1. Sociology Ch. 2 Culture Values, Norms & Sanctions

2. To learn a culture is to learn people’s values.
All groups of people are shaped and
informed by values.
Values:
Def.- the standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly.
-Values underlie people’s preferences, guide their choices, and indicate what they hold worthwhile in life.

3. Every group develops expectations
concerning the right way to reflect its values.
Groups express & codify their values
through norms.
Norms:
Def.- the expectations, or rules of behavior, that develop to reflect and enforce values.

4. Norms are enforced through sanctions.
Def.- expressions of approval or disapproval given to people for upholding or violating norms.

5. Sanctions can be positive or negative.
Positive Sanctions:
Def.- a reward or positive reaction for following norms, ranging from a smile to a prize.
- consider the positive sanctions at school
Negative Sanctions:
Def.- an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm, ranging from a mild, informal reaction such as a frown to a formal reaction such as a prison sentence or execution.
There is a progression
Again- consider this time the negative sanction you may see at school.

6. The intensity or severity of negative
sanctions depends on how crucial or not so
crucial the group views the particular norm
that is being violated. Norms range in
significance from folkways to mores to
taboos.
Folkways:
Def.- norms that are not strictly enforced
-Examples: talking too loudly in a library
blocking a hallway
-Negative sanctions? Disapproving looks
verbal reprimand

7. Mores:
Def.- norms that are strictly enforced because they are thought essential to core values or the well-being of the group.
-Examples: give an example
Extreme examples of violating mores range
from indecent exposure to robbery, rape &
murder.
As they relate to criminal behavior, laws are
norms that have been codified onto paper
and into statutes with prescribed punishments for
violations.

8. Example: Public Nudity?
Shirtless guy walking down the street- violating a folkway
Naked guy- arrested!
Michigan Law: Section a,
Indecent Exposure: Any person who shall knowingly make any open or indecent exposure of his or her person or of the person of another shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 1 year, or by a fine of not more than $
Breast Feeding?

9. Taboos are norms so strongly engrained
into a society’s consciousness that even the
mere thought of violating the norms is
greeted with universal revulsion.
Taboos:
Def.- a norm so strong that it often brings revulsion if violated
Examples: Dietary Restriction
Restrictions on Relationships

10. Dietary Restriction Religious Diets- Vegetarianism or Kosher
Cannibalism

11. Restrictions on Relationships
Age Restrictions
Incest
Polygamy

12. Norms are situation specific and what may
be a violation under some circumstances
may not be a violation under other
circumstances.
Examples:
Cursing
- accidentally hitting finger with a hammer vs. screaming swear words in church
Killing
- Premeditated murder vs.
combat “killing the enemy”

13. Many Cultural Worlds:
Subcultures & Countercultures
Cultures typically contain many subcultures & countercultures.
Subculture:
Def.- the values & related behaviors of a group that distinguishes it’s members from the larger cultures; a world within a world.
Each subculture is a world within the larger world
of the dominant culture with a distinctive way of
looking at life that, although different in many
respects, remains compatible with the dominant
culture.

14. United States ‘society consists of tens of
thousands of subcultures, which may be
connected to someone’s:
Occupation: Teachers, Law Enforcement, Unions
Social interests & activities: Girl Scouts, Hunters, Sports Teams, Fraternity
Religious affiliations:
Ethnic & racial group:
Political inclinations- beyond Democrat or Republican- Issue based- the environment, NRA,

15. Individuals may belong to or participate in numerous subcultures at the same time and frequently move in and out of various subcultures as their interests change.
Counterculture:
Def.- a group whose values, beliefs, and related behaviors place it’s members in opposition to the broader culture.

16. In challenging the dominant culture’s core values, countercultures often encounter fierce resistance from the dominant culture. Although countercultures typically elicit negative connotations, not all countercultures are necessarily negative.
Example:
Skinheads vs. Hippies