1. Sociology – Chapter 2 - Culture
Miss Hickey
Sociology
Hilliard Davidson High School

2. What is culture?
culture – language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors and even material objects passed from one generation to the next
penetrates deep into thinking; “taken for granted”
provides implicit instructions for what to do in different situations
fundamental basis to make decisions
moral imperatives (right way of doing things)
can’t exist without culture—we all have it

3. Material Culture
material culture – material objects that distinguish a group of people
nothing natural about it
Example: different fashions around the world
easier to change than non-material culture

4. Non-Material Culture
non-material culture – group’s way of thinking and doing
nothing natural
Example: ability to stand in a line or to push and shove way to the front of group
harder to change non-material culture than material culture

5. Culture Shock
culture shock – disorientation people experience when coming in contact with a fundamentally different culture
coming into contact with radically different culture challenge our basic assumptions about life
When have you experienced culture shock? What happened? How did you feel?

6. Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism
ethnocentrism – use of one’s own culture to judge others in their society
all people are ethnocentric
both positive and negative consequences
“One’s group is the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with it.” – William Sumner
cultural relativism – not judging a culture but trying to understand it on its own terms
putting self in their (other culture’s) shoes/eyes

7. A SHORT Review: Vocabulary
culture
material culture
non-material culture
culture shock
ethnocentrism
cultural relativism

8. Components of Symbolic Culture
non-material culture
gestures
language
values
norms
sanctions
folkways
mores
taboos

9. Communication gesture – communicating through the body language
allows human experience to be communicative
provides a social or shared past
provides a social or shared future
allows shared perspective
allows complex, shared, goal-directed behavior
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis - Language creates ways of thinking (Edward Sapir and Ben Whorf)

10. Values, Norms and Sanctions
norm – rules of behavior
sanction – approval or disapproval for violation of norms
positive sanctions – a reward or positive reaction for following norms
Examples: material success, prize, trophy, money, hugs, smiles, thumbs up!
negative sanction – negative expression of disproval for breaking a norm
Examples: harsh words or gesture, frowning, staring, violence, prison

11. Values in U.S. Society achievement freedom success democracy
individualism
equality
activity
education
work
religiosity
science and technology
romantic love
progress
racism/group superiority (contradiction)
material comfort
humanitarianism

12. Emerging U.S. Values leisure self-fulfillment physical fitness
youthfulness
concern for the environment

13. Folkway, More, Taboo folkway – norms that are not strictly enforced
Example: breaking speed limit
more – strictly enforced norms
Example: murder
taboo – extremely strong norm; a norm so strong that it often brings revulsion if violated
Example: incest

14. Subculture vs. Counterculture
pluralistic society – a society made up of many different groups
subculture – the values and related behaviors of a group that distinguishes its members from the larger culture: world within a world
ethnic subculture – values, norms, food, religion, language and clothing set them apart
professional subcultures – doctors, engineers, teacher, police officers, etc. all have own vocabulary, values, etc.
counterculture – a group whose values, beliefs and elated behaviors place its members in opposition to the broader culture

15. Values value cluster – values that fit together to form a larger whole
value contradiction – values that contradict one another; to follow the one means to come into conflict with the other
Example: pro-life and pro-death penalty
ideal culture – the ideal values and norms of a people; the goals held out for them
real culture – the norms and values that people actually follow
Do you hold any value contradictions? Why? Why do you think people throughout history have held value contradictions?

16. Cultural Universals
cultural universals – values, norms, or other cultural trains that are found everywhere
George Murdock
The specific customs differ from one group to another
Customs found were courtship, marriage, funerals, games, laws, music, myths, incest taboos and toilet training.
Sociobiology – a framework of thought that views human behavior as the result of natural selection and considers biological factors to be the fundamental cause

17. Technology in the Global Village
narrow sense: tools
broader sense: skills or procedures necessary to make and use those tools
new technology – the emerging technology of an era that have a significant impact on social life
technology sets the framework for a groups non-material culture

18. William Ogburn
cultural lag – human lagging behind technological innovations
a groups material culture usually changes first, with the non-material culture lagging behind

19. Diffusion and Leveling
cultural diffusion – the spread of cultural characteristics from one group to another
cultural leveling – the cultures become similar to one another
Example: U.S. culture being exported and diffused into other nations

20. A SHORT Time to Ponder Why is culture not universal?
How has technology changed in your lifetime in ways that impact culture?
How do you think technology will change in the future, and how will those changes impact society?
What are some examples of cultural lag?