 National Anthem a symbol of our culture  Symbols are important components of a people’s culture. People become emotionally attached to symbols and are reluctant to change or modify them.  Example of this was in 1964 when the government wanted Canada to have its own flag.  Hockey, the beaver, beer, Eh?, Celine Dion, Wayne Gretzky.

 Culture is a characteristic that continues to define humanity and it is the area of human development that is analyzed by sociologists.  Although animals indicate some aspects of culture, such a division of labour, social structure, and in some cases hierarchical structure, this is the result of genetic programming.

 Humans are not as confined by culture. They change their environment and pass the changes on to their children. Culture develops and evolves in a social framework.  Culture consists of elements that are unique to this species. It includes beliefs that are shared ideas explaining past experiences, present circumstances, or predictions for the future.

 Values: Form a significant aspect of culture since they are shared standards of what is considered right and morally acceptable. Ie Religion  Norms: Compliment values in that they are rules established by society to indicate what people should do or how they should react in certain situations, such as standing for the anthem.

 Since culture is the product of human interaction and evolution, it changes. What did the culture of the 1960’s look like? Did it look the same as today?  Alterations can be the result of shifts in the natural environment such as climate or population demographics.  Contact with other cultures  Discovery and invention can also alter culture ( Medical advances)