Culture Unit 2 Culture n n n Socially

Culture Unit 2

Culture n n n Socially transmitted customs, values, knowledge, material objects and behaviour. Helps to define the group or society to which we belong. Helps to explain human social behaviour. Society n A specific territory inhabited by people who share a common culture Read Page 82 cultural etiquette

Norms n Rules defining appropriate and inappropriate behaviour Formal norms written down Informal norms generally understood but not precisely recorded Activity: Signs (desktop) Then: Activity: Urinal study

Urinal Study Norms

Urinal Study Door 1 2 3 Which urinal do you use?

Urinal Study Door 1 2 3 x Now which urinal do you use?

Urinal Study Door 1 x 2 3 x Now what do you do?

Urinal Study Door 1 2 3 x x x While you are using the urinal what do you do?

Norms are unwritten rules of behaviour. Activity: 1. Think of a social situation. 2. List the unwritten rules of behaviour (norms). 3. What would happen if you violate any of these rules?

Norms n Norms are also classified by their relative importance to society Mores norms that have a moral dimension Folkway norms that shape our daily behaviour

Mores or Folkways? n n n n Norm against cursing aloud in a place of worship Eating 3 meals a day Incest Waking up the escalator when moving up Correct manners Sleeping in a bed Coming to school in your underwear

penalty or reward for behaviour Sanctions: Aconcerning a social norm Positive Sanctions: Negative Sanctions: FORMAL n Salary bonus n Medal FORMAL n Demotion n Jail Sentence INFORMAL n Smile n Compliment INFORMAL n Frown n Humiliation

Law Norms which are designed, maintained and enforced by the political authority of a society. n n n 1. Speeding 2. Cheating on Income Tax 3. Murder

Cultural Values n n n Collective ideas of what is considered good, desirable, and proper – or bad, undesirable, and improper – in a culture. Values influence people’s behaviour and serve as criteria for evaluating the actions of others. Basic values: achievement, efficiency, material comfort, nationalism, equality…

Values Activity 1. On a piece of paper, list 10 things that you value. 2. Put these values in order of importance. 1 being most important, 10 being least important to you. 3. List your 10 values (1 being most important to you) on the white board.

Culture Shock n The feeling of surprise and disorientation that people experience when they encounter cultural practices that are different from their own Exit Slip: Think of a time when you experienced culture shock. Explain why you felt this way.

Beliefs and Material Culture Beliefs Ideas about the nature of reality. People base their behaviour on what they believe, regardless of how true or false the beliefs are Material Culture The concrete tangible objects of a culture Non-material culture Ideas, knowledge and beliefs that influence people’s behaviour

Activity Analyze a sport or hobby in terms of its material and nonmaterial aspects Sport: soccer Material: soccer ball, net, cleats, jersey, fans… Non material: competition, exercise, team spirit…

Graphic Organizer…Culture Write a definition in the pie-piece-shaped space for each component of culture. Norms: Beliefs: Values: Material Objects: Write a personal example of each in the outer circle.

Cultural Universals n n 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. General cultural traits that exist in all cultures Not always carried out in the same way Economy (trade, tools, technology, jobs, business, clothing) Institutions (family, government, education) Arts (art, literature, dance, theatre, music, crafts) Language (words, expressions, pronunciations, alphabet) Environment (communities, geography, habitat, wildlife, climate) Recreation (games, toys arts, holidays, festivals) Beliefs (values, traditions, ethnicity, customs, religion, morals) Page 102 textbook

Cultural Universals Project 15 marks Written or presented Due:

Knowing Your Culture 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Better safe than… It is always darkest before the… Don’t bite the hand that… No news is … A penny saved is a … Children should be seen and not… Better late than… Proverbs: brief sayings that express commonly held ideas and beliefs.

Ethnocentrism n The belief that one’s own culture is superior to all others and therefore the most “civilized” way to live What are the advantages and disadvantages of Ethnocentrism? Article: “The Dirty English”

Cultural Relativism n n An approach that denies that any one way of living is superior to others All cultures are equal. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Cultural Relativism? Page 80 Textbook

Taboo n A norm so strong that the violation demands punishment by the group Eg. In India, followers of Hinduism have a taboo forbidding the killings of cows. Other taboos are related to sexual behaviours.

Unit 2 Test: 25 marks Long answer, short answer and multiple choice Vocabulary: Culture Society Norms Folkways Mores Taboo Law Sanctions (Formal and Informal) Culture shock Values Beliefs Material Culture Non material Culture Cultural Universals Ethnocentrism Cultural Relativism