CULTURE

1. CULTURE

2. Definition: • Culture is a complex system of meaning & behavior that defines the way of life for a given group or society. • Culture gives meaning to society.

3. 1. Culture is shared. • Held in common; collectively experienced & agreed upon • In US - culture varies significantly • Different races & ethnicities with different histories, languages & beliefs • Despite diversities - certain symbols, language patterns, belief systems are distinctively American (1st amendment freedoms)

4. 2. Culture is learned. • Beliefs & practices are so well learned that they seem perfectly natural (food prep or how to dress); we do or know w/o realizing in most instances • Learned directly or indirectly • Until culture learned, feel like outsider (teacher to administrator, new recruit in military) • Process of learning = socialization

5. 3. Culture is taken for granted. • We engage in specific cultural practices that people seldom question (how do you eat your hamburger or pizza?) • To recognize “taken for granted” - observe a tourist, ninth grader or new student at SHS • Culture unifies people, but the lack of communication across cultures can have negative consequences (US in Iraq or exchange student in class)

6. 4. Culture is symbolic. • Meaning of symbols is created by cultural significance. • Symbols mean different things to different cultures (American flag in US or in Iraq) • Cultural meaning created in specific social contexts (cross on alter v. cross burning in front yard) • Symbols have great influence & are powerful expressions

7. Symbols

9. Culture varies across time & place. • Physical & social environments vary so people adapt to the challenges they face differently (urban v. rural, civil rights movement). • Culture not fixed from 1 place to another. • Therefore, meaning systems that develop within cultures must be seen in their context • Cultural relativism - not possible to understand behavior if not know context, but does not mean that every cultural practice is morally acceptable.