SESSION 02 Culture and the Society

SESSION 02 Culture and the Society
1. Culture, Society and the Individual What is culture Elements of Culture Norms and Values Language Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013
A. What is Culture 1. Organize the best Define for culture 2. Explain how culture has originated PP 02 & PP 03 V 01 & 02 Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

Culture “A system of values and norms that are shared
among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living.” -Hofstede, Namenwirth and Weber- Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

C. Layers of Culture 1. Discuss the layers of culture 2. How these layers are formed and what are the variables that could change them ? Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

A. Three Layers of culture
Principle Cultural traditions that distinguish your specific society. language, traditions, and beliefs that set each of these peoples apart from others. Sinhaleese , Tamils , Muslims Subculture – Subculture of the main culture - their language, food, and other traditions Tamils – Jaffna & Indians Sinhalese – Upcountry and low country Learned behavior - Cultural universals. These are learned behavior patterns that are shared by all of humanity collectively. No matter where people live in the world, they share these universal traits. Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

B. Elements of Culture 1. Discuss the Seven elements in culture 2. Roger. E., The ways of Religion-An introduction to the Major Traditions, Oxford, 1999 Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

SEVEN Elements of culture
1. Language 2. Norms 3. Values 4. Beliefs and ideologies. 5. Social Collectives. 6. Cultural Integration & Statuses 7. Roles Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

1. Language Language is a set of symbols used to assign and communicate meaning. It enables us to name or label the things in our world so we can think and communicate about them. Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

C. Norms and Values 1. Describe the Norms and values in culture 2. Relate how these are important to healthcare professionals Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

2. Norms Norms as humanly created rules for behavior. The production of norms. The need for orderly, stable, predictable interactions . “Social rules that govern people’s actions toward one and another” Types of norms Folkways Mores Taboos Rituals Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

3. Values Form the bedrock of a culture Provide the context for establishing and justifying a society’s norms and attitudes toward: individual freedom democracy truth and justice honesty loyalty social obligations role of women love and sex marriage Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

3. Beliefs Beliefs are the things members of a culture hold to be true. They are the "facts" accepted by all or most members. Beliefs are not limited to religious statements, but include all the things a people know and accept as true, including common sense everyday knowledge. Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

4. Ideologies Ideologies are integrated and connected systems of beliefs. Sets of beliefs and assumptions connected by a common theme or focus. They are often are associated with specific social institutions or systems and serve to legitimize those systems. Examples Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

5. Social Collectives Social collectives such as groups, organizations, communities, institutions, classes, and societies are also collectively produced symbolic social constructions. Social collectives are symbolic entities. They are defined into existence when people define themselves as a group or are defined as a group by others. They can and do become reified over time, such that they are seen and treated as real objective entities. However, they remain fundamentally symbolic entities and as such can be renegotiated and redefined. Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

6.Cultural Integration. & Statuses
Cultural integration refers to how interconnected, complimentary, and mutually supportive the various elements of culture are: Diversity, complexity, and integration. Variation within modern mass cultures. Diversity in historical and cultural traditions. Subcultures. Counter-cultures. Local cultures. Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

7. Roles Roles are norms specifying the rights and responsibilities associated with a particular status. The term role is often used to mean both a position in society and role expectations associated with it. Roles define what a person in a given status can and should do, as well as what they can and should expect from others. Roles provide a degree of stability and predictability, telling how we should respond to others and giving us an idea of how others should respond to us. Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

Question 02 Disuses how seven elements of the culture influence the effective delivery of healthcare service ? Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

Activity 02 Group 05 Discuss the Characteristics of Family Group 04 Describe Family Patterns and Forms of Family Group 03 Discuss the importance knowing the family details and the history to perform en effective healthcare services Group 02 Describe the Definition of Marriage & Forms of Marriage Group 01 How does the different types of marriages influence delivering Healthcare services Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

See you next week with effective presentations !
Thank you ! See you next week with effective presentations ! Sociology for healthcare professionals - DR KE 2013

Differences in Culture
International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

“A system of values and norms that are shared
Culture “A system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living.” Hofstede, Namenwirth and Weber International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Different Components of Culture
Values and Norms Folkways and Mores

Values Form the bedrock of a culture
Provide the context for establishing and justifying a society’s norms and attitudes toward: individual freedom democracy truth and justice honesty loyalty social obligations role of women love and sex marriage International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Norms Social rules that govern people’s actions toward one and another
Folkways routine conventions of everyday life actions of little moral significance dress code, eating habits, time orientation, rituals, etc. violating folkways will not be considered evil or bad Mores norms seen as central to the functioning of a society have much greater significance than folkways violating mores can bring serious retribution theft, adultery, incest, cannibalism International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Characteristics of Culture
Learned behavior through: observation sharing and transferring Accumulation of solutions to common problems by: accident learning borrowing (Cultural Diffusion) All elements are interrelated Composed of explicit and implicit layers Dynamic and evolutionary International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Cultural Diffusion Up to 90% of all cultures have their major origins from elsewhere When two different cultures interact: selective process two-way process borrowed items will be reinterpreted International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Culture, Society and Nation States
Society is a group of people who share a common culture No one-to-one correspondence between society and a nation nation states are political creations many cultures can co-exist within a nation state similarity among people is both a cause and effect of national boundaries Nations composed of several cultures with no super-ordinate and uniting values are likely to split apart Nations break up and yield smaller units allowing national cultures to emerge and solidify International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Determinants of Culture
Fig: 3.1 International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

A society’s basic social organization
Social Structure A society’s basic social organization Two Dimensions Degree to which basic social unit is the individual vs. the group Degree to which society is stratified into classes or castes International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Individualism Often prevalent in Western societies
Not only reflected in the political and economic organizations How people perceive themselves and relate to each other in social and business settings Social status of an individual is not a function of where they work but their individual performance Often expressed in a high degree of entrepreneurship and managerial mobility Makes team building more difficult International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

The Group Often prevalent outside Western societies
Social status of an individual is determined by the standing of the group to which they belong to as much by their individual performance Often expressed in a high degree of group affiliation and the lack of managerial mobility International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Social Stratification
All societies are stratified on a hierarchical basis into social categories (social strata) Typically defined on the basis of: family background occupation Income Culture differ from each other with regard to the: degree of social mobility between social strata significance attached to social strata in business International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Social Mobility The extent to which individuals can move out of the social strata into which they are born Two Major Types Caste System Class System International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Caste System Most rigid form of stratification
Closed system in which social position is determined by the person’s family Change is usually not possible for entire life Caste position carries with is a specific occupation International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Class System Less rigid form of social stratification
Open system where social mobility is possible both upward or downward Person’s social position by birth can be changed through their achievements or luck Degree of social mobility varies by society International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Class Consciousness When people tend to perceive themselves in terms of their class background which shapes their relationships with members of other classes Where class consciousness is high, the way individuals from different classes work together may be very prescribed and strained International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Religion System of shared beliefs and rituals concerned
with the realm of the sacred Shapes attitudes toward work and entrepreneurship Relationship between religion, ethics and society is subtle and complex Hazardous to make sweeping generalizations! International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Set of moral principles or values used to guide and shape behavior
Ethical Systems Set of moral principles or values used to guide and shape behavior Can affect the cost of doing business in a country International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

World Religions Map 3.1 International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Religion and Economic Implications
Christianity “Protestant Work Ethic & the Spirit of Capitalism” Islam favors legitimate profit and market-based systems important to keep one’s word or contractual obligations no payment or receipt of interest (mudarabah, murabaha) Hinduism ascetic, non-material principles inhibit entrepreneurship caste system plays a role Buddhism little emphasis on entrepreneurial behavior Confucianism loyalty, reciprocal obligations, and honesty in dealings International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Education Can be a source of national competitive advantage
provides a pool of skilled and educated workers Key determinant for location of FDI Impacts the kind of products/services that are consumed and the related promotional programs Education can be a source of social classes International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Adult Literacy Rates Map 3.3 International Business
H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Language Enables people to communicate with each other and
structures the way we perceive the world Spoken verbal cues language structures our perception of world Unspoken body language personal space

Spoken Mother Language

Non-Spoken Language 70% of all communication Nonverbal cues: eyebrows
fingers/thumbs hand gestures feet personal space body gestures International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Culture and the Workplace
Study on the relationship between culture and the workplace by Geert Hofstede 40 countries 100,000 individuals

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Four Dimensions of Culture Power Distance Individualism versus Collectivism Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity versus Femininity International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Power Distance Dimension focused on how a society dealt with the fact that people are unequal in physical and intellectual capabilities High Power Cultures societies that let inequalities (power and wealth) grow over time Low Power Cultures societies that tried to play down such inequalities International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Individualism versus Collectivism
Dimension focused on the relationship between the individual and his/her fellows within a culture Individualistic Societies loose ties between individuals individual achievement & freedom highly valued Collectivist Societies tight ties between individuals tend to be more relationship oriented International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Uncertainty Avoidance
Dimension measured the extent to which different cultures socialized their members into accepting ambiguous situations and tolerating uncertainty High Uncertainty Cultures job security, career patterns, retirement benefits are very important need for rules and regulations and clear instructions and tight control from superior are important Low Uncertainty Cultures readiness to take risks and less resistance to change International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Masculinity versus Femininity
Dimension focused on the relationship between gender and work roles Masculine Cultures sex roles were sharply differentiated and traditional ‘masculine values” were cultural ideals Feminine Cultures sex roles were less sharply distinguished and little differentiation was made between gender in the same job International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Work-Related Values for 20 Countries

Problems with Hofstede’s Findings
Assumes one-to-one relationship between culture and the nation-state His research may have been culturally bound Survey respondents were from a single industry (computer) and a single company (IBM) Findings are becoming dated ( ) Revised his initial research and included a fifth dimension “Confucian dynamism” attitudes towards time, persistence, “face”, tradition International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Cultural Change Culture is not a constant; it evolves over time
American values toward the role of women American college students values about work and careers Japan moves toward greater individualism in the workplace and is impacted by aging society Effects of economic advancement and globalization Economic progress is accompanied by a shift in values away from: collectivism towards individualism “traditional values” towards “secular rational values” “survival values” towards “self-expression” and “well-being” values

Changing Values International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Managerial Implications
Culture and competitive advantage Which nations might be competitors Which nations might be a resource (HR, R &D) Which nations might be a market (early adopters) Which nation might be a production site Culture and business ethics Many ethical principles are universal, others are culturally bound Cross cultural literacy Observe and study foreign cultures International Business H. Michael Boyd, Ph.D.

Culture The values, beliefs, behavior, and material objects that together form a people’s way of life Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Terminology Nonmaterial culture Material culture
The intangible world of ideas created by members of a society Material culture The tangible things created by members of a society Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Terminology Culture shock Ethnocentrism Cultural relativism
Disorientation due to the inability to make sense out of one’s surroundings Domestic and foreign travel Ethnocentrism A biased “cultural yardstick” Cultural relativism More accurate understanding Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Symbols Anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture Societies create new symbols all the time. Reality for humans is found in the meaning things carry with them. The basis of culture; makes life possible Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Symbols People must be mindful that meanings vary from culture to culture. Meanings can even vary greatly within the same groups of people. Fur coats, Confederate flags, etc. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Language A system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another Cultural transmission The process by which one generation passes culture to the next Sapir-Whorf thesis People perceive the world through the cultural lens of language. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Values and Beliefs Values Beliefs
Culturally defined standards of desirability, goodness, and beauty, which serve as broad guidelines for social living. Values support beliefs. Beliefs Specific statements that people hold to be true. Particular matters that individuals consider to be true or false. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Are some of these values inconsistent with one another?
Sociologist Robin Williams’ Ten Values That Are Central to American Life Equal opportunity Achievement and success Material comfort Activity and work Practicality and efficiency Progress Science Democracy and free enterprise Freedom Racism and group superiority Are some of these values inconsistent with one another? Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Values Sometimes Conflict
Williams's list includes examples of value clusters. Sometimes one key cultural value contradicts another. Value conflict causes strain. Values change over time. A Global Perspective Cultures have their own values. Lower-income nations have cultures that value survival. Higher-income countries have cultures that value individualism and self-expression. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Rules and expectations by which society guides its members’ behavior
Norms Rules and expectations by which society guides its members’ behavior Types Proscriptive Should-nots, prohibited Prescriptive Shoulds, prescribed like medicine Mores and Folkways Mores (pronounced "more-rays") Widely observed and have great moral significance Folkways Norms for routine and causal interaction Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Social Control Guilt Shame A negative judgment we make about ourselves
Various means by which members of society encourage conformity to norms Guilt A negative judgment we make about ourselves Shame The painful sense that others disapprove of our actions Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Ideal Versus Real Culture
Ideal culture The way things should be Social patterns mandated by values and norms Real culture They way things actually occur in everyday life Social patterns that only approximate cultural expectations Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Material Culture and Technology
Culture includes a wide range of physical human creations or artifacts. A society's artifacts partly reflect underlying cultural values. In addition to reflecting values, material culture also reflects a society's technology or knowledge that people use to make a way of life in their surroundings. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Cultural Diversity High culture–Cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite. Popular culture–Cultural patterns that are widespread among society’s population. Subculture–Cultural patterns set apart some segment of society’s population. Counterculture–Cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Multiculturalism An educational program recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting the equality of all cultural traditions. Eurocentrism–The dominance of European (especially English) cultural patterns Afrocentrism–The dominance of African cultural patterns Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Interdependence Culture integration Culture lag
The close relationships among various elements of a cultural system Example: Computers and changes in our language Culture lag The fact that some cultural elements change more quickly than others, which might disrupt a cultural system Example: Medical procedures and ethics Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Culture Changes in Three Ways
Invention–Creating new cultural elements Telephone or airplane Discovery–Recognizing and better understanding of something already in existence X-rays or DNA Diffusion–The spread of cultural traits from one society to another Jazz music or much of the English language Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
The practice of judging another culture by the standards of one’s own culture Cultural relativism The practice of judging a culture by its own standards Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Is There a Global Culture?
The Basic Thesis The flow of goods–Material product trading has never been as important. The flow of information–Few, if any, places are left where worldwide communication isn’t possible. The flow of people–Knowledge means people learn about places where they feel life might be better. Limitations to the thesis All the flows have been uneven. Assumes affordability of goods People don’t attach the same meaning to material goods. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Theoretical Analysis of Culture
Structural-functional Culture is a complex strategy for meeting human needs. Cultural universals–Traits that are part of every known culture; includes family, funeral rites, and jokes Critical evaluation Ignores cultural diversity and downplays importance of change Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Inequality and Culture
Social-conflict Cultural traits benefit some members at the expense of others. Approach rooted in Karl Marx and materialism; society’s system of material production has a powerful effect on the rest of a culture. Critical evaluation Understates the ways cultural patterns integrate members into society Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Evolution and Culture Sociobiology Critical evaluation
A theoretical paradigm that explores ways in which human biology affects how we create culture. Approach rooted in Charles Darwin and evolution; living organisms change over long periods of time based on natural selection. Critical evaluation Might be used to support racism or sexism Little evidence to support theory; people learn behavior within a cultural system Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Culture and Human Freedom
Culture as constraint We only know our world in terms of our culture. Culture as freedom Culture is changing and offers a variety of opportunities. Sociologists share the goal of learning more about cultural diversity. Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.