LECTURE 03 CULTURAL NORMS AND VALUES DEPARTMENT CITY

LECTURE #03 CULTURAL NORMS AND VALUES DEPARTMENT: CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING, LCWU SUBJECT: SOCIOLOGY COURSE INSTRUCTOR: MS. FARYAL KHALID

Culture refers to the norms, values, behavior that together, form a people's way of life. Culture includes the traditions we inherit and pass on to the next generation Culture: totality of our shared language, knowledge, material objects, and behavior.

BEHAVIOUR A way person is behaving towards others Behaviour is the range of mannerism made by the individuals and artificial entities in conjunction with themselves or their environment , which includes other systems as well as their physical environment.

COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOUR

Examples of collective behaviour a crowd doing the wave at a football game a group of people forming around a street preacher. A collective social movement to improve environment.

VALUES The first, and perhaps most crucial, elements of culture are its values § Values are the social principals, goals, and standards that cultural members believe have worth. § They define what the members care about most and are revealed by their priorities. § § Values are what is a desirable or “good” Values can be good or bad. They are concerned with what it is good to desire.

Cont. . Values influence every aspect of our lives § our moral judgments, our responses to others, our commitments to personal and goals. § Values set the parameters for the hundreds of decisions we make every day § Values guide our behavior, help our decision making, motivate us and keep us focused. §

Cont. . Examples Respect for elders Kindness Telling to the young, truth Generosity Sacrifice Tolerance

Cont. . In the U. S professional athletes at the top levels in some sports are honoured ( in the monetary payment ) more than college professor. So there is difference between values clarification and cognitive moral education. Values Clarification is to helping people to clarify what their lives are for and what is worth working for. School design programs hat allows students to clarify their own values and understand the value of others. Cognitive Moral education is based on the belief that students should learn to value things like democracy and justice as their moral reasoning develops.

NORMS “A norm is a rule or standard that governs our conduct in the social situations in which we participate. ” Robert Biesrdt Norms are social rules which define correct and acceptable behaviour in a society or a group to which people are expected to confirm. They prescribe the way the people should behave in particular situations.

Cont. . Norms, in short, are a bundle of do’s and don’ts; they are rules of behaviour in particular situations. For example, in all societies, there are norms which define acceptable male and female dress. There are norms about driving. Norms exist in all areas of social life.

TYPES OF NORMS Formal Norms Formal norms have been written down and have strict rules and punishment of violators. Informal Norms These norms are generally understood but are nor precisely recorded e. g. Standards of proper dress

RELATION BETWEEN NORMS AND VALUES Norms and values have salient relation. Norms are specific, values are not There may be, in a particular situation, delusion of norms , but values are commanding. Norms are rules of behaving : they say more or less specifically what should or should nor done by the particular types of actor in given circumstances. Values are standards of desirability that are nearly independent of specific situations.

Cont. . The same value may be the point of reference for a great many specific norms; a particular norms may represent the simultaneous application of several separable values. Thus, the value premise “equality” may enter norms for relationships between husband wife, brother and brother, teacher and student and so on.

Cont. . On the other hand , the norm “ a teacher must not show favoritism in grading” may in particular instance involve the value of equality , honesty , humanitarian and several others. Values , as standards (criteria) for establishing what should be regarded as desirable, provide the grounds for accepting or rejecting particular norm