Warm Up: What is culture?

1. Warm Up: What is culture? Monday, 9/30

2. Objective: • I will be able to apply my understanding of cultural relativism by citing an example from American culture.

3. Definition of Culture

4. Components of Culture

5. Culture vs. Heredity • Instinct – innate (unlearned) patterns of behavior • Reflexes (crying when hurt) • Drive (eating, drinking, sex) • Nature vs. Nurture • Boys in some cultures are taught not to cry in response to pain. • Jewish & Italian boys are taught to express it more openly. • Identical Twins • About half of personality traits are inherited, the other half are taught through culture

6. Social Biology • The study of the biologic basis of human behavior. • Idea that the behaviors that help people are biological based and transmitted in the genetic code. • Why are stepfathers more likely to abuse their step children then the biologic fathers are?

7. Culture Within Us We came into this world “without a language; without values and morality; with no ideas about religion, war, money, love , etc…” These “learned and shared ways of believing and of doing” were acquired very early Language allows us to transmit culture. Culture = the “lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on around us”

8. Enforcing Cultural Rules • Sanctions – rewards and punishments • Formal Sanctions - only awarded by authorized people. • Grades • Medals of Honor • Prison sentences • Informal Sanctions • Thanking someone • Staring at someone talking loudly in a restaurant

9. Culture Shock When we experience a culture and things (material and/or nonmaterial) are NOT the way “they ought to be”

10. Ethnocentrism tendency to view one’s own culture and group as superior there are both positive and negative consequences can lead to discrimination creates in-group loyalties, patriotism

11. Cultural Relativism the belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards bullfighting in Mexico or Spain creating long necks with brass rings in Thailand eating monkey in parts of China binding girls feet to make them small and make her a desirable marriage prospect

12. Sources of Social Change values and beliefs technology population diffusion physical environment wars and conquests

13. Cultural Universals cooking feasting tool making body adornment religion sports Medicine forms of greeting dancing family housing music funeral ceremonies gift giving

14. Variations Within Societies Subcultures “a world within the larger world of the dominant culture” doctors rodeo participants body builders truckers teachers motorcyclists clubs Countercultures “the group’s values and norms place it at odds with the dominant culture” motorcycle gangs survivalists satanists Mormons (doesn’t always have to be negative) Amish???

15. Task • At your table, come up with one example of cultural relativism . • On the provided paper, write “Cultural Relativism”, then illustrate an example under the title.