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Introduction to Culture

Introduction to Culture. What is Culture?. The entire way of life within a society. Culture is a “ blueprint ” for living. Why ?. Pattern of living that people are expected to follow. Society vs. Culture. What is Society?

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Introduction to Culture

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  1. Introduction to Culture

  2. What is Culture? • The entire way of life within a society.

  3. Culture is a “blueprint” for living. Why? • Pattern of living that people are expected to follow.

  4. Society vs. Culture • What is Society? • Peopleinteracting in the many tasks necessary for survival usually occupying a definite area of land that they claim. • Society is the NOUN • People are the thing! • Culture is the VERB • Culture is what they do! • No human society lacks a culture—culture cannot exist apart from people

  5. 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE • What are characteristics? • Traits • Used to DESCRIBE • They are NOT the physical make up the thing being described

  6. Characteristic #1 • Culture is…. LEARNED • not biologically inherited • passed down from one generation to another • culture teaches socially accepted ways of satisfying biological needs

  7. Characteristic #2 • Culture is…. BASED ON SYMBOLS (substitution of words for objects) • Examples • Language • Art • Religion • money—

  8. Characteristic #3 • Culture is…. SHARED • Ethnic groups

  9. Characteristic #4 • Culture is…. INTEGRATED • Like a machine, if one aspect is altered, it effects the others • (everything is connected)

  10. NORMS • What are NORMS? • beliefs & values that influence actions and determine outward behavior • Norms are divided into FOLKWAYS & MORES

  11. FOLKWAYS vs. MORES FOLKWAYS MORES • What are FOLKWAYS? • Ways of the folk, rules of daily behavior which are accepted by the members of a given society. • If folkways are not followed = may be ridiculed or criticized • What are MORES? • customs that are believed to be necessary to the welfare of the society, (required behavior) • If mores are not followed = punishment

  12. ETHNOCENTRIC vs. RACISM What is ETHNOCENTRIC? Why does this exist? • considering one culture superior to others • people prefer their culture--it is familiar and comfortable (seems normal and sensible) • ignorance is an aid to ethnocentrism (ethnocentrism decreases when we understand why certain cultures do things a certain way)

  13. ETHNOCENTRIC vs. RACISM What is RACISM? Why does this exist? • idea that races are not equally endowed and some races are simply born superior • used by powerful (majority) to oppress the weak (minority)

  14. Personal Reflection You now have an understanding of what culture is and the 4 basic characteristics of culture. Your assignment is to examine the culture of America and by using your personal experiences, answer the following questions— • 1. What are some ways that our culture is shared? • 2. What are some ways that our culture is learned? • 3. Who teaches us our culture? • 4. What are some of the symbols in our culture? • 5. Why are these symbols important? • 6. How do we know what the symbols mean? • 7. What are some examples of how our culture is integrated? (Tell me how some aspects of our culture effect other aspects).

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