Cultural Components &Cultural Variation

Ms. BlackhurstSociologyCulture -- Day 1

Unit Outcomes

Students will:• Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of

culture through oral, written, and thinking activities.

• Describe how cultural traits and culture items are used to analyze culture. Students will use traits and items to analyze culture throughout the course

• Explain how differences between subcultures exist within a culture.

• Explore the need for communication to transmit culture.

• Identify the use of signs and symbols in the transmission of culture.

Culture Unit

• Projects, etc:– Communication Barriers – Yearbooks of PTHS– Gods Must Be Crazy video– Defying a Norm Project

Culture Unit, Day 1 Plan

Warm-up: Think of at least 10 items/words that we associate with CULTURE

Class work: 1. Introduce for Culture Unit 2.Culture PowerPoint & Discussion Activities

3. Tests back??

Homework: None! (Unless you haven’t finished the Chapter 2 vocabulary yet!)

Warm-up:

• Pair up with 1 or 2 people• Come up with at least 10 words

that we associate with culture

• When you finish, write them on the board please

What is culture?

• Knowledge, values, customs, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society

• Culture defines how members in a society behave in relation to others and to physical objects

• Unlike most animals, human behavior is LEARNED and based on our culture

Beliefs & Material Culture

• Material Culture---the concrete, tangible objects of a culture

• All of these physical aspects of a culture help to define its members' behaviors and perceptions.

• Ex: Technology

• Non-Material Culture---ideas, knowledge, and beliefs that influence people’s behaviors

• These beliefs, then, determine how the culture responds to its religious topics, issues, and events

Think/Pair/Share

• Brainstorm a list of material culture items

• Brainstorm a list of non-material culture items

societal characteristics shared by all members within the group- passed down from generations

Material culture: art, architecture, jewelry, weapons, machinery, clothing,

food, music, etc.

Nonmaterial culture: shared knowledge (ed. System), language, beliefs and values (religion), social norms and behaviors

Today:

• List (what you believe) are the four most important types of non-material culture

• We will:– Finish discussion on non-material

culture.– Discussion sheet on Mores/Folkways

Components of

Culture

Symbols Language Values

Shared beliefs About

Good & Bad

Norms

Anything that Stands for

Something else

Standard system of written and

Spoken symbols

Shared RulesOf Conduct

Shared Rules Of Conduct

Folkways Mores Laws

Common CustomsMorally Significant

NormsWritten Rules

Of Conduct

Social values are standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly

Social Norms are expectations or rules of behavior that develop from

generations of accepted values

Values

• Broad ideas about what most people in society consider to be desirable.

• Sociologist Robin Williams in the 1970’s outlined the basic American Values

Norms

• Norms are based on values• Norms are the rules defining

appropriate and inappropriate behavior.

• Members of society use them to guide their social behavior.

• Folkways, mores, and laws

Mores

• Have a greater moral significance• Violations of Mores endangers the well-

being & stability of society• Do not kill other people• Do not steal• Do not hurt children• Keep your promises• Pay back borrowed money

Laws

• Many mores are formalized into laws

• Laws against stealing, murder, arson

• Mores against smoking now a law in public places in Pennsylvania

Folkways

• Rules that cover customary practices without a moral concern

• Males—take off hats inside a building• Sending “Thank You” notes• Using proper table manners• Do not eat peas with your fingers• Shake hands when you are introduced to

someone• Get to class on time• Do your homework• Do not cut in line

Country Custom

England/ Scotland and Whales

Appointments are essential. You may be ten minutes late but not ten minutes early!

Greece Be careful not to praise a specific object too enthusiastically or the host may insist on giving it to you.

Libya If you are invited to a Libyan home for dinner, only men will be present. Take a gift for the host but not for his wife.

Senegal Never eat food with the left hand, as this is considered offensive .

Zambia Avoid direct eye contact with members of the opposite sex—it may suggest romantic overtures

Saudi Arabia It is an insult to sit in such as way as to face your host with the soles of your shoes showing.

China A visit to a Chinese home is rare—unless the government has given prior approval.

Cultural Etiquette

Think About It!

• Why do we follow our society’s values, norms, folkways, and laws?

Explain your answer

In pairs (or triplets)…

• Come up with examples of norms…– These can be folkways and mores!

– I want at least 10 examples! – And write them down… you’ll use

them later!

SanctionsRewards & punishments used to encourage conformity

• Positive: RewardCheer, smile, pay raise, head nod, badges, ribbons, letters to athletes, trophies, public ceremonies, thumbs up

• Negative: Punishment grounding for being late, towing a car,

frowns, public ridicule, rejection, fines, imprisonment, gossip, being ignored, fired, low grades, office referral

Taboo = social norms that are so strong that people are shunned, banished, or executed if violated

Cultural Universals

• These items are found in ALL cultures

• Economy• Institutions• Arts• Language• Environment• Recreation• Beliefs

Values in U.S. Society(as noted by sociologist Robin Williams)

• (1) Achievement and Success

• (2) Individualism• (3) Activity and Work• (4) Efficiency and

Practicality• (5) Science and

Technology• (6) Progress

• (7) Material Comfort• (8) Humanitarianism• (9) Freedom• (10) Democracy• (11) Equality• (12) Racism and

Group Superiority• (13) Education• (14) Religiosity• (15) Romantic Love