Presentation on theme: "Culture."— Presentation transcript:
1 Culture
2 Culture //www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf1kT-x_JEE
Culture: totality of
learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behaviour Includes ideas, values, customs, and artifacts of groups of people Common culture is shared by people in a society— the largest form of human group Common culture simplifies day-to-day interactions Culture influences human behaviour
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Culture A fairly large number of people are said to constitute a society when they live in the same territory, are relatively independent of people outside their area, and participate in a common culture. Members of a society generally share a common language, which facilitates day-to-day exchanges with others.
4 Characteristics of Culture
Culture is shared uniquely Culture is learned Cultural transmission – passing of cultural traits from one generation to the next Culture is based on symbols
5 Characteristics of Culture
Cannot change one element without impacting another Cultural integration – close relationship among various elements of a cultural system Cultural lag – period of maladjustment when an element of culture changes and disrupts a system
6 Cultural universals Cultural universal: certain common practices and beliefs that all societies have developed Many
adaptations to meet essential human needs
7 Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism
Ethnocentrism: tendency to assume that one’s own culture and way of life represents the norm or is superior to others Our view of the world is dramatically
influenced by the society in which we were raised Cultural relativism: people’s behaviors from the perspective of their own culture Different social contexts give rise to different norms and values
8 Xenocentrism Xenocentrism is the belief that the products, styles, or ideas of one’s
society are inferior to those that originate elsewhere. In a sense, it is a reverse ethnocentrism.
9 Bilingualism Bilingualism refers to the use of two or more languages in a particular setting, such as the workplace or educational facilities, treating each language as equally legitimate. Thus, a program of bilingual
education may instruct children in their native language while gradually introducing them to the language of the host society. For a long time people in the United States demanded conformity to a single language. In a sense, this demand coincides with the functionalist view that language serves to unify members of a society. Beginning in the 1960s, active movements for Black pride and ethnic pride insisted that people regard the traditions of all racial and ethnic
subcultures as legitimate and important. Conflict theorists explain this development as a case of subordinated language minorities seeking opportunities of self-expression. The perspective of conflict theory also helps us understand some of the attacks on bilingual programs. Many of them stem from an ethnocentric point of view, which holds that any deviation from the majority is bad.
10 Socio-biology and Culture
Socio-biology: systematic study of how biology affects human social behavior Founded on Darwin’s theory of evolution Most social scientists would agree there is a biological basis for social behavior
11 Aspects of cultural variation Subculture
A subculture is a segment of society that shares a distinctive pattern of mores, folkways, and values that differ from the patterns of the larger society. The existence of many subcultures is characteristic of complex societies
such as the United States. Members of a subculture participate in the dominant culture, while at the same time engaging in their unique and distinctive forms of behavior. Frequently, a subculture will develop an argot, or specialized language, which distinguishes it from the wider society.
12 Subculture
Subcultures may be based on common age (teenagers or old people), region, ethnic heritage (Garo, Khasia), occupation (fire-fighters), beliefs (deaf activists working to preserve deaf culture), or shared interest or hobby (computer hackers).
13 Counter Culture When a subculture conspicuously and deliberately
opposes certain aspects of the larger culture, it is known as a Countercultures typically thrive among the young, who have the least investment in the existing culture. In most cases, a 20-year-old can adjust to new cultural standards more easily than someone who has spent 60 years following the patterns of the dominant culture.
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Cultural Shock Anyone who feels disoriented, out of place, even fearful, when immersed in an unfamiliar culture may be experiencing culture shock. All of us, to some extent, take for granted the cultural practices of our society. As a result, it can be surprising and even disturbing to realize that other cultures do not follow our ‘way of life.’ [e.g., US people see dog meat eaters in China; a strict Islamic woman is shocked by provocative dress on a US teen.
15 Elements of Culture: Language
Language is an abstract system of word meanings and symbols for all aspects of culture. It includes speech, written characters, numerals, symbols, and gestures and expressions of nonverbal communication. Unlike some other elements of
culture, language permeates all parts of society. While language is a cultural universal, striking differences in the use of language are evident around the world.
16 Language: Written and Spoken
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis Language precedes thought
Language is not a given Language is culturally determined Language may color how we see the world
17 Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication: use of gestures, facial expressions, and other visual images to communicate Learned
Differs by culture Symbols: gestures, objects, and words that form basis of human communication
18 Norms and Sanction All societies have ways to encourage and enforce appropriate behavior,
and discourage and punish inappropriate behaviour Collective idea of what is good and desirable, and what is not
19 Norms Norms: established standards of behavior maintained by a
society
To be significant, must be widely shared and understood Persistent social norm in contemporary society: heterosexuality
20 Norms Types of Norms Formal norms: generally written; specify strict punishments Law: governmental social control Informal norms: generally understood but not precisely recorded Mores: norms deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society Folkways: norms governing everyday behavior
21 Sanctions Sanctions: penalties and rewards for conduct concerning social norm
Positive sanctions: pay raises, medals, words of gratitude Negative sanctions: fines, threats, imprisonment, and stares of contempt
22 Acceptance of Norms People do not follow norms in all
situations
Behavior that appears to violate society’s norms may represent adherence to a particular group’s norms Norms may be violated because they conflict with other norms Acceptance of norms is subject to change Sudden change can upset an entire population
23 Values Cultural values: collective conceptions of what is good, desirable, and proper— or bad,
undesirable, and improper Influence people’s behaviour Criteria for evaluating actions of others Values may change, but most remain relatively stable during any one person’s lifetime
24 Sociological Perspectives on
Culture
Functionalists maintain that social stability requires a consensus and the support of society’s members; strong central values and common norms provide that support Conflict theorists argue that common culture serves to maintain the privileges of certain groups
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Sociological Perspectives on Culture
Dominant ideology: set of cultural beliefs and practices that help maintain powerful interests Social interests Economic interests Political interests Conflict perspective: dominant ideology has major social significance
26 Development of Culture around the World
Despite their differences, all societies have developed certain common practices and beliefs known as cultural universals. Anthropologist George Murdock compiled a list of cultural universals, including athletic sports, marriage,
cooking, funeral ceremonies, medicine, and sexual restrictions. The cultural practices listed by Murdock may be universal, but the manner in which they are expressed varies from culture to culture.
27 Development of Culture around the
World
Innovation: process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture Discovery: making known or sharing existence of an aspect of reality Invention: existing cultural items combined into form that did not exist before
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Globalization, Diffusion, and Technology
Diffusion: process by which cultural item spreads from group to group McDonaldization of society: process through which principles of fast-food industry dominate certain sectors of society Technology: information about how to use material resources of the environment to satisfy human needs and desires (Nolan and Lenski)
29 Globalization, Diffusion, and Technology
Material culture: physical or technological aspects of daily lives Nonmaterial culture: ways of using material objects Culture lag: period of maladjustment when nonmaterial culture struggles to adapt to new
material conditions
30 Cultural Change If Cultures goes through these different phases , then they have to change As cultures change, they strive
to maintain cultural integration, the close relationship among various elements of a cultural system. - William Ogburn’s concept of cultural lag refers to the fact that cultural elements change at different rates, which may disrupt a cultural system. – Three phenomena promote cultural change Inventions, the process of creating new cultural elements. Discovery, recognizing and understanding an idea not fully understood before. Diffusion, the
spread of cultural traits from one cultural system to another