study of the biological
basis of human behavior.
• Darwin’s theory of
natural selection +
modern genetics =
Sociobiology
• Sociologists believe that
behaviors that best help
people and animals are
biologically based and
transmitted in the
genetic code.
Sociobiology
• Some criticisms of sociobiology:
– Certain races could be labeled as
inferior or superior.
–What races are seen as superior?
Inferior?
– There is too much variation in societies
for human behavior to be based on
biology alone.
• Middle ground:
– Some sociologists
believe that genes
work with culture in a
complex way to
shape and limit
human nature and
social life.
–How do genes
and culture work
together to shape
human
nature/social life?
What environments would
favor…
• 1. a darker skin
• 2. blonde hair color
• 3. a stocky body size
– 1. hot, dry climate favors the development of dark skin
– 2. Scandinavia; a climate with less sun
– 3. climate where conserving heat and building up layers of fat provides
edge for survival
So…
• Who we are physically is partially the result of
nature’s need to prepare us for the elements
Assignment
• Read the Aggie Culture
article (whoop!)
• Write a 1-2 page essay on
why culture is important to
you for the college of YOUR
choice.
Warm-up:
Finish college culture
essay (10 minutes-turn
into box when done)
Through the Wormhole:
Is There a Superior
Race?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdti5Rr8rhs
Video Questions-Elaborate
1.) Do you believe races are different on the inside as well as the outside? How so? Please
explain.
2.) Could advances in technology create a superior race? How so? Please explain.
3.) Some breeds of dogs are more intelligent than other breeds of dogs, and some scientists
believe that some races of people are more intelligent than other races of people. Do you
think the two are comparable? How so?
4.) Superior is defined as higher in rank or status, better in quality or ability, and greater in
amount or power. By this definition, are there “superior” races? If so, which races? What
makes them superior?
5.) Do you think the concept of “superior” and “inferior” races will cause problems in future
society? What kind of problems?
6.) In what ways do I.Q. scores have an effect on our perceptions of certain races? Do any
races have a higher or lower I.Q. score?
Warm-up
Read “The Mysterious Fall of
Nacirema” on page 76
Answer the 2 questions.
The Mysterious Fall of Nacirema
• What culture is the article really about?
• In what ways are we self-destructing our own
culture?
– What are some of our strange customs?
Language and Culture
Section 2
Knowing Your Culture: Proverbs
• What are proverbs??
– Brief but pithy sayings that express commonly
held ideas and beliefs
The pen is mightier than ______
the sword.
Better safe than ______
sorry.
Its always darkest before ______
the dawn.
Don’t bite the hand that ______
feeds you.
No news is ______
good news.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll ______
get fleas.
A penny saved is a ______
penny earned.
Children should be seen and ______
not heard.
Better late than ______
never.
The importance of
language
Symbolic Meaning
• Describe these two
objects in terms of
their functions.
• What are their social
meanings?
• Why does the ring
have so much more
meaning than the
stapler does?
Symbolic Meaning
• Now, rename both of
the objects.
• What problems would
be encountered by
changing the name of an
object?
• Cultures give names and
meanings to objects,
which by themselves
mean nothing.
Symbols, Language, and Culture
• Cultural transmission defines the
transmission and creation of culture—or
the idea that each generation must be
taught about their culture.
• Symbols are things
that stand for or
represent something
else. The most
important symbols
are those that create
language.
How are language and culture related?
• Language and culture
are related because
language frees humans
from the limits of time
and space.
• Language allows us to
create culture.
– Ex: The Wright Brothers
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
• The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis or the
hypothesis of linguistic relativity—
Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf believe
that our perceptions of the world depend in
part on the particular language we have
learned.
• For example, when something is important
to a society, its language will have many
words to describe it.
• We can learn other languages, or learn
more about our own, to expand our view of
the world.
A Show of Hands
Native American languages that are spoken in
the Arctic Circle most likely include many
words describing which of the following?
1.Money
2.Snow
3.Oil
4.Trees
Is all communication verbal?
• What are some examples of nonverbal
communication?
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cg192cQYUA
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swpFzlaSAdI
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc2yRqat7q8
Demonstration
• To reinforce how we rely on language…
• Form a line in the front of the room according
to your birthdays (month and date).
– Your task: arrange yourselves in order, but without
talking
– I’ll give you a few minutes at your desk to think
about how you will go about this.
Warm-up:
Why do some cultures clash?
Making Connections to Other Cultures
God Grew Tired of Us
• In 1987, Sudan's Muslim government declared
death to all males who were Christian living in
the south.
– 27,000 boys fled to Ethiopia on foot.
– In 1991, they were forced to flee to Kenya
– 12,000 survived to live in a U.N. camp in Kakuma
• Four boys from Sudan embark on a journey to
America after years of wandering Sub-Saharan
Africa in search of safety
Warm-up:
What has impacted you most
about
God Grew Tired of
Us thus far?
No warm-up today…
Just prepare for your 2-5 min. presentation!
(if you need to load onto my computer, go
ahead and do so)
Cultural Clash Articles
1. Cultural Clash Fuels Muslims Angry at Online Video:
1.
2.
3.
What 2 cultures are clashing?
What caused them to clash?
Why is it that Ismail Mohamed said “The West has to understand the
ideology of the people”?
2. A Situation Emerges in Florence, as TV Brings an Altered Reality:
1.
2.
3.
What 2 cultures are clashing?
What caused them to clash?
Why is it that Mr. da Empoli said he was “not especially honored by their
being here”?
-In regards to these 2 articles, how are the opposing cultures alike? Different?
-What ideologies do the cultures in the articles have of one another?
-Do you think they will ever get over their differences?
Warm-up
What are some things that
are considered “normal” in
our society?
A Show of Hands
In your opinion, which of the following values
most closely identifies with American
culture?
1. Belief in God
2. Achievement and success
3.Democracy
4. Equality
Norms: The Rules We Live By
• Norms are rules defining appropriate and
inappropriate behavior. Norms are so
engrained in humans that they guide behavior
without awareness.
• Norms also help to define a culture’s
perception of beauty for both males and
females.
• What are some norms that shape the
American ideal of beauty?
• Who do you think set the standards for what
Americans think is “beautiful”?
Cultural Artifacts
• What might happen when one culture comes
into contact with an artifact of a different
culture?
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCQIGiXf0JA
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlBL9ckkB4E
Folkways, Mores, and Laws
• There are three types of norms:
– Folkways—rules that cover customary
ways of thinking, feeling and behaving but
lack moral overtones.
– Ex: sleeping on a bed instead of on a floor
– Folkways are not considered vital to a
group’s existence, so disapproval of those
who break folkways is not very great
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkRTnuJyPQ
Folkway Activity
• Folkways are so ingrained into everyday
behavior, that they might be hard to distinguish
as folkways.
• They may just seem to be “just the way we do
things”
– Ex: men used to always take off their hats when they entered a home or
building, but not so much today
• Work in pairs to identify common folkways
• Do you agree that the behavior described was, in
fact, a folkway?
Types of Norms
– Mores—norms of great moral significance.
– Related to what is right or wrong
– Vital to the well-being of a society
– Conformity to mores draws strong social approval;
violation of this type of norm brings disapproval
• Ex: Americans believe that able-bodies men should
work for a living. Able-bodied men who do not work are
scorned
Mores Discussion
• Do you agree with the example about able-bodied men
being scorned for not working?
• Describe how men who choose not to work are treated.
• How do you feel about able-bodies women without
children to care for who do not work outside the home?
• Are your attitudes about unemployed women the same
as unemployed men?
• What cultural traditions are at work here?
• Are some of these traditions changing?
Warm-up
What do you value most
in life?
Types of Norms
• Taboo—a norm so strong that its violation
demands punishment by the group.
– The most serious types of mores
• Ex: In India, followers of Hinduism have a taboo forbidding the killing of
cows
• Ex: Incest
• Ex: The mother-in-law taboo existing in some societies prohibits social
contact between a husband and his wife’s mother
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JZQu8CPPvU
• National geographic: Taboo
– Laws are norms that are formally defined and
enforced by officials.
Bodily-Kinesthetic
• Distinguishing between the 3 norms:
– Folkways
– Mores
– Laws
• Split up into groups of 4
– Wait for instructions
1. As a group, decide what type of norm was enacted.
2. Was that norm acceptable or not?
3. Is a consequence needed?
Enforcing the Rules
• Sanctions are rewards and punishments
used to encourage conformity to norms,
either formally or informally.
• Formal sanctions are sanctions that may
be applied, for positive or negative
reasons, only by officially designated
persons, such as judges and teachers.
• Informal sanctions can be applied by
most members of a group, also for positive
or negative reasons.
Sanctions
• Many informal sanctions are
imposed that are genderrelated.
• The men in the picture should
not be crossing their legs
according to the “code of the
west”
• What might women be
sanctioned for in a similar
situation?
• What other gender related
sanctions can you recall?
Sanctions Recap
• Mechanism of social control for enforcing a
society’s standards.
• You can sanction both positively (to reward)
and negatively (to punish)
Values—The Basis for Norms
• Values are broad ideas about what most
people in a society consider to be
desirable.
• Different groups in the same society can
have different norms based on the same
value.
• Values have a tremendous influence on
human social behavior because they form
the basis for norms.
Basic Values in the United States
• According to sociologist Robin Williams
(1970), some of the important values that
guide the values of most people in the United
States are as follows:
– Achievement and success
– Activity and work
– Efficiency and practicality
– Equality
– Democracy
– Group superiority
Core Values
1. We believe extracurricular activities enrich our students and are vital for individual
and school identity.
1. We believe students learn best in a positive, consistent and safe environment.
1. We believe all students can learn and have the opportunity to be successful.
1. Accountability, responsibility, and professional communication are essential to the
success of our community.
1. We believe high expectations and academic rigor prepare students to be career and
college ready.
1. We strive to build relationships with all stakeholders based on mutual respect,
tolerance, and unity.
1. We believe diversity and creativity are an integral and necessary part of our campus
culture.
1. We believe that every student is entitled to a teacher who is the best we can hire for
that position and is chosen solely on merit.
1. We believe the rules and policies we adopt must ultimately benefit students over
adults.
–
*All of these are numbered with a 1 because no one value is more important than any other value.
Values
• American Values seen in film:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxdpqlEWH_k
• American values vs. Chinese values:
– Are they different?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHf05TviFmU
Values Clarification
• Make a list of 15 things, both material and
non-material, that you value
• When you are done with your list, rank them
by the value you place on each (most
important being #1)
• Now, say I was to give each of you $1000.00 to
spend on each of your values.
– Decide how much you would be willing to spend
on each item, based on how important they are to
you
Values Activity:
• As I read each statement, go to the sign that
reflects how you feel about the statement.
1. Although we should not be unnecessarily cruel to animals, they
were put on earth to serve the needs of human beings
2. the death penalty should be abolished because it is inherently
racist in its application
3. men and women are not politically or intellectually equal
because they are biologically different
4. there is too much violence and sex in the media, especially on
tv
5. there is too much freedom given to young, unmarried boys and
girls.
Sanctions Article
• 1. Is this article an example of a positive
sanction or negative sanction? How so?
• 2. What is the U.S. trying to control or enforce
upon Syria?
• 3. Do you think there is a better way to go
about this action? Why or why not?
Ideal & Real Culture
Beliefs and Physical Objects
• The nonmaterial culture involves beliefs,
ideas, and knowledge.
• The material culture is about how we
relate to physical objects. It consists of the
concrete, tangible objects within a culture.
Paired Learning Activity
• In pairs, select an activity that y’all enjoy (i.e.
sport or hobby).
• Analyze activity in terms of its cultural
components.
– So… make a list of all material and nonmaterial
culture associated with activity.
Beliefs and Physical Objects (cont.)
• Beliefs are ideas about the nature of reality.
• People base their behavior on what they
believe, even if their belief might not be true.
• The uses and meanings of physical objects
can vary among societies depending on the
beliefs, norms and values people hold with
regard to the object.
A Show of Hands
All of the following are representative of
material culture EXCEPT
1. Books
2. Art
3. Religion
4. Cars
Ideal and Real Culture
• A gap exists between cultural guidelines and
actual behavior, captured by the following two
concepts:
– Ideal culture refers to cultural guidelines
publicly embraced by members of a society.
– Real culture refers to actual behavior
patterns, which often conflict with these
guidelines.
Ideal and Real Culture
• Question: Have any of y’all ever cheated on a
test, no matter how long ago?
• Why, if everyone knows cheating is wrong, do
so many people do it anyway?
Cultural Change
• Culture changes for three reasons:
– Discovery—the process of finding
something that already exists.
– Invention—the creation of something
new.
– Diffusion—the borrowing of aspects of
culture from other cultures.
A Show of Hands
Finding hamburgers on a menu in Japan is an
example of
1. Discovery
2. Invention
3. Diffusion
4. Culture
Cultural Diversity
• Cultural diversity exists in all societies.
• Social categories are groups that share a
social characteristic such as age, gender, or
religion.
• Subculture is part of the dominant culture but
differs from it in some important respects.
• Ex: Chinatown in San Francisco
• Counterculture is a subculture deliberately
and consciously opposed to certain beliefs or
attitudes of the dominant culture.
• Ex: “goth” and “punk” scenes
Ethnocentrism
• Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging
others in terms of one’s own cultural
standards.
• Advantages:
– People feel good about themselves and
others.
– Stability is promoted.
• Disadvantage:
– Inflexibility
Cultural Universals
• Cultural universals are traits that exist in
all cultures, such as sports, cooking, and
education.
• Ex:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7EpWh
B0Qk0
• Cultural particulars are the ways that each
culture expresses the universals.
• Ex: in the U.S., women have traditionally cared for
the children, while in New Guinea among the Manu
tribe, the men care for the children
Cultural Universals (cont.)
• Cultural universals exist for three main
reasons:
– The biological similarity shared by all
human beings.
– The physical environment affecting all
human beings.
– Many countries face the same social
problems.
Counter Culture Documentary
• Part One:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlzoQ1WvV9o
• Part Two:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrC56oY6Ur0
Chapter 3 Test Review
•
•
•
•
•
Know ALL vocab
How is society different from culture?
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
How does language affect culture?
Folkways, Mores, Laws, Taboos
– Examples of each
• How are norms and values different?
• How is material culture influenced by nonmaterial
culture?
• Why do cultural universals exist?