Sociology – Day 7 Goals: Students will be able to: 1. Explain how culture and heredity affect social behavior 2. Describe how language and culture are related 3. Name the essential components of culture 4. Discuss how cultural diversity is promoted within a society 5. Understand the role of ethnocentrism in society 6. Identify similarities in cultures around the world

Culture  Read Sections 1 and 2 of Chapter 3 – pp. 70 – 79  Read ALL of the chapter including intro information, info in side-bars, and picture captions.

The Basics of Culture  Brainstorm a list of the elements of culture  Identify Pop Culture v. Deep Culture  To sociologists culture consists of the sum total of human, technical, physical, and moral creations.  You will be learning about society (structures) and cultures (knowledge and physical objects) when we study culture

The Basis of Culture  Re-read Applying Sociology on page 71  Consider how Jabu’s morning is like yours.  Consider how Jabu’s morning is different than yours.  In your journals, write three paragraphs fashioned after the ones in the book on page 71 telling your morning routine through a sociological lens.  Some classmates will be asked to share their writings.

The Basis of Culture  Make lists of how you resemble your parents and siblings. E.g. “I laugh like my mom/dad,” “I sound like my brother/sister on the phone.”  Next consider how your culture has influenced you to do things differently than your family. E.g., “Do your parents dislike your music?” “Do you dress a certain way because it is a popular style?”  Question: Are you more a part of your heredity or culture?

The Basis of Culture 

Day 8 starts here

The Basis of Culture  Using problem solving skills:  Divide the class into two sub-groups  Group A argues that humans are mostly part of nature and Group B argues that humans are primarily the product of nurture.  You do not have to believe the point of view that your group takes, but you must have talking points to support it for this exercise.  Now, is there consensus?

The Mysterious Fall of Nacirema  Did any of you pick up on the fact that is was America to which the author was referring before you got to the end of the article?  Explore the prediction of America’s self-destruction...  What environmental concerns are triggered by our dependence on cars?  What global and atmospheric considerations have to be addressed?  What are any particularly strange American customs?  Address the questions under Thinking It Over.

Language and Culture  Through the Looking Glass: What did Humpty Dumpty mean when he told Alice, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more or less.”  Symbols are like that:  Symbols are things that stand for or represent something else.  They range from physical objects to sounds, smells, and tastes.  The meaning of a symbol is not based on physical characteristics?  Stop sign  Yield sign  Confederate Flag

Language and Culture  How are they related?  Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis – language is our guide to reality  AKA – hypothesis of linguistic relativity  Some experts believe that without language there is no thought. Do you agree? Why or why not?  What about animals?????