1. “A lens through which we see the world”

2. How Do Sociologists Study Culture? Structural functionalists ▫Culture as the underlying basis of interaction Conflict theory ▫Stresses why particular aspects of a culture develop Symbolic interactionism ▫Stresses how culture is learned and communicated

3. A Sociological View of Culture Class Activity Rules: ▫Do not respond (make eye contact or speak) until touched on arm ▫You may only speak to or address an individual for about 15 second increments ▫You may only address one individual at a time ▫Only answer “non-jackets” with Yes or No

4. Language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and material objects Material culture ▫Jewelry, art, buildings, weapons, machines, hair styles, clothing Nonmaterial culture ▫Beliefs, values, behaviors, language, gestures ▫Also referred to as symbolic culture

5. Cultural Characteristics Language ▫All words are symbols with specific meanings ▫Allows for development of culture  Learning from mistakes of the past Gestures ▫Use of body to communicate with others  Facilitate communication ▫Differ around the world  Can lead to misunderstandings or embarrassment NOVA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRQSRed58XM

6. What does it all mean?!? Brazil, Germany, and Russia Depicts private bodily orifice Japan – money France - zero Australia, Greece, and Middle East – “Up yours” Italy – your wife is cheating on you African countries - curse China, Japan, Indochina, Latin America – rude, impolite

7. Cultural Characteristics Values ▫Shared beliefs about what is desirable in life ▫Standards by which people define good and bad, right or wrong, etc.  Can change over time ▫Examples:  Importance of education  Involvement in religion Norms ▫Shared rules of conduct/behavior ▫Expectations about right way to reflect values Two types: ▫Mores – more serious  Do not kill people ▫Folkways – not as serious  Good etiquette  Cover mouth when yawning Consider: What is good in one culture may be bad in another

8. Culture Broken Down Subculture ▫A world within a larger world of the dominant culture  U.S. society contains tens of thousands of subcultures ▫Values and norms are compatible to larger society Counterculture ▫Group’s values and norms place it in opposition to dominant culture

9. Culture Broken Down cont’d Folk culture ▫Traditional practices by small homogenous groups typically living in an isolated area ▫Promoted by isolation Pop culture ▫Found in large heterogeneous societies that share certain habits and customs ▫Examples:  Music/Dance  Clothing  Foods ▫Much of popular culture refers to leisure time in affluent populations

10. Ethnocentrism Individuals develop a “learned” culture ▫Embedded as they grow up Ethnocentrism ▫Using your own group’s ways of doing things as a measuring stick to judge other groups Positive consequence ▫In-group loyalties Negative consequence ▫Harmful discrimination against those who differ

11. Cultural Relevance Helps us understand a culture in its own terms ▫Suspending your perspective in order to grasp the perspective of others ▫Viewing things from the perspective of the culture in which they take place How the elements of a culture fit together ▫Examination of the elements of another culture… without judgment

12. Coming into contact with radically different culture ▫Disorientation Not being able to make sense of the world around you

14. Globalization: becoming increasingly more integrated and interconnected with people around the globe How does globalization impact culture?

15. Social Structure Network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide human interaction ▫Social structure guides behavior  What IS/IS NOT acceptable Status ▫Socially defined position  Father, son, lawyer, etc. ▫Where do you fit within society? ▫Types:  Ascribed – assigned (race, sex)  Achieved – earned (priest, spouse) Role ▫Behavior of someone occupying a certain status ▫Based on the many statuses that one has, an individual may play many different roles daily ▫Role conflict  Fulfilling one role makes it difficult to fulfill another “You occupy a status, but you play a role”

16. ROLE The behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status Role Expectations ▫Socially determined behaviors expected of a person performing a role  Example – police enforcing laws Role Performance ▫Actual role behavior ▫Might not match that which is expected ▫Remember – role behaviors differ in different societies  Example – teachers manage classes in different ways Role Conflict ▫Fulfilling role of one status makes it difficult to fulfill that of another  Example – working part- time job results in missing practice for sport Role Strain ▫Person has difficulty fulfilling role expectations for one status  Example – sickness results in student missing school

17. Social Institutions Organizing of statuses and roles in order to fit a need within society ▫Set limits and guide our behaviors Tend to be more formal in industrialized societies ▫Education more highly valued than in preliterate society Each “institution” has its own roles, values, and norms Examples: ▫Religion ▫Law ▫Medicine ▫Family ▫Education

18. Types of Societies Society – that which shares a culture and a territory Hunting and Gathering Society Pastoral Society Horticultural Society Agricultural Society Industrial Society Postindustrial Society First Revolution: Domestication (of plants and animals) Second Revolution: Agricultural (invention of plow) Third Revolution: Industrial (invention of steam engine) Fourth Revolution: Informational (invention of microchip)

19. Types of Societies Hunting and Gathering societies ▫Simplest societies ▫Society cannot support a large number of people  Limited resources ▫Small, nomadic groups ▫Cannot accumulate possessions due to constant migration Emerged about 10,000 years ago: Pastoral societies ▫Based on the pasturing of animals  Remained nomadic  Followed animals Horticultural societies ▫Based on cultivation of plants ▫Developed permanent settlements Both pastoral & horticultural societies transformed human society Dependable food supply; larger groups; division of labor; etc.

20. Types of Societies cont’d Agricultural societies ▫Agricultural surplus  Increase in population  Development of cities  Other activities  Art, literature, etc. ▫“The dawn of civilization” ▫Emergence of social inequality  Competition over resources Industrial societies ▫Began in Great Britain ▫Produced great surplus …and greater inequality ▫Led to great class struggles Postindustrial societies ▫Based on information, services, and the latest technology ▫Trend away from production/manufacturing ▫Growth of service industry  Health, Education, Research

21. Types of Social Interactions Exchange ▫When people interact in an effort to receive a reward or a return for their actions ▫Can be material or non-material Competition ▫When two or more people, or groups, oppose each other to achieve a goal Conflict ▫Deliberate attempt to…  Control a person by force  Oppose someone  Harm someone ▫Competition can lead to conflict Cooperation ▫Occurs when two or more people or groups work together to achieve a goal that will benefit the group Accommodation ▫Involves a “give and take” ▫A balance between cooperation and conflict ▫Can have many forms:  Compromise – agreement based on cooperation  Truce – agreement to end a conflict  Mediation – third party stepping in to resolve conflict