You find out you have to evacuate your house for 1 month. Which 10 items (not including family, food or clothes) would you take with you?

You have 5 minutes. We will discuss.

CULTURE UNIT OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this unit, you will be able to: 1. Identify and explain the elements of culture and

their roles in society 2. Identify subcultures and countercultures and

explain their significance in society 3. Discuss cultural issues, including culture wars and

ethnocentrism and their impact on society 4. Compare American culture with other cultures

Culture Terms to Know   culture

  material culture

  nonmaterial culture

  norms

  sanctions

  folkways

  mores

  values

  cultural literacy

  cultural transmission

  symbols

  language

  knowledge

  pop culture

  culture war

  ethnocentrism

  subculture

  counterculture

  deviance

•  Culture Terms to Know

•  symbols

•  language

•  knowledge

•  pop culture

•  culture war

•  ethnocentrism

•  subculture

•  counterculture

•  deviance

Culture Intro Topic: Introduction to sociological study of culture

Objectives: 1. You will explain the sociological definition of culture. 2. You will discuss the difference between material and nonmaterial culture. Materials: notes, markers, butcher paper, list of items not found before/after 60s

Material v. Non-material culture

  Material culture

  tangible products that reflect a society (auto, IPAD, phone)

  Which writing reflects this concept?

  Non-material culture

  abstract ideas that define society (values, freedom, democracy)

Which of the two changes faster, material or non-material?

What are some of the differences in material culture the last 10 years?

Many of the non-material aspects of our culture are changing as well......

views on family work ethic what else?

ITEMS NOT AROUND IN THE 60s

1.Get in a small group. 2.Each group chooses the top 5 items that have

affected our society the most. 3.You must come up with consensus and justify how

each item changed our society. 4.Items must be ranked with justification. 5.One copy per group will be collected.

6.Put all names of your group in top corner.

DEBATE IT

Each group will present its list and then we will, as a class, try to reach consensus on a “class list.”

What does material culture tell us about non-material culture?

CLASS DISCUSSION

GARBAGE ASSIGNMENT   How does garbage - material culture- reflect non-material culture?

  Pick out 5 items in your house-hold garbage and list them. DON’T DIG THRU IT/DON’T BRING IT TO CLASS!

  Explain in 1-2 complete sentences what each item reveals about America’s non-material culture, our society, not your family or you.

  Bring findings to class.

CULTURE

Topic: Values and Norms Objectives: By the end of this unit you will be able to: 1) You will explain the role of values in society 2) You will explore the role of norms in enforcing values 3) You will examine the effect of challenging norms in society

THE BUBBLE EXPERIMENT (see teacher notes section in slide)

1. Did you enjoy this activity? 2. Why or why not?

3. What was your comfort level during the conversations? 4. Discuss your personal space as a value in our society.

Compare that with other societies and other ideas of non-material culture that define our society. What are those?

5. Assignment: Now you will conduct this experiment three more times and write what happens each time.

Do this experiment with one of your teachers, a complete stranger and someone you know (friends, family).

SEINFELD CLOSE TALKER EPISODE YOUTUBE

VALUES ���you need this info in your notes

  values - the standard by which members of a culture define what is good or bad, desirable or undesirable.

  They create order and calm in potentially hectic, chaotic situations.

  Members of a society use values to set priorities and choose social action.

VALUES ACTIVITY

* Divide students into groups of 4 or 5 and make a list of 5 things you believe to be wrong. In order to

make the list, all members must agree. Do this quietly so other groups can’t hear your discussions.

Now that we have heard each group’s list of things that are wrong -

Can we reach a consensus as a class? What about this topic -

KILLING Is it wrong?

What about self-defense? Isn’t that killing? War? Isn’t that killing?

Capital punishment? Isn’t that killing?

TRANSITION TIME: Nevertheless, there are certain expectations that

relate to values.

NORMS-expected behavior within a society

  Sociologists generally see the function of norms to be that of enforcing values.

  Conforming to or violating social norms can create sanctions.

SANCTIONS

  External social control is based on social sanctions

  Rewards or punishments designed to encourage desired behavior

  Can be formal or informal

  Can be positive or negative

POSITIVE SANCTIONS - awards, increase in allowance, promotions, smiles of approval - all

encourage conformity NEGATIVE SANCTIONS - criticism, fines,

imprisonment - intended to stop socially unacceptable behavior

INFORMAL SANCTIONS - ridicule, gossip, smiles FORMAL SANCTIONS - imprisonment, low grades,

official awards

FOLKWAYS   Rules that cover our customary ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving but lack moral overtones

  sleeping in a bed versus sleeping on the floor

  supporting school activities

  removing hat for national anthem

MORES   based on the word “moral”

  norms that have moral dimensions and that should be followed by members of the society

  vital to the well-being of society

  conformity brings strong social approval

  violation brings strong disapproval

  able-bodied men working

NORMS IN SOCIETY There are some norms we perform in society from simply imitating them. We have grown up with them , witnessed

them and then performed them. For example, we all face the doors when we stand in the

elevator and we are quiet or talk in whispers or quiet voices when others are on the elevator. When we are in a waiting room we usually pick a seat with empty seats on either side

of the one we pick. Guess what is coming next!

EXAMINING NORMS IN AMERICAN CULTURE EXPERIMENT

You are going to conduct an experiment by violating a norm commonly held by Americans. Refer to the directions on your paper and additional instructions.

Please follow closely and respect them.

NORMS VIOLATION RULES TO FOLLOW

  DO NOT do anything that is going to get you into trouble with individuals, the law, etc.

  Go somewhere you normally would not go to

  Always pick a safe place and travel with someone else

  Record results immediately, don’t wait until later

  You can have someone else you know be your proxy so you can observe and record all action/reaction

EXAMINING NORMS IN AMERICAN CULTURE EXPERIMENT

Objective: To collect data about American norms for class experiment and conclusions

Experiment________________________________________

Hypothesis_________________________________________

Perform this experiment 5 times and briefly describe the results. 1.______________________________________________

2.______________________________________________

3.______________________________________________

4.______________________________________________

5.______________________________________________

NORMS EXPERIMENT (CONTINUED) What type of sanctions did you receive?

Formal__________________________________________

Informal_________________________________________

Positive__________________________________________

Negative_________________________________________

Briefly interpret the sanctions: What can you conclude about American norms and values based on this limited experiment? (Respond in 2-3 sentences)

House Keeping •  These are your new seats in this class. You will

stay in that assigned seat unless I move you

•  Please keep cell phones away

•  Be respectful and listen when others are talking

•  Turn in Permission slips if you have them signed

DO NOW The Cartoon above touches on the subject of

cultural change discussed in this chapter. Write a paragraph that describes the cartoonist’s point of view on: 1) how parents and children view each

other: 2) how values change.

Topic: CULTURAL TRANSMISSION

Objectives: 1. You will define “cultural transmission” 2. You will discuss the importance of shared language in uniting culture 3. You will discuss other methods of cultural transmission, including body language, gestures and symbols. 4. You will discuss current controversy surrounding language in American culture.

LANGUAGE is one aspect of culture and falls under the umbrella of “cultural transmission.”

CULTURAL TRANSMISSION - a means of communicating a society’s expectations, values, etc.

OTHER METHODS OF CULTURAL TRANSMISSION: GESTURES: hand symbols that can translate to a word

Cultural differences: 1. Removing shoes at a place of worship - Thailand 2. Men holding hands - India, Thailand, Singapore 3. Showing the bottom of one’s shoe - Singapore

4. Don’t use the left hand but for one thing - India 5. Bobble head - India

6. What is the loo? - New Zealand 7. Custard? - Why, yes, I love ice cream. - WISCO

8. Where is the bubbler, please? - WISCO

Other methods of cultural transmission: BODY LANGUAGE: apart from gestures, our posture,

facial expressions, etc., communicate attitudes

Other methods of cultural transmission: SYMBOLS: pictorial depiction of messages

IDENTIFY THE SIGNS How many can you correctly identify? Would they be understood by everyone

internationally speaking?

CULTURAL TRANSMISSION:LOST IN TRANSLATION How important is language to culture?

1. Begin by drawing a map of the US on your paper and roughly outline the regional areas of the US where you believe there is a noticeable difference in how the English language is spoken and words that are used. Mark which region you think speaks the most correct form of English and mark which region you enjoy listening to the most and explain why. 2. On your paper, carry on a “text message” with one of your friends. Write a few lines. 3. Write how you pronounce the following words: PEE-can or pee-KAHN, AH-mond or ALL-mond, nook-yoo-ler or nu-cle-ar 4. ROUTE to rhyme with hoot or ROUTE to rhyme with out?

CULTURAL TRANSMISSION ACTIVITY (CONTINUED) 5. POEM pronounced as a two-syllable word or one-syllable? 6. Do you say soda or do you say pop? Or something else? 7. Do you wear tennis shoes or sneakers? 8. What do you put on top of a cake? (not candles) 9. Caramel as a two-syllable word or one-syllable? 10. At the grocery store do you use a sack or bag? 11. Garbage can or trash can? Take out the trash or garbage? 12. How do you say this word when you need someone to help you sell your house: realtor? Discussion points for class: Is the English language the same everywhere in our country? If not, how is it different and why? Is the English language changing? If so, how? What impact will that have on us, on communication, history, culture? How important is speaking correctly or properly and writing correctly and properly? What problems are there if you can’t

Reminders •  These are your new seats in this class. You will

stay in that assigned seat unless I move you.

•  Please keep cell phones away

•  Be respectful and listen when others are talking

•  Turn in your writing prompt you were to complete over the weekend.

•  Turn in Permission Slips for movie

DO NOW •  Some Amish parents have gone to jail

rather than enroll their children in public schools. What does this say about Amish cultural values?

Topic:SUBCULTURE, COUNTERCULTURE & DEVIANCE Objectives: 1. You will explain counterculture and subculture. 2. You will identify various subcultures and countercultures within the American culture. 3. You will explain deviance and its role in society.

Cultural Change •  Culture Changes for three reasons:

•  Discovery: The process of finding something that already exist

•  Invention: The creation of something new

•  Diffusion: the borrowing of aspects of culture from other cultures.

Subculture

  cultural minority shares distinct norms, values, knowledge, language, symbols that distinguishes it from dominant culture

  examples include homosexuals, vegetarians, ethnic groups

  sometimes subcultures are deviant meaning they directly oppose the dominant culture