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Exploring Sociology: Understanding Culture's Impact

Dive into the world of sociology with Lecture Three focusing on culture - from material to non-material aspects, dominant and sub-cultures, and the influence of consumer culture. Understand the manifest and latent functions of consumption, mass media's role, and cultural globalization. Challenge your perspective and share your thoughts on cultural exchange.

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Exploring Sociology: Understanding Culture's Impact

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  1. September 22nd • Sign in, deposit participation cards • Questions about CCA Paper? • Lecture 3: Culture • Homework: • Introduction to Sociology: Chapter 16 (only pages 520-526) • Outline of research paper and source list due on Wednesday

  2. Lecture Three What Makes Us Social Beings? A Sociology of Culture

  3. What is Culture? • Culture is the lens through which we see the world • Gives shape and meaning to our daily lives • Analogy: a computer • The hardware – social structure • The software - culture

  4. Culture is a social process • Shared • Learned • Taken for granted • Symbolic • Varies across time and place

  5. Material and Non-material Culture • Material Culture • First indicators of cultural differences • Non-material culture • Beliefs – the truth of it all • Values – the right and wrong • Norms – the rules • Rituals – practice and reaffirmation • Language – the heart of it all

  6. Common Culture, Shared Variations • Dominant culture • Cultural form that receives the most support in society and constitutes the major belief system • Sub-cultures • Values and norms of behavior differ • Counter-cultures • Reaction to the dominant culture

  7. Consumer Culture • The dominant culture in American society today is the consumer culture • Define ourselves in terms of goods we purchase • Consumer culture both unifies us – we all participate – and differentiates us from one another • Sub-cultures (and counter-cultures?) are reflected in our visible consumption

  8. The Functions of Consumption • In a consumer society consumption has both manifest and latent functions • Manifest: intended or expressed outcome • Latent: unintended or unexpressed outcome • Veblen: “conspicuous consumption is…a heightening or reaffirmation of social status.” • Reference groups: groups that provide the standard

  9. What are the Manifest and Latent Functions of … • Cadillac Escalade SUV

  10. Chanel Lipstick

  11. Apple iPod

  12. Look at the advertisement that your groups has been given… • What reference group is the add trying to appeal to? How? • What is the manifest function of the product? • Does the advertisement focus on this function? How? • What latent functions does the advertisement associate with the product? • How does the advertisement present this function? • Does the advertisement focus more on the manifest function or the latent (symbolic) function? • Why do you think?

  13. Role of Mass Media • Mass Media plays a central role in the consumer culture • Increases the symbolicvalue of “Brands” • Stretches our reference groups • How much influence? • Adults see an average of 2000 advertisements a day • Children see an average of 40,000 commercials a year • We use 6.5 hours of mass media a day

  14. Marketing Culture • Mass media shapes the public sphere and directs cultural flows in our modern society • “Culture Industries” : The Big Ten • With the Internet, Satellite TV, radio, and film, cultural practices are not longer fixed to locality • Speed up of cultural flows • Unified global market of consumers

  15. Cultural Globalization • Two contradictory processes emerge • Homogenization • Spread of Anglo-American values • Consumer Culture • Differentiation • Glocalization: new cultural forms emerge that have both global and local characteristics

  16. So What? • Do you think cultural globalization is a good thing or a bad thing? Why? • Do you think the cultural exchange through global mass media is even?

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