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Sociology: Culture Unit

Sociology: Culture Unit. What is Sociology? It is the science that studies human society and social behavior. Our main interest is SOCIAL INTERACTION- how people relate to one another and influence each other’s behavior. We will focus on the group, not the individual. Essential Questions:

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Sociology: Culture Unit

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  1. Sociology: Culture Unit What is Sociology? It is the science that studies human society and social behavior. Our main interest is SOCIAL INTERACTION- how people relate to one another and influence each other’s behavior. We will focus on the group, not the individual. Essential Questions: How does what people believe influence what they do? How do cultural differences produce change? How are cultures similar? How are cultures different? How do personal beliefs lead to stereotyping?

  2. Culture - Terms Culture– all of the shared products of human group          Includes both physical objects and the beliefs, values, and behaviors shared by a group Material Culture – Formed by the physical objects that people create • Cars, clothing, books, buildings, computers •   Archeologists refer to these items as artifacts Nonmaterial Culture – Abstract human creations (can’t touch it) • Language, family patterns, work practices, political and economic systems

  3. The 5 Basic Institutions of Society:Common to all societies. • Family • to procreate (have children) • nurture (care for children) • teach mores. • Government • makes rules (laws) • punishes members when rules are broken. • Religion • answers the ‘unanswerable • establishes morality (right and wrong) • deals with death and the afterlife

  4. The 5 Basic Institutions of Society:Common to all societies. • Continued… • Education • Indoctrinates • teaches skills • Economics • who will own or control resources, goods, and services • what will they be produced • How will resources, goods,and services be distributed

  5. Society • Society – group of mutually interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity • *****Society consists of people • ****Culture consists of the products people create

  6. 4 Components of Culture • SYMBOLS: • -         Anything that stands for (or shared meaning attached to it) something else • -         Any word, gesture, image, sound, physical object, event can serve as a symbol as long as people recognize that it carries a particular meaning • -         Ex. Class ring, word hello, handshake = all symbols • Symbols vary from culture to culture

  7. LANGUAGE: • Organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system • Express an idea US = American form of English VALUES: • Shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable • Types of values held by a group determine the character of its people • A society that values war and displays of physical strength will be different from one that places more emphasis on sharing and cooperation

  8. NORMS: • Shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations • Value of democracy is reinforced through governing respect for the flag and political participation • Norms are expectations, not actual behavior – doesn’t mean that actions of all individuals will be in line with norms. o       Ex. Norm is to be financially responsible – some don’t pay bills • Lots of norms in society: unimportant (cover mouth when yawning) to very important (don’t kill anyone) • Some apply to everyone while some are specific o       Ex. Nobody in US is allowed to marry more than one person. Selected groups (some clergy and children) are not allowed to marry at all

  9. TWO TYPES OF NORMS 1.      Folkways – norms that do not have great moral significance attached to them. • Common customs of everyday life ex. Don’t eat peas with your fingers, shake hands when introduced to someone, don’t crowd people when waiting in line 2.      Mores (MORE –ayz)- great moral significance attached. -         Violation of mores endangers the well-being and stability of society Ex. Difficult to acquire property if other are continually stealing it or setting it on fire LAWS- written rule of conduct that is enacted and enforced by the government - Range from simple folkways no parking) to very strict mores (against murder, rape, arson) EXAMINING CULTURE • Culture is continually changing =namicrather than static dynamic

  10. Heredity –transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children. Environment –social and cultural conditions that influence the life of an individual or community Role – behavior – the rights and obligations – expected of someone occupying a particular status Assimilation – blending of culturally distinct groups into a single group with a common culture and identity Stereotype – oversimplified, exaggerated, or unfavorable generalization about a category of people Prejudice – unsupported generalization about a category of people Discrimination – denial of equal treatment to individuals based on their group membership ‘Discriminations prevents someone from sharing their ‘gifts’ with another person.’ Nature vs. Nurture

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