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Chapter 2 Culture. Culture and Society Components of Culture Technology, Cultural Change, and Diversity A Global Popular Culture? Sociological Analysis of Culture Culture in the Future. Culture and the Individual.
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Chapter 2Culture • Culture and Society • Components of Culture • Technology, Cultural Change, and Diversity • A Global Popular Culture? • Sociological Analysis of Culture • Culture in the Future
Culture and the Individual • Culture is essential for individual survival and communication with other people. • We learn about culture through interaction, observation and imitation. • Culture is fundamental for the survival of societies.
Cultural Universals Examples: • Appearance (bodily adornment, hairstyles) • Activities (sports, dancing, games, joking) • Social institutions (family, law, religion) • Practices (cooking, folklore, gift giving)
Components of Culture • Symbols • Language • Values • Norms
Language and Gender • English uses the masculine form to refer to human beings in general. • Pronouns show the gender of the person we expect to be in a particular occupation. • Gender based language for occupations implies that jobs are different when filled by women rather than men.
Language and Gender • Women are described in terms that reinforce the idea that women are sex objects: fox, babe, doll. • Men are described in terms of their prowess: dude, stud, hunk.
Ten Core American Values • Individualism • Achievement and Success • Activity and Work • Science and Technology • Progress and Material Comfort
Ten Core American Values • Efficiency and Practicality • Equality • Morality and Humanitarianism • Freedom and Liberty • Racism and Group Superiority
Subcultures • Members of a subculture share values that differ significantly from the dominant culture. • The Old Order Amish: • Strong faith in God. • Rejection of worldly concerns. • Rely on horse and buggy for transportation.
Countercultures • Members reject dominant social values and seek alternative lifestyles. • Examples: • Beatniks of the 1950’s • Flower Children of the 1960’s • Drug Enthusiasts of the 1970’s
Sociological Perspectives on Culture • Functionalist - assumes a common language and shared values help produce consensus and harmony. • Conflict - culture may be used by certain groups to maintain their privilege and exclude others from society’s benefits.
Sociological Perspectives on Culture • Symbolic Interactionist - people create, maintain and modify culture as they go about their everyday activities. • Postmodern -a new way of conceptualizing culture and society is needed.