Society, Culture, and Cultural Change Chapter 4 This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performances or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 2 Importance of Culture All human experience intertwined with social environment All human experience intertwined with social environment Culture: total pattern of human behavior and its products Culture: total pattern of human behavior and its products Thought, speech, action, artifacts Thought, speech, action, artifacts Shared language, norms and values Shared language, norms and values

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 3 Elements of Culture Culture creates human beings and human societies Culture creates human beings and human societies Evolves through time Evolves through time Cultural evolution: gradual, accumulative process Cultural evolution: gradual, accumulative process Reflective of all individuals Reflective of all individuals Socialization: process that shapes individuals to become members of society Socialization: process that shapes individuals to become members of society

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 4 Multiculturalism All individuals in culture are not exactly alike All individuals in culture are not exactly alike United States is multicultural United States is multicultural Blend of overlapping cultures Blend of overlapping cultures Subculture similarities hold us together Subculture similarities hold us together U.S. culture is a composite of subcultures U.S. culture is a composite of subcultures Challenge is finding correct mix Challenge is finding correct mix

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 5 The Nature of a Society Group of individuals living as members of a community Group of individuals living as members of a community Characteristics shaped by generations Characteristics shaped by generations Society: group must be bound by shared relationships, and be organized Society: group must be bound by shared relationships, and be organized Not all groups are societies Not all groups are societies

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 6 Theories of Social Change Ideal golden age (in distant past) Ideal golden age (in distant past) Greek philosophers Greek philosophers Yielded to silver, bronze, iron ages Yielded to silver, bronze, iron ages Doctrine of inevitable progress Doctrine of inevitable progress World getting better and better World getting better and better Popular in modern U.S. and Europe Popular in modern U.S. and Europe Cyclical change Cyclical change Normal cycles of growth, climax and decline Normal cycles of growth, climax and decline

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 7 Factors Causing Cultural Change Technological development Technological development Cultural diffusion Cultural diffusion Ideas and ideologies Ideas and ideologies Collective action Collective action Geography and climate Geography and climate ©Neil Mey/Dreamstime.com

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 8 Factors Stabilizing Culture Stability of social norms Stability of social norms Humans conservative about change Humans conservative about change Habit Habit Value attachment Value attachment Mores have strong values attachment Mores have strong values attachment Vested interest: status that relies on status quo (so resist change) Vested interest: status that relies on status quo (so resist change)

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 9 Social Change and Social Problems Social problems: Social problems: Wide recognition of adverse affects Wide recognition of adverse affects Belief that condition can and should change Belief that condition can and should change Large modern societies experience more complex social problems Large modern societies experience more complex social problems Seldom a simple or complete solution Seldom a simple or complete solution

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 10 Cultural Lag Theory Ogburn: cultural lag source of social disorganization Ogburn: cultural lag source of social disorganization Culture is pattern of interrelated elements Culture is pattern of interrelated elements Change in one area creates strain in another Change in one area creates strain in another Adjustments cause lag in which tension persists Adjustments cause lag in which tension persists Technological change sets pace of change in modern industrial societies Technological change sets pace of change in modern industrial societies

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 11 Limitations of Cultural Lag Theory Material culture changes do not always precede nonmaterial changes Material culture changes do not always precede nonmaterial changes Difficult to reach agreement on changes needed Difficult to reach agreement on changes needed Making adjustments complex, and often impossible Making adjustments complex, and often impossible

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 12 Cultural Contrasts Social problems can exist within and between societies Social problems can exist within and between societies Cultural relativism: all cultures of the world are equally valid Cultural relativism: all cultures of the world are equally valid Examine cultures in their context Examine cultures in their context Must be judged relative to culture’s value system Must be judged relative to culture’s value system Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by one’s own value system Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by one’s own value system

Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved 13 Cultural Regions of the World