1. Chapter 3: A Framework for the Individual

2. How well do you know your culture??
Famous American proverbs issued in Poor Richard’s Almanac….
1. The pen is mightier than __________.
2. Better safe than ___________.
3. It’s always darkest before ________.
4. Don’t bite the hand that ________.
5. No news is ________.
6. If you lie down with dogs, you’ll _____.
7. Children should be seen and not ___.

3. Get the Topic: What is Culture?
Culture consists of the knowledge, language, values, customs, and physical objects that are passed on from one generation to another.
Culture helps to explain social behavior.
It provides us with a blueprint that people use to guide our relationships with others.
Culture and Society cannot exist without each other.
Society is a group of people who live in a defined territory and participate in a common culture.

4. Culture & Society Human behavior is based on culture.
You’re not born knowing culture…you learn it along the way.
Instincts are genetically inherited patterns of behavior.
People are not controlled by instincts alone because we don’t all act the same way.
Examples?

5. Culture & Heredity
Genetic inheritance plays a part in our daily lives.
People argue how much of your personality is a result of heredity or the environment.
Known as “nature vs. nurture”.
Use studies of identical twins that have grown up together and twins that have been separated at birth.
Humans also have reflexes, or simple biologically inherited, automatic reactions to stimuli.
We also have inherited drives, or impulses to reduce discomfort.
Examples of drives: eating, sleeping, and being around people.
Personality traits, reflexes and drives do not control human social behavior.
The culture channels the expression of biological characteristics.

6. Types of Culture There are two types: 1. material culture
2. non-material culture
Nonmaterial culture involves the beliefs, ideas and knowledge.
Material culture is how we relate to physical objects.
Nonmaterial include values, norms, knowledge and ideas. You can’t touch them.
Material includes the physical objects that make up a culture.

7. Material VS. Non-Material
Material culture consists of concrete, tangible objects within a culture.
These physical objects have no meaning or use apart from the meaning that people give them.
Examples: cell phones, newspapers, shoestrings, Q-tips, etc.

8. Material VS. Non-Material
The uses and meanings of physical objects can vary among societies.
Cultural meanings of physical objects are not determined by the physical characteristics of the object.
The meanings are based on a society’s beliefs, norms and values.
Example: the fork in Disney’s Little Mermaid

9. Symbols & Culture
Culture lives on by being transmitted from one generation to another.
This transmission relies on the use of symbols.

10. Symbols & Culture
Symbols are things that stand for or represents something else.
Examples are the Confederate flag, the American eagle, and applause.

11. Language & Culture
Language is a system of speech and/or written symbols used to convey meaning and communicate.
Language frees humans from the limits of time and place.
Two factors determine the number of speakers of a language: 1) population size and 2) colonial history
Using language allows us to pass on our experiences, ideas, technology and knowledge to others….known as cultural transmission.

12. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Benjamin Whorf and Edward Sapir believed that thinking patterns and language were connected. Their belief was that language was our guide to reality.
Their hypothesis has two main components:
The differences in the structure of language parallel differences in the thinking of the people who speak languages
The structure of a language strongly influences the speaker’s worldview.
Concepts are still the same although the culture, language and sometimes the perception is different.
Also known as the Hypothesis of Linguistic Relativity

13. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
The Hypothesis of Linguistic Relativity is the theory stating that our idea of reality depends largely on our language.
If something is important (either good or bad) there will be many words to describe it.
Example- Time: nanosecond, millisecond, moment, minute, hour, era, interim, recurrent, century, light-year, afternoon, eternal, annual, meanwhile, and regularly.

14. Gestures & Culture
Gestures are symbols we make using our bodies, such as facial expressions, hand movements, eye contact, and other types of body language.
These vary widely among cultures…can’t assume all have the same meaning worldwide.

15. Which are Which??
Which of the following are drives, reflexes, instincts or creations of culture?
Eyes blinking in dust storm?
Need for sleep?
Reaction to a loud noise?
Reproduction?
Racial inequality?
Socialization?

16. Answers!! Eyes blinking in dust storm? Reflex Need for sleep? Drive
Reaction to a loud noise? Drive, Reflex, & Instinct
Reproduction? Drive, Instinct
Racial inequality? Creation of culture
Socialization? Creation of culture, Drive

17. Values & Norms
Values are a part of society’s nonmaterial culture that represent cultural standards by which we determine what is good, bad, right or wrong.
It can change over time as society changes.
Value pairs define value in terms of opposites. In book it had equality vs. racism.
Value clusters are two or more values that support each other. An example could be honesty and loyalty.
Value conflict are when two or more values are at odds with each other.

18. 15 U.S. Values
Sociologist Robin Williams identified and explained 15 values that are dominate in American culture.
1. Achievement and Success: you can be whatever you want. America embraces winners and ignores the losers. The definition of achievement and success is very subjective…different for everyone.
2. Activity and Work: we value those who work hard and we get annoyed at those who waste time & opportunities. We believe our success in life is directly related to the amount of work we do.
3. Moral Orientation: Americans tend to label things as “good” or “bad”. “right” or “wrong”. However, once we assign labels, it is difficult for us to think any different.

19. 15 U.S. Values
4. Humanitarianism: We value helping those who might not be able to help themselves. We’re usually the first country called when some type of disaster happens.
5. Efficiency & Practicality: We want to do things right the first time, without maximum effort. We don’t like frills or extras…not really needed. If it’s an extra, it has to make sense.
6. Progress: We believe in moving forward and making the most out of all opportunities. By moving forward we are utilizing other values we hold dear to us.
7. Material Comfort: We need stuff…stuff we don’t really need. But it’s that stuff that makes us feel like we’re succeeding and moving forward.

20. 15 U.S. Values
8. Equality: Big on equality…DOI. However, we still have racism and discrimination based on gender, race, social class, religion and sexual orientation.
9. Freedom: This means that everyone has the greatest amount of freedom. However, your freedom can’t infringe on someone else’s.
10. External Conformity: We don’t like to stick out…we want to conform to different groups. We also force people to conform to what we want by stares, glares and comments.
11. Science and Secular Rationality: We tend to believe that science and technology will fix everything. It might not happen overnight, but we feel that thinking logically will identify problems and find solutions.

21. 15 U.S. Values
12. Nationalism & Patriotism: Nationalism is extreme love of one’s country and we show that love by acts of patriotism. We fly American Flags, sing the National Anthem, and we say the Pledge of Allegiance. We pass on those patriotic ideals from generation and generation by learning about our history in schools.
13. Democracy: While not everyone participates, we value the opportunity to voice our political opinions by voting on issues and candidates.
14. Individual Personality: We do not feel that our actions are predetermined by our place in society. We feel that individuals can rise up and beat any negativity.
15. Racism & Related Group Superiority: Not all values have to be positive. Racism is a negative one that is passed on. While it is getting better, there is still plenty of racism to go around.

22. Additional values??
Since the list is over 30 years old, Williams has suggested adding two more values:
1. Physical Fitness & Youthfulness: We are obsessed with fitness and staying young…..spending thousands of $$ to obtain it. Interesting fact is that we have the highest obesity rate of all industrialized countries.
2. Sexuality & Romance: No surprise here…movies, TV, music and books revolve around sexuality. However, we do link sexuality and romance together…the belief in true love.

23. Norms & Sanctions
Norms are the rules defining appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
Can vary from place to place.
They help to explain why people in a society or group behave the same in similar circumstances.
Some are so engrained that they guide our behavior without us even knowing it! Example: budging in line during lunch
Norms can range from minor rules (like not booing at a concert) to major rules (like not stealing something)

24. Norms & Sanctions
Sanctions are rewards and punishments to encourage people to follow norms.
Can be either positive (saying thank you) or negative (getting expelled)
Can be formal or informal
Formal sanctions: Sanctions that are imposed by people with authority. Example: Only a judge can impose a life sentence on someone guilty of a crime.
Informal sanctions: Rewards or punishments that can be applied by most members of a group. Example: Not inviting a friend to hang out because they’ve stood you up too many times.

25. Folkways, mores & laws
William Graham Sumner (1906) identified 3 different types of norms:
Folkways
Mores
Laws
Folkways are rules that cover customary ways of thinking, feeling or behaving but they lack any moral overtones.
Examples: Talking too loud in library, sleeping on the floor, wearing pants that are too tight or a shirt cut too low, women smoking cigars
Breaking a folkway doesn’t make you a criminal or immoral..you just stick out during a particular situation.

26. Folkways, mores & laws
Mores are norms that have moral dimensions that should be followed by members of a society.
These are vital to the well-being of the society.
Conformity=social approval
Violation=social disapproval
Example: not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance or National Anthem, or using profanity in a religious service.
The most serious of the mores are known as taboos. These are norms that are so strong that violation demands punishment by the group. Examples: incest in families; murder

27. Folkways, mores & laws
Laws are norms that are formally defined and enforced by officials.
These are created for a reason…could be a result of a more and/or folkway over time!
Some laws are outdated and can be purged from law books.

28. Cultural Universals
ECONOMY
INSTITUTIONS
ARTS
LANGUAGE
ENVIRONMENT
RECREATION
BELIEFS
Trade, tools, technology, goods, services, jobs, business, transportation, communications, food, shelter, clothing
Economy, religion, education, government, family
Art, literature, dance, theatre, music, crafts, folk tales
Words, expressions, pronunciation, alphabet, symbols
Communities, geography, geology, habitat, wildlife, climates, resources
Games, toys, arts, media, holidays, festivals
Values, traditions, ethnicity, customs, religions, morals
Cultural universals are general traits that exist in all cultures. However, not all universals are carried out the same way. These differences are known as cultural particulars.
Example: all societies deal with child-rearing…in US it’s primarily the role of the mom, but in New Guinea, it is the role of the dad.

29. Ethnocentrism & Cultural relativism
A large part of sociology is looking at different societies…but there can’t be any bias or it will taint any research.
Ethnocentrism occurs when a person uses his/her own culture to judge another culture.
Sometimes we let fear of different cultures intimate us and we allow our xenophobia to get in the way. Example in textbook was Japanese Americans in the U.S after Pearl Harbor. A better example is Muslims after September 11th.

30. Ethnocentrism & Cultural relativism
We don’t always look at different cultures in a negative way…we can look at other cultures and wish that your culture would do that too. When we do this, we are practicing xenocentrism. I loved how people in England were so open about everything…no sugar-coating of things. You didn’t have to wonder if they were being fake.
Sociologists want to study cultures with normative relativism…look at the culture based on THAT cultures norms, values, etc. In order to do this, we have to use cultural relativism.

31. Cultural Lag & Culture shock
Cultural lag happens when technology changes faster than society and culture does.
Example: birth control in Africa. Why so many multiple births? Why so many HIV/AIDS diagnosis?
Culture shock occurs when a person encounters a culture that is so different from their own and had some type of emotional response.
Example: Dominican Republic and their child safety laws. Holy Moly Guacamole!

32. Ideal Culture VS. Real Culture
Ideal Culture refers to the cultural guidelines embraced by members of a society.
Example: honesty, loyalty, hard work, etc
These are TARGETS that we strive to reach and those who don’t achieve them (or try to achieve them) are sanctioned.
This is what we WANT
Real Culture what is actually embraced by society.
We want honesty but people still lie.
We want loyalty but people cheat on just about everything
This is what we HAVE
A cashier gives you too much money back for your change….do you keep it or give it back??

33. Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity exists in all societies
This diversity creates social categories-these are groups that share characteristics (like age, gender, faith, etc)
Cultural diversity also comes from groups that DIFFER from the larger group
Subculture is part of the dominant culture but it varies in some way. Examples: Chinatown in San Francisco, Mormons with their faith, the Amish, Facebook.

34. Cultural Diversity
Counterculture is a subculture that is created for a specific reason. They USUALLY oppose some certain belief or attitude of the dominant culture
Examples: gothic people, motorcycle gangs, religious groups

35. Multiculturalism & Assimilation
Multiculturalism is the belief that different cultures benefit a dominant culture. One should embrace the components of their culture like dress, food, language, holidays, etc.
Not everyone agrees with the idea of multiculturalism. There is a belief that as long as people from one culture hold on to elements of their “home” culture, they will never totally contribute to the society of their new lands. These people feel that assimilation is vital to the success of a dominant society.

36. Global Village: True or False??
Marshall McLuhan coined the term “global village” in the 1960s. This term refers to the believe that the world is “shrinking” due to the availability to technology. What used to take days now take only a few minutes. Relationships that would have never formed are formed with ease.
There is the belief that technology has made us more passive and that is actually makes us less social.
Others feel that the Internet (for example) has made us more open, more innovative and more creative.

37. Culture from the Symbolic Interactionist view
Looks at the language, gestures and values-how are they affecting the culture?
Wayne Baker looked at whether or not American values were in trouble.
He looked at traditional values like the importance of God and religion, the family unit, respect for authority, high moral standards, male dominance in economic/political life and intolerance of moral issues.
He also looked at secular values like using reason and logic, ignoring religion and custom in government decision-making, low moral standards, and questioning authority.

38. Culture from the Symbolic Interactionist view
To compare traditional and secular values he uses three different arguments:
1. comparative hypothesis: States that U. S values are less than those found in other democracies. States we’re more individualistic. Through his research Baker found that this wasn’t the case.
2. distribution hypothesis: States we’re in a culture war liberal values and conservative values. These groups fight for control of the media, society and the government. He found no evidence to support this claim.
3. trend hypothesis: Using data over 30 years, he was able to note that Americans are more traditional than secular. Our values are pretty much the same as they were 30 years ago…if not stronger.

39. Culture from the Functionalist view
Functionalists see culture as the glue that keeps society together. This glue is made up of values and norms that are shared by members of that society.
Amitai Etzioni, one of the creators of communitarianism, sees society functioning when there is a balanced relationship between community, the market (think economy) and the government.
People need to buy into the idea that they matter to the community and by following the rules, it will make things better for everyone.

40. Culture from the Conflict Theory Point-of-view
George Ritzer sees similarities between society and McDonalds. He says that society has gone through “McDonaldization”.
He uses the bureaucratic model to show how society and McDonalds are alike. Both put the $$ bottom line ahead of people. He identified 4 steps in this process.

41. Culture from the Conflict Theory Point-of-view
1. Efficiency: consumers like low prices, so they’re willing to cut out some of the fluff. Example from book, at McDonald’s you carry your own tray to the table, get your own drink and throw your garbage away. This means that they don’t have to hire waiters…keeps prices low.
2. Calculability: Everything is counted for efficiency's sake. This makes things go faster and there is no gray area. Quantity is superior over quality. Ever gotten a messy burger that looks like it was just thrown together?? Has to be done quickly…

42. Culture from the Conflict Theory Point-of-view
3. Predictability: You can go to any McDonalds and the menu will be the same and it will taste the same. Takes out any surprises. The owners know what sells and how much money they’ll make, and consumers know what they like and feel comfortable knowing their favorite meal will be on the menu.
4. Technology: Technology is utilized to cut out human error which saves the owners money on time and supplies. This also allows for owners to hire less workers.
Ritzer feels that using the McDonaldization model dehumanizes our culture. We are losing the interaction with different people. We’re replacing that human interaction with machines. People question whether or not this is going to help our culture in the long run.

43. How does culture influence sociological theory & study???
Case Study: Social Policy—Multiculturalism & Assimilation
There is a belief that immigrants need to embrace the dominant culture as soon as possible. However, studies have shown that rapid, forced assimilation backfires and prevents full adaptation.
If an immigrant can keep some elements of their home culture (like their language) they will adapt faster and become more successful in the dominant culture.