September6
• Makealistof5Mores(Ex:livingwithsomeonebeforemarried)
• Makealistof5Folkways(Ex:presentsonyourbirthday)
Now…
• Consider how the culture influences you.
• Do your parents dislike the music you listen to?
• Do you like a certain style of dress because it’s the trend?
• You are all the products of both hereditary and culture.
The Basis of Culture
Culture defineshowpeopleinasocietybehaveinrelationtoothersandtophysicalobjects.Althoughmostanimalbehaviorisinstinctual,humanbehaviorislearned.
Evenreflexesanddrivesdonotcompletelydeterminehowhumanswillbehave,becausepeopleareheavily influencedbyculture.
• The culture you live in refers to the knowledge, language, values, customs and physical objects that are passed from generation to generation among members of a group.
• Material aspects of our culture include skyscrapers, computers, cell phones and cars.
Culture and Society
Culture and Society• Nonmaterial aspects
include beliefs, rules, customs, family systems and a capitalist economy.
• Culture and society are interwoven.
Culture and Society• A society is a group of people who live in a
defined territory and participate in a common culture.
• Culture is that society’s total way of life.
Culture and Heredity
• Instincts are genetically inherited patterns of behavior. Humans, unlike animals, cannot rely on instinct alone for survival, so we rely on our culture.
• However, culture is not the only influence on our behavior.
Culture and Heredity
• Other factors include:– Heredity—genetically inherited traits
• These expressions of such biological factors can vary depending on the culture.
• How do different cultures have different drives/reflexes?
– Reflexes—simple, biologically inherited automatic reactions to physical stimuli.
–What is the difference between an instinct and a reflex?
– Drives—impulses
Sociobiology
• Sociobiology is the study of the biological basis of human behavior.
• Darwin’s theory of natural selection + modern genetics = Sociobiology
• Sociologists believe that behaviors that best help people and animals are biologically based and transmitted in the genetic code.
Sociobiology• Some criticisms of sociobiology:
– Certain races could be labeled as inferior or superior.
–What races are seen as superior? Inferior?
– There is too much variation in societies for human behavior to be based on biology alone.
• Middle ground:
– Some sociologists believe that genes work with culture in a complex way to shape and limit human nature and social life.
–How do genes and culture work together to shape human nature/social life?
What environments would favor…
• 1.adarkerskin• 2.blondehaircolor• 3.astockybodysize
– 1.hot,dryclimatefavorsthedevelopmentofdarkskin– 2.Scandinavia;aclimatewithlesssun– 3.climatewhereconservingheatandbuildinguplayersoffatprovides
edgeforsurvival
Video Questions-Elaborate1.) Do you believe races are different on the inside as well as the outside? How so? Please explain.
2.) Could advances in technology create a superior race? How so? Please explain.
3.) Some breeds of dogs are more intelligent than other breeds of dogs, and some scientists believe that some races of people are more intelligent than other races of people. Do you think the two are comparable? How so?
4.) Superior is defined as higher in rank or status, better in quality or ability, and greater in amount or power. By this definition, are there “superior” races? If so, which races? What makes them superior?
5.) Do you think the concept of “superior” and “inferior” races will cause problems in future society? What kind of problems?
6.) In what ways do I.Q. scores have an effect on our perceptions of certain races? Do any races have a higher or lower I.Q. score?
TheMysteriousFallofNacirema
• Whatcultureisthearticlereallyabout?
• Inwhatwaysareweself-destructingourownculture?– Whataresomeofourstrangecustoms?
Knowing Your Culture: Proverbs
• Whatareproverbs??
– Briefbutpithysayingsthatexpresscommonlyheldideasandbeliefs
Symbolic Meaning
• Describethesetwoobjectsintermsoftheirfunctions.
• Whataretheirsocialmeanings?
• Whydoestheringhavesomuchmoremeaningthanthestaplerdoes?
Symbolic Meaning
• Whatproblemswouldbeencounteredbychangingthenameofanobject?
• Culturesgivenamesandmeaningstoobjects,whichbythemselvesmeannothing.
Symbols, Language, and Culture• Cultural transmission defines the
transmission and creation of culture—or the idea that each generation must be taught about their culture
• Symbols are things that stand for or represent something else. The most important symbols are those that create language.
How are language and culture related?
• Languageandculturearerelatedbecauselanguagefreeshumansfromthelimitsoftimeandspace.
• Languageallowsustocreateculture.– Ex:TheWrightBrothers
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
• The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis or the hypothesis of linguistic relativity—Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf believe that our perceptions of the world depend in part on the particular language we have learned.
• For example, when something is important to a society, its language will have many words to describe it.
• We can learn other languages, or learn more about our own, to expand our view of the world.
AShowofHands
NativeAmericanlanguagesthatarespokenintheArcticCirclemostlikelyincludemanywordsdescribingwhichofthefollowing?
1.Money2.Snow3.Oil4.Trees
Isallcommunicationverbal?
• Whataresomeexamplesofnonverbalcommunication?– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cg192cQYUA– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swpFzlaSAdI– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc2yRqat7q8
Demonstration
• Toreinforcehowwerelyonlanguage…
• Formalineinthefrontoftheroomaccordingtoyourbirthdays(monthanddate).– Yourtask:arrangeyourselvesinorder,butwithouttalking
– I’llgiveyouafewminutesatyourdesktothinkabouthowyouwillgoaboutthis.
God Grew Tired of Us
• In1987,Sudan'sMuslimgovernmentdeclareddeathtoallmaleswhowereChristianlivinginthesouth.– 27,000boysfledtoEthiopiaonfoot.– In1991,theywereforcedtofleetoKenya– 12,000survivedtoliveinaU.N.campinKakuma
• FourboysfromSudanembarkonajourneytoAmericaafteryearsofwanderingSub-SaharanAfricainsearchofsafety
No warm-up today…
Just prepare for your 2-5 min. presentation!
(if you need to load onto my computer, go ahead and do
so)
Cultural Clash Articles
1. CulturalClashFuelsMuslimsAngryatOnlineVideo:1. What2culturesareclashing?2. Whatcausedthemtoclash?3. WhyisitthatIsmailMohamedsaid“TheWesthastounderstandthe
ideologyofthepeople”?
2. ASituationEmergesinFlorence,asTVBringsanAlteredReality:1. What2culturesareclashing?2. Whatcausedthemtoclash?3. WhyisitthatMr.daEmpoli saidhewas“notespeciallyhonoredbytheir
beinghere”?-Inregardstothese2articles,howaretheopposingculturesalike?Different?-Whatideologiesdotheculturesinthearticleshaveofoneanother?-Doyouthinktheywillevergetovertheirdifferences?
PartnerWork
• Imaginethatyouandyourpartnerarepreparingtoteachaclassofnewstudents/newtoUShowtoadjustquicklytotheUS/CHS.
• BrainstormalistofculturaletiquetteitemsintheUS/CHS.
AShowofHands
Inyouropinion,whichofthefollowingvaluesmostcloselyidentifieswithAmericanculture?
1.BeliefinGod2. Achievementandsuccess3.Democracy4. Equality
Norms: The Rules We Live By• Norms are rules defining appropriate and
inappropriate behavior. Norms are so engrained in humans that they guide behavior without awareness.
• Norms also help to define a culture’s perception of beauty for both males and females.
• What are some norms that shape the American ideal of beauty?
• Who do you think set the standards for what Americans think is “beautiful”?
Cultural Artifacts• Whatmighthappenwhenoneculturecomesintocontactwithanartifactofadifferentculture?– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCQIGiXf0JA– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlBL9ckkB4E
Folkways, Mores, Taboo, Laws• There are four types of norms:
– Folkways—rules that cover customary ways of thinking, feeling and behaving but lack moral overtones.
– Ex: sleeping on a bed instead of on a floor
– Folkways are not considered vital to a group’s existence, so disapproval of those who break folkways is not very great
Folkway Activity• Folkwaysaresoingrainedintoeverydaybehavior,thattheymightbehardtodistinguishasfolkways.
• Theymayjustseemtobe“justthewaywedothings”– Ex:menusedtoalwaystakeofftheirhatswhentheyenteredahomeor
building,butnotsomuchtoday
• Workinpairstoidentifycommonfolkways• Doyouagreethatthebehaviordescribedwas,infact,afolkway?
Types of Norms– Mores—normsofgreatmoralsignificance.
– Relatedtowhatisrightorwrong
– Vitaltothewell-beingofasociety
– Conformitytomoresdrawsstrongsocialapproval;violationofthistypeofnormbringsdisapproval
• Ex:Americansbelievethatable-bodiesmenshouldworkforaliving.Able-bodiedmenwhodonotworkarescorned
Mores Discussion• Doyouagreewiththeexampleaboutable-bodiedmenbeingscornedfornotworking?
• Describehowmenwhochoosenottoworkaretreated.• Howdoyoufeelaboutable-bodieswomenwithoutchildrentocareforwhodonotworkoutsidethehome?
• Areyourattitudesaboutunemployedwomenthesameasunemployedmen?
• Whatculturaltraditionsareatworkhere?• Aresomeofthesetraditionschanging?
Types of Norms• Taboo—anormsostrongthatitsviolationdemandspunishmentbythegroup.– Themostserioustypesofmores
• Ex:InIndia,followersofHinduismhaveatabooforbiddingthekillingofcows
• Ex:Incest• Ex:Themother-in-lawtabooexistinginsomesocietiesprohibitssocialcontactbetweenahusbandandhiswife’smother
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JZQu8CPPvU• Nationalgeographic:Taboo
– Laws arenormsthatareformallydefinedandenforcedbyofficials.
Bodily-Kinesthetic• Distinguishingbetweenthe3norms:
– Folkways– Mores– Laws
• Splitupintogroupsof4– Waitforinstructions
1.Asagroup,decidewhattypeofnormwasenacted.2.Wasthatnormacceptableornot?3.Isaconsequenceneeded?
Enforcing the Rules• Sanctions are rewards and punishments
used to encourage conformity to norms, either formally or informally.
• Formal sanctions are sanctions that may be applied, for positive or negative reasons, only by officially designated persons, such as judges and teachers.
• Informal sanctions can be applied by most members of a group, also for positive or negative reasons.
Sanctions• Manyinformalsanctionsare
imposedthataregender-related.
• Themeninthepictureshouldnotbecrossingtheirlegsaccordingtothe“codeofthewest”
• Whatmightwomenbesanctionedforinasimilarsituation?
• Whatothergenderrelatedsanctionscanyourecall?
Sanctions Recap• Mechanismofsocialcontrolforenforcingasociety’sstandards.
• Youcansanctionbothpositively(toreward)andnegatively(topunish)
Values—The Basis for Norms• Values are broad ideas about what most
people in a society consider to be desirable.
• Different groups in the same society can have different norms based on the same value.
• Values have a tremendous influence on human social behavior because they form the basis for norms.
Basic Values in the United States• According to sociologist Robin Williams
(1970), some of the important values that guide the values of most people in the United States are as follows:– Achievement and success
– Activity and work– Efficiency and practicality– Equality
– Democracy– Group superiority
Core Values1. Webelieveextracurricularactivitiesenrichourstudentsandarevitalforindividualandschoolidentity.1. Webelievestudentslearnbestinapositive,consistentandsafeenvironment.1. Webelieveallstudentscanlearnandhavetheopportunitytobesuccessful.1. Accountability,responsibility,andprofessionalcommunicationareessentialtothesuccessofourcommunity.1. Webelievehighexpectationsandacademicrigorpreparestudentstobecareerandcollegeready.1. Westrivetobuildrelationshipswithallstakeholdersbasedonmutualrespect,tolerance,andunity.1. Webelievediversityandcreativityareanintegralandnecessarypartofourcampusculture.1. Webelievethateverystudentisentitledtoateacherwhoisthebestwecanhireforthatpositionandischosensolelyonmerit.1. Webelievetherulesandpoliciesweadoptmustultimatelybenefitstudentsoveradults.
– *Allofthesearenumberedwitha1becausenoonevalueismoreimportantthananyothervalue.
Values• AmericanValuesseeninfilm:
– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxdpqlEWH_k• Americanvaluesvs.Chinesevalues:
– Aretheydifferent?• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHf05TviFmU
Values Clarification• Makealistof15things,bothmaterialandnon-material,thatyouvalue
• Whenyouaredonewithyourlist,rankthembythevalueyouplaceoneach(mostimportantbeing#1)
• Now,sayIwastogiveeachofyou$1000.00tospendoneachofyourvalues.– Decidehowmuchyouwouldbewillingtospendoneachitem,basedonhowimportanttheyaretoyou
Values Activity:• AsIreadeachstatement,gotothesignthatreflectshowyoufeelaboutthestatement.1.Althoughweshouldnotbeunnecessarilycrueltoanimals,theywereputonearthtoservetheneedsofhumanbeings2.thedeathpenaltyshouldbeabolishedbecauseitisinherentlyracistinitsapplication3.menandwomenarenotpoliticallyorintellectuallyequalbecausetheyarebiologicallydifferent4.thereistoomuchviolenceandsexinthemedia,especiallyontv5.thereistoomuchfreedomgiventoyoung,unmarriedboysandgirls.
Sanctions Article• 1.Isthisarticleanexampleofapositivesanctionornegativesanction?Howso?
• 2.WhatistheU.S.tryingtocontrolorenforceuponSyria?
• 3.Doyouthinkthereisabetterwaytogoaboutthisaction?Whyorwhynot?
Beliefs and Physical Objects• The nonmaterial culture involves beliefs,
ideas, and knowledge.
• The material culture is about how we relate to physical objects. It consists of the concrete, tangible objects within a culture.
Paired Learning Activity
• Inpairs,selectanactivitythaty’allenjoy(i.e.sportorhobby).
• Analyzeactivityintermsofitsculturalcomponents.– So…makealistofallmaterialandnonmaterialcultureassociatedwithactivity.
Beliefs and Physical Objects (cont.)
• Beliefs are ideas about the nature of reality.
• People base their behavior on what they believe, even if their belief might not be true.
• The uses and meanings of physical objects can vary among societies depending on the beliefs, norms and values people hold with regard to the object.
AShowofHands
AllofthefollowingarerepresentativeofmaterialcultureEXCEPT
1. Books2. Art3. Religion4. Cars
Ideal and Real Culture• A gap exists between cultural guidelines and
actual behavior, captured by the following two concepts:
– Ideal culture refers to cultural guidelines publicly embraced by members of a society.
– Real culture refers to actual behavior patterns, which often conflict with these guidelines.
Ideal and Real Culture• Question:Haveanyofy’allevercheatedonatest,nomatterhowlongago?
• Why,ifeveryoneknowscheatingiswrong,dosomanypeopledoitanyway?
Cultural Change• Culture changes for three reasons:
– Discovery—the process of finding something that already exists.
– Invention—the creation of something new.
– Diffusion—the borrowing of aspects of culture from other cultures.
AShowofHands
FindinghamburgersonamenuinJapanisanexampleof
1. Discovery2. Invention3. Diffusion4. Culture
Cultural Diversity
• Cultural diversity exists in all societies. • Social categories are groups that share a
social characteristic such as age, gender, or religion.
• Subculture is part of the dominant culture but differs from it in some important respects.
• Ex: Chinatown in San Francisco• Counterculture is a subculture deliberately
and consciously opposed to certain beliefs or attitudes of the dominant culture.
• Ex: “goth” and “punk” scenes
Ethnocentrism• Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging
others in terms of one’s own cultural standards.
• Advantages:
– People feel good about themselves and others.
– Stability is promoted.• Disadvantage:
– Inflexibility
Cultural Universals
• Cultural universals are traits that exist in all cultures, such as sports, cooking, and education. • Ex:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7EpWh
B0Qk0
• Cultural particulars are the ways that each culture expresses the universals. • Ex: in the U.S., women have traditionally cared for
the children, while in New Guinea among the Manu tribe, the men care for the children
Cultural Universals (cont.)
• Cultural universals exist for three main reasons:
– The biological similarity shared by all human beings.
– The physical environment affecting all human beings.
– Many countries face the same social problems.
CounterCultureDocumentary
• PartOne:– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlzoQ1WvV9o
• PartTwo:– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrC56oY6Ur0