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2. Culture

2. Culture. What do you know?. How do you think that society and culture differ? What aspects of culture you think sociologists study?. Truth or Fiction?. All cultures are the same. Cultural practices are only dictated by wealthy societies.

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2. Culture

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  1. 2. Culture

  2. What do you know? • How do you think that society and culture differ? • What aspects of culture you think sociologists study?

  3. Truth or Fiction? • All cultures are the same. • Cultural practices are only dictated by wealthy societies. • Sociologists consider western culture superior to all other cultures.

  4. Truth or Fiction? • All cultures are the same. True: All cultures consist of the same basic elements, such as religion, housing, and family. False: Societies have created many different cultures in which language, values, beliefs, and practices vary a great deal.

  5. Truth or Fiction? 2. Cultural practices are only dictated by wealthy societies. True: Wealthy societies produce most of the culture and entertainment that is popular around the world and thereby dictate many cultural practices. False: Each society dictates its own cultural practices.

  6. Truth or Fiction? • Sociologists consider western culture superior to all other cultures. True: Western culture is superior because it is more technologically advanced and provides a better quality of life. False: Cultures cannot be ranked and should be considered on their own merits.

  7. Culture • Latin: • Colere“to till the land” • Cultus“cultivated • San – • After food/water supply is exhausted in one territory, they move on to another • All group members expected to hunt/gather food, skilled rock painters • How might the San’s environment contribute to their practice of sharing food? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c246fZ-7z1w&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

  8. What is culture? • Culture – all the shared products of human groups • Material culture – physical objects that people create and use • Ex: computers, cell phones, cars • Nonmaterial culture – abstract human creations • Beliefs, rules, customs, family systems, capitalist economy

  9. What are the basic components of culture? • Technology – physical objects and the rules for using them • Symbols – anything that represents something else and has a shared meaning • Language – the organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system • Values – shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable

  10. As I read EACH statement, decide which label you agree with: • Go to the sign that reflects how you feel about the statement. • Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree, Unsure • SHAKE HANDS with the other students in your group…you now share a common value. • I will give you ONE MINUTE to discuss your views with each other….decide on ONE spokesperson to summarize your views. • Keep tally of the number of friends in EACH group!

  11. Statement #1: Although we should not be unnecessarily cruel to animals, they were put on earth to serve the needs of human beings. Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree, Unsure

  12. Statement #2: The death penalty should be abolished because it is inherently racist in its application. Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree, Unsure

  13. Statement #3: Men and women are not politically or intellectually equal because they are biologically different. Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree, Unsure

  14. Statement #4: There is too much violence and sex in the media, especially on television. Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree, Unsure

  15. Statement #5: There is too much freedom given to young, unmarried boys and girls today. Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree, Unsure

  16. Question to Consider: Do you and your friends have the same values???

  17. 5. Norms – shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations • Folkways – norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral significance (ex: shake hands when introduced to someone) • Mores – norms that have great moral significance attached to them (ex: murder) • Laws – punishments for violating mores (stricter punishment) and folkways (less severe punishment)

  18. Write a letter… • Imagine you have a pen pal in another country. • Write a letter to this pen pal describing American culture. • You must include: • Introduce yourself • The terms culture, material culture, and nonmaterial culture • Focus on culture that relates to American youth

  19. American Culture Collage • Using newspapers and magazines, you and one partner will create a collage of American culture. • Be sure to include all 5 elements of culture: • Technology, symbols, language, values, norms • You must have a minimum of 3 pictures per element • The entire page must be covered with pictures • Due at 2:20pm and be prepared to present your collage!!!

  20. EGHS Culture • In groups of 2 – 3, devise a list of at least 3 examples of each component of culture at EGHS.

  21. Examining Culture • Culture is dynamic (continually changing) rather than static (still) • Culture Traits • Individual tool, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need • Ex: using knives, forks, spoons when eating • Ex: say “Hi” when you greet a friend

  22. Culture Complexes • Cluster of interrelated traits • Ex: game of football • Traits include uniforms, plays, penalties, etc • Culture Patterns • Combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole • Ex: athletics • Complexes include baseball, basketball, football, etc

  23. Cultural Variation • Imagine you are going with your family over to a friends’ or relatives’ house for dinner. What would it look like? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anpeyRS0tYk • Traditional Japanese dinner: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPc1NGsHOzA

  24. What do we have in common?? • Culture universals: • Common features that are found in all human cultures. • Anthropologist George Murdockdeveloped a list of general traits that are common to ALL cultures (more than 65cultural universals): • Cooking, dancing, family, feasting, forms of greeting, funeral ceremonies, gift giving, housing, language, medicine, music, myths and folklore, religions, sports, and toolmaking.

  25. Variation Among Societies: • Anthropologist Margaret Mead studied the differences in culture between the Arapesh and the Mundugumor. • Lived 100 miles apart, but VERY different cultures.

  26. The Arapesh: • Gentle, nonaggressive, receptive, trusting, and warm people. • Live in close-knit villages. • Children are discouraged from displaying any aggression towards others.

  27. Arranged marriages • Most marriages consist of one husband and one wife • However, some men have two wives.

  28. The Mundugumor: • Aggressive!! • Men and women competitive, jealous, and violent. • Enjoy fighting • Great hostility between fathers and sons • Sisters and mothers as well

  29. The more wives, then the more power and wealth. (8-10 wives)

  30. Children tend to push parents apart. • Father wants daughter to trade for another wife.

  31. Infants are carried in rigid basket that gives no contact with mother!! • Left hanging in basket in house when mother works outdoors. • Not picked up or comforted!

  32. Rules for Mundugumor Children: • Do not wander out of sight • Do not cling to our mother • Do not go to the houses of your fathers’ other wives.

  33. Comparing the Two Societies: • Mead believed that temperament is mainly the result of culturerather than biology. • EX: Religion, Values, beliefs

  34. Putting it to work… • Cultural Universals • General traits common to all cultures • Why do they exist? • Some needs are so basic that all societies must develop certain features to ensure their fulfillment • Imagine you are new product developers for a large multinational company. • As a group (no more than 3), use your knowledge of cultural universals to come up with an idea for a new product that could be marketed to many other countries. • Write two paragraphs: one describing your product and one explaining why it has wide global appeal. • Be prepared to present!!!!!

  35. Studying Variation • Ethnocentrism • Tendency to view one’s own culture and group as superior • Builds group unity, but can limit other members and possible exclude new influences • Cultural relativism • Belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards rather than by applying the standards of another culture • Researchers who practice cultural relativism attempt to understand cultural practices from the points of view of the members of the society being studied

  36. Cultural Relativism Ethnocentrism Example Example

  37. Essay • Should U.S. citizens be allowed to perform traditional cultural practices that violate a state or federal law? • What general guidelines might be used to decide this issue on a case-by-case basis? • Minimum two paragraphs on a separate paper. • You will turn this in for a grade!!!

  38. Variation within Societies: • Subculture: group with its own unique values, norms, and behaviors that exists within a larger culture. • EX: age, gender, ethnic, religious, political, geographic, social-class

  39. Counterculture: • A subculture where a group rejects the major values, norms, and practices of the larger society and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns. • EX: Hippie movement in 1960s.

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