Macionis and Plummer

1. Macionis and Plummer �The world over, people wear much or little clothing, have many of few children, venerate or shunt aside the elderly, are peaceful or warlike, embrace different religious beliefs, and enjoy different kinds of art and music. In short, although we are all the same creatures biologically, the human beings on this planet have developed strikingly different ideas about what is pleasant and repulsive, polite and rude, beautiful and ugly, right and wrong. This capacity for startling difference is a wonder of our species: the expression of human culture.�

2. Association with sophistication Tendency to reserve the term �culture� for sophistication. Speak of persons as being �cultured�, meaning well-mannered, refined, dressing and speaking well and enjoying the finer things of life.

3. WHAT IS CULTURE? The acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate social behaviour (Spradley). It determines how members of society think and feel as it directs their actions and defines their outlook on life.

4. CULTURE �the values, beliefs, behaviour and material objects that constitute a people�s way of life� (Macionis and Plummer) It defines accepted ways of behaving (suicide bombing, ways of greeting)

5. Culture as Constraint and Liberator Largely as habit, culture can limit our choices and make us repeat negatives such as racial prejudice, sexual intolerance, gender inequality, etc. Can also embody the capacity for hope, creativity and choice

6. Ethnocentrism Defined as the practice of judging other cultures by the standards of our own culture. Can result in misunderstanding and conflict. Some cultures are, however, disturbing to us - female genital mutilation, child pornography, arranged marriages, suicide bombings, etc.

7. Culture Shock Defined as a personal disorientation that comes from encountering an unfamiliar way of life (migration). Arises since we have a tendency to view our own way of life as �natural� - practice of ethnocentrism

8. Cultural Relativism The opposite of ethnocentrism. Practice of judging a culture by its own standards. It is not a �normal� behaviour and is thus a difficult attitude. It requires that we understand the values and norms of another society and suspend our own cultural standards. This is being demanded more and more with increased globalization.

9. Types of Culture High Culture - Cultural patterns that distinguish the elite in society Popular Culture - cultural patterns that are widespread among society�s population These speak to a kind of stratification of culture, - high culture connoting some superiority over popular culture. Conflict theory argues that many times the lives of the disadvantaged are relegated to the realm of �subculture�.

10. Types of Culture cont�d Non-material culture - intangible world of ideas created by members of society (altruism, bravery, aggression, late coming, etc.) Material culture - tangible things created by members of society (art forms, food/cuisine, etc.) Sub-cultures - cultural patterns that set apart a segment of a society�s population (suicide bombers, Muslim fundamentalists, inner-city, dancehall, etc.).

11. Types of Culture cont�d Counter cultures - cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society. To some extent Rastafarianism fits into this mould, having a distinctive value system, sometimes unconventional behaviours and beliefs.

12. Components of Culture 1. Symbols 2. Language 3. Values and Beliefs 4. Norms 5. Material Objects

13. SYMBOLS Help in building a reality of meaning; allowing persons to make sense of their lives People help transform elements of the world into symbols � �anything that carries a particular meaning recognised by persons who share the culture.� Eg. � The sari worn by Indian women.

14. LANGUAGE �A system of symbols that allows members of society to communicate with each other.� (M and P, 2002) It is the key to the world of culture and is the major means of cultural reproduction - oral tradition.

15. Values and Beliefs The standards people have about what is good or bad and vary from culture to culture (abstract standards of goodness). Specific statements that people hold to be true (particular matters that individuals consider to be true or false).

16. Norms Rules and expectations by which a society guides the behaviour of its members. Proscriptive norms mandate what we should not do eg. drinking and driving is prohibited. Prescriptive norms spell out what we should do eg. praying before partaking in a meal.

17. Norms cont�d William Summner recognised that some norms are more crucial to our lives than others. MORES � a society�s standards of proper moral conduct (same sex relationships, sexual relations between adults and children). What is right and wrong (M&P). FOLKWAYS � a society�s customs for routine, casual interaction (appropriate dress, greetings, etc.). What is right and rude (M&P).

18. MATERIAL OBJECTS Tangible objects that are human creations (artefacts) Egs. - chopsticks, knives and forks, flags, musical instruments, Reggae Sumfest logo, etc.

19. MULTICULTURAL SOCIETIES The USA is deemed the most multicultural of all industrial nations - the �melting pot�, incorporating every culture and giving all a sense of belonging. Labour Day parade/holiday in New York highlights this aspect of life. USA is the major recipient of waves of emigration from the continents, Latin America and the Caribbean. These peoples have been able to retain much of their home culture.

20. MONOCULTURAL SOCIETIES Japan is typical example of a mono-cultural society. History of isolation seen as the cause. Where a country�s sense of identity is heavily spiritual and religious, society tends not to be very accommodating of other cultures, especially where based on non-religious grounds.

21. Impact of Globalization on Culture The breaking down of borders due to globalization and internet access is demanding the dismantling of ethnocentrism. This leads us to talk about cultural change.

22. CULTURAL CHANGE This is an inevitable feature of human society Change in one dimension of society is usually accompanied by change in another dimension. Eg. � the change in international adult suffrage for women has led to changes in power relations within families of both parents, fewer children (declining fertility), increased age at first marriage, higher divorce rates, increased levels of education of women, choice by women to be single parents, rise of household helpers, etc.

23. Cultural Lag Refers to fact that all elements of a cultural system do not change at the same pace. This has the potential to disrupt a cultural system. Cultural elements changing at different rates. Eg. - While we might become tolerant of homosexuality, our society may not accept gay marriages or gays raising children. Issues of �motherhood� and �fatherhood� become involved.

24. CULTURAL CHANGE Occurs in 3 ways: 1. Invention - process of creating new cultural elements (reggae, dancehall, steel-band) 2. Discovery - involves recognising and understanding something not fully understood before 3. Diffusion - spread of cultural traits from one society to another (fast foods, consumerism, music - hip-hop, dancehall)