1. Products, Practices, Perspectives, Communities, Persons
Defining Culture
Products, Practices, Perspectives, Communities, Persons

2. The Triangle of Culture
Products
Perspectives (ideas)
Practices (behavior)
Culture
The Triangle of Culture

3. Products things produced by a culture
Plants, animals, tools, clothing, buildings, language, politics, religion…
Products

4. Practices actions and interactions by members of a culture
communication, creating art, literature, praying, washing hands, watching football (soccer)
verbal and nonverbal
Each action takes place within a specific community (group).
Praying within religious groups
Practices

5. the beliefs, values, and attitudes responsible for cultural products (ask, “Why did they build this pyramid?”)
These perspectives guide persons (individuals) as they practice their culture as part of communities (groups).
Perspectives form a person’s worldview.
Perspectives

6. Cultural products, perspectives (ideas), and practices (behavior) do not have any meaning without _________.
PEOPLE!
What is missing?

7. Adding People We must add people to our understanding of culture.
Communities (groups)
Persons (individuals)
Adding People

8. Communities (groups) and People (individuals)
Communities are groups of people with things in common such as language, gender, religion, race, political parties, sports teams…
Culture lives inside people.
One person can belong to many different kinds of communities.
Communities (groups) and People (individuals)

9. Persons (individuals)
Persons (individuals) are members of communities (groups).
Culture lives inside of individuals.
Culture does not exist without people.
Persons (individuals)

10. Five Elements of Culture
Products
Practices
Perspectives
Communities (groups)
Persons (individuals)
Culture
Five Elements of Culture

11. The Drive Through Restaurant

12. The Drive Through Restaurant
What cultural products are associated with the drive-through restaurant?
Straws
Napkins
Uniforms
Physical space of building
The Drive Through Restaurant

13. The Drive Through Restaurant
What cultural practices are involved?
You must know:
How to drive a car
Obey traffic laws
Use currency
Pick things on a menu
How to eat and drive at the same time!
The Drive Through Restaurant

14. Which communities (groups) are involved?
Customers
Entry-level employees
Managers
Owners
Stockholders
Food suppliers

15. The Drive Through Restaurant
Which persons (individuals) are involved?
Too many persons from every background are involved.
But this does mean the individual is less important.
The Drive Through Restaurant

16. The Drive Through Restaurant
What perspectives are involved?
Attitudes toward meals and food
Perceptions of time
Mobility
Values associated with the automobile
“fast food” can produce both a positive and negative image in the minds of different people
The Drive Through Restaurant

17. Cultural Products Ask: “What are the key products?”
What are the physical locations, the objects, the art forms?
Cultural Products

18. Cultural Practices Ask: “What are the essential practices?”
What do people say and do?
How do they act and interact with each other?
Cultural Practices

19. Cultural Perspectives
Ask: “What are the central perspectives?”
What are the main perceptions, values, beliefs, or attitudes?
Cultural Perspectives

20. Cultural Communities Ask: “Which specific communities are involved?”
Which groups participate directly?
Which groups participate indirectly?
Cultural Communities

21. Cultural Persons Ask: “How do individual persons react?”
Who are the people that participate?
What is their personal relationship with this phenomena?
Cultural Persons

22. Make a list of cultural Products, Practices, Perspectives, Persons, and Communities for the cultural phenomena below
a musical instrument
a marriage ceremony
a method of transportation
a game (basketball, handball, football)
a mall
a concert
Group Exercise

23. A Concert
Products
Practices
Perspectives
Communities
Persons

24. Make a list of cultural Products, Practices, Perspectives, Persons, and Communities for a cultural phenomena that you choose.
Hint: It can’t be “a concert”
Due September 12
Homework