1. Cultural Components & Cultural Variation
Ms. Blackhurst
Sociology
Culture -- Day 1

2. Unit Outcomes Students will:
Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of culture through oral, written, and thinking activities.
Describe how cultural traits and culture items are used to analyze culture. Students will use traits and items to analyze culture throughout the course
Explain how differences between subcultures exist within a culture.
Explore the need for communication to transmit culture.
Identify the use of signs and symbols in the transmission of culture.

3. Culture Unit Projects, etc: Communication Barriers Yearbooks of PTHS
Gods Must Be Crazy video
Defying a Norm Project

4. Culture Unit, Day 1 Plan
Warm-up: Think of at least 10 items/words that we associate with CULTURE
Class work: 1. Introduce for Culture Unit
2.Culture PowerPoint & Discussion Activities
3. Tests back??
Homework: None!  (Unless you haven’t finished the Chapter vocabulary yet!)

5. Warm-up: Pair up with 1 or 2 people
Come up with at least 10 words that we associate with culture
When you finish, write them on the board please

6. What is culture?
Knowledge, values, customs, and physical objects that are shared by members of a society
Culture defines how members in a society behave in relation to others and to physical objects
Unlike most animals, human behavior is LEARNED and based on our culture

7. Beliefs & Material Culture
Material Culture---the concrete, tangible objects of a culture
All of these physical aspects of a culture help to define its members' behaviors and perceptions.
Ex: Technology

8. Non-Material Culture---ideas, knowledge, and beliefs that influence people’s behaviors
These beliefs, then, determine how the culture responds to its religious topics, issues, and events

9. Think/Pair/Share Brainstorm a list of material culture items
Brainstorm a list of non-material culture items

10. Material culture: art, architecture, jewelry, weapons, machinery, clothing, food, music, etc.
societal characteristics shared by all members within the group- passed down from generations
Nonmaterial culture: shared knowledge (ed. System), language, beliefs and values (religion), social norms and behaviors

11. Today:
List (what you believe) are the four most important types of non-material culture
We will:
Finish discussion on non-material culture.
Discussion sheet on Mores/Folkways

14. Social values are standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly
Social Norms are expectations or rules of behavior that develop from generations of accepted values

15. Values
Broad ideas about what most people in society consider to be desirable.
Sociologist Robin Williams in the 1970’s outlined the basic American Values

16. Norms Norms are based on values
Norms are the rules defining appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
Members of society use them to guide their social behavior.
Folkways, mores, and laws

17. Mores Have a greater moral significance
Violations of Mores endangers the well-being & stability of society
Do not kill other people
Do not steal
Do not hurt children
Keep your promises
Pay back borrowed money

18. Laws Many mores are formalized into laws
Laws against stealing, murder, arson
Mores against smoking now a law in public places in Pennsylvania

19. Folkways Rules that cover customary practices without a moral concern
Males—take off hats inside a building
Sending “Thank You” notes
Using proper table manners
Do not eat peas with your fingers
Shake hands when you are introduced to someone
Get to class on time
Do your homework
Do not cut in line

20. Cultural Etiquette Country Custom England/ Scotland and Whales
Appointments are essential. You may be ten minutes late but not ten minutes early!
Greece
Be careful not to praise a specific object too enthusiastically or the host may insist on giving it to you.
Libya
If you are invited to a Libyan home for dinner, only men will be present. Take a gift for the host but not for his wife.
Senegal
Never eat food with the left hand, as this is considered offensive .
Zambia
Avoid direct eye contact with members of the opposite sex—it may suggest romantic overtures
Saudi Arabia
It is an insult to sit in such as way as to face your host with the soles of your shoes showing.
China
A visit to a Chinese home is rare—unless the government has given prior approval.

21. Think About It!
Why do we follow our society’s values, norms, folkways, and laws?
Explain your answer

22. In pairs (or triplets)…
Come up with examples of norms…
These can be folkways and mores!
I want at least 10 examples!
And write them down… you’ll use them later!

23. Sanctions Rewards & punishments used to encourage conformity
Positive: Reward
Cheer, smile, pay raise, head nod, badges, ribbons, letters to athletes, trophies, public ceremonies, thumbs up
Negative: Punishment
grounding for being late, towing a car, frowns, public ridicule, rejection, fines, imprisonment, gossip, being ignored, fired, low grades, office referral

24. Taboo = social norms that are so strong that people are shunned, banished, or executed if violated

25. Cultural Universals These items are found in ALL cultures Economy
Institutions
Arts
Language
Environment
Recreation
Beliefs

26. Values in U.S. Society (as noted by sociologist Robin Williams)
(1) Achievement and Success
(2) Individualism
(3) Activity and Work
(4) Efficiency and Practicality
(5) Science and Technology
(6) Progress
(7) Material Comfort
(8) Humanitarianism
(9) Freedom
(10) Democracy
(11) Equality
(12) Racism and Group Superiority
(13) Education
(14) Religiosity
(15) Romantic Love