the knowledge language values customs and material objects

the knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects that are passed from person to person and from one generation to the next in a human group or society

Why is Culture Important? • Individual survival and our communication with others. • It simplifies day to day interaction, within a specific culture. • We learn about culture through interaction, observation, and imitation. • Not only is it essential for individuals but for the survival of societies. • Rules, norms, laws, customs, etc.

Culture in a Global World • Our world seems to be growing smaller and smaller. • improvements in transportation, communications, international business and politics, etc • Mc. Donalds has gone global! • Learning about cultural diversity, within our own nation and globally becomes important for our individual and collective well-being. • Cultural etiquette

Culture Is Universal! • All humans face basic needs and engage in similar activities to satisfy needs • Anthropologist George Murdock compiled a list of 70 of these. Examples… • Appearance • Bodily adornment, hairstyles, fashion • Activities • Sports, dancing, games, joking • Social institutions • Family, law, religion • Customary practices • Cooking, folklore, gift giving, hospitality • Mesoamerican Ballgame • Cricket • Bossaball

Components of Culture • 5 basic components • Composed of the other 70 aspects Technology • Most everyone in a society chooses among the same broad set of material and nonmaterial elements of a culture Norms Symbols • Ex: many languages are spoken in American society, however English is the most shared language. Values Language

Technology • Knowledge and tools people use for practical purposes • Computer skills • Knowledge of computer processing and ability to access the internet • A computer • Sociologists also study misuse concerning technology • Ex: hacking is bad

Symbols • Anything that meaningfully represents something else. Love = Peace = Hate = • Symbols can impact our thoughts---therefore can impact our behavior.

Symbols Need Meaning • The swastika did not always symbolize the Nazi Party. Prior to the 20 th century when Hitler and Nazi Party adopted the symbol to represent the Aryan race, the swastika (facing right) meant “to be good. ”

Language • Organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system. • Rules of grammar • Used to express and communicate ideas • Language and gender, race, etc.

Values • Shared beliefs about what is good/bad, right/wrong, desirable/undesirable. • Determine the character of a culture’s people • Ex: a society that values war and aggressiveness will be very different from a society that values cooperation and sharing. • Functionalist theory - the role of values in a society and how shared values help society survive. • Conflict theory - how values differ in a group. • Ex: values of wealth and charity • Ideal vs. real values

American Values • Individual accomplishment • Problem-solving • Reliance on science/technology • Democracy • Patriotism • Charity • Freedom • Material success

Norms • Shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations. • Norms reinforce values. • Ex: American value of democracy is reinforced through norms that influence political participation and respecting the flag. • Norms are expectations/guidelines for behavior, not behaviors themselves. • Sanctions – a punishment for breaking a norm.

Norms • Folkways – norms that outline the common, acceptable customs of everyday life. • Don’t let the American flag touch the ground. • Shake hands when introduced to someone new. • Don’t burp in public. • Leave a seat between yourself and a stranger at a movie theater. • Tip 15% minimum for services. • SANCTION: If not followed, not a huge deal… may be perceived as odd.

Norms • Mores (more-ay) - norms that have great moral significance attached to them because they affect the stability of society. • Do not lie. • Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not (fraud). • Don’t murder someone. • SANCTION: If not followed, the legal system could be enforced.

Norms • Taboo – a norm that society holds so strongly that violating it results in extreme disgust. • In the past (and in some places currently) in America, being openly homosexual was considered taboo. • Destroying/desecrating American flags or the Christian cross. • SANCTION: If not followed, the violator could be ostracized (excluded) from society.

Discussion • How do symbols impact behavior. Think of an example. • How does language play a role in America as opposed to other nations? • Are there any values that ALL Americans embrace? • What are some southern norms?

Culture Shock � The disorientation that people feel when they encounter cultures radically different from their own. � The absence of familiar or comforting characteristics of your own culture � The presence of seemingly irrational, offensive or even hostile aspects of a new culture Sudanese come to America for the first time. � The lack of ability, linguistic or otherwise, to gain cultural understanding rapidly enough to adapt to these

Ethnocentrism • The practice of judging all other cultures by one’s own culture. • Ethnocentrism is the view that one particular ethnic group is somehow superior to all others.

Cultural Relativism • The belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards, rather than the standards of another culture. • What’s right for one culture might be wrong for another and that’s alright. • Basically the opposite end of the spectrum from ethnocentrism

Subculture • A group of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviors that differ in some significant way from that of the larger society • Share in the broad values and norms of the larger culture • Pose no significant threat to society

Counterculture • A group that strongly rejects dominant societal values and norms and seeks alternative lifestyles. • Intend to challenge values and norms

The Body Ritual of the Nacirema • While reading the article, try to picture a society with these cultural practices. Who are they? What are they doing? • How does the description of the Nacirema affect our ability to identify the people? • Ethnography – writing about another culture from a purely observational perspective. • What other American rituals/traditions could seem strange to outsiders? • With a partner, write a short (1 -2 paragraph) description of an American tradition/ritual using the ethnographic technique. We will try to guess your tradition!