Unit 2: Culture Unit Objective: To define the term culture, to clarify the difference between culture and society. To identify and explain the components of culture.

People constantly interchange Society and Culture… Are they the same?

NO! Society: ~A group of interdependent people Participate in a common culture Sense of unity Share material and non material products Society consists of people. Culture consists of the material and nonmaterial products that people create.

5 Components of Culture: What is Culture? Consists of all the shared products of human groups. Culture can be shared and learned. 5 Components of Culture: Technology Symbols Language Values Norms

Material and Nonmaterial Culture Culture can also be broken down by the following groupings: Material Culture: Is the physical objects that people create. Examples would be cars, books, buildings, clothing. Nonmaterial Culture: Abstract human creations such as beliefs, ideas, language, political and economic systems.

Technology A societies culture consists of not only physical objects but also the rules for using those physical objects. Sociologists often refer to these rules and tools as technology. Using items of material culture especially tools requires skills. For example driving a car requires skills, but there are rules that govern what is acceptable when driving a car. Sociologists would not only be interested in how the skills are developed, they would also be interested in what is acceptable behavior when using material culture.

Symbols Symbols-is anything that represents something else Used to communicate to group members Words, gestures, images, sounds, physical objects, events, or elements in the natural world

Languages An organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system Primary form of communicating

Values Shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable The types of values held by a group help determine the character of its people and the kinds of material and nonmaterial culture they create.

Norms Folkways Mores Norms All groups create norms, use folkways, mores and laws to keep cultural traditions alive. These informal rules are created to enforce cultural values Norms are shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in certain situations Examples: How do you want to be greeted? What type of behavior do you want to see when you are out eating at a restaurant? Norms Folkways Mores

Mores Mores have a greater moral significance attached to them Violations of mores endanger a societies well-being and stability Dishonesty Fraud Murder Societies establish punishments for violating these mores  LAWS.

Folkways Folkways are norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral significance Holding the door for someone Writing thank you notes Replying to invitations Nonconformity is ok, because it does not endanger well-being or stability of society

How do societies enforce norms?

Laws and Sanctions Laws-written rules of conduct that are enacted and enforced by governments Sanctions Formal Informal

Sanctions Rewards or punishments in terms with norms Positive Sanctions-Reward behavior Negative Sanctions-Punish behavior Informal Sanctions-given by individuals or groups Being praised in class for doing a good job (positive) Grounded for breaking curfew (negative) Formal Sanctions-are given by organizations or regulatory bodies such as government, police, school Speed tickets (negative) MVP of the Basketball team (positive)

Cultural Traits, Complexes, and Patterns Cultures also create cultural traits, which is an individual tool, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need. ( A greeting, using a tool to eat, etc..) Cultural Complexes are a cluster of interrelated traits. Culture Patterns are formed when cultural complexes are combined. For example sports, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming all combine to form American sports patterns.

Cultural Variations Cultural variations exist not only amongst societies but also within societies. As Americans we share common culture with all other Americans. But within our culture there are those that share values, behaviors, and norms that are not shared by the entire population  SUBCULTURE. Most subcultures do not present a threat to society, think of ethnic neighborhoods and enclaves within American cities. Sometimes however there are people that do reject the major values, norms and behaviors COUNTERCULTURE.

Cultural Universals Despite the fact that cultures can be so different. We all basically want the same thing. These basic commonalities are called Cultural Universals. In the 1940’s Anthropologist George Murdock created examined 100’s of different cultures in an attempt to determine what general traits are common to all cultures. Murdock ended up creating a list of 65 cultural universals. Examples include; cooking, music, medicine, myths, religion, sports, tool usage.

What’s Your Culture? Download Collage Pic Collage on IPAD Create a Collage that represents the Components of your Culture Symbols, Values, Language and Norms Each category must be labeled and contain a brief explanation All images must be school appropriate You must have a minimum of 5 images per topic Any inappropriate images will result in no credit Be prepared to present them to the class 20 point quiz grade All collages should be emailed to mcmahonc@grafton.k12.ma.us