Today Rurality and Culture Elements of culture Theoretical

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Today: Rurality and Culture • Elements of culture • Theoretical perspectives on culture •

Today: Rurality and Culture • Elements of culture • Theoretical perspectives on culture • Understanding cultural change and cultural variation • Why cultural “capital” • Elements of rural culture

Summing up last time: • You now have a basic toolkit for conducting your

Summing up last time: • You now have a basic toolkit for conducting your own social science research, and critically evaluating the findings of others. • You should know: – The steps of the scientific method and hw they work – The advantages and disadvantages of different types of research methods – The difference between reliability and validity – The advantages and disadvantages of different types of sampling strategies

Culture and Society ØConstituted of a number of people ØLive in the same territory

Culture and Society ØConstituted of a number of people ØLive in the same territory ØExists relatively independently of other societies ØParticipate in a (relatively) common culture Culture ØLearned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects and behavior

Material vs. Nonmaterial Culture • Material Culture – physical or technological aspects of daily

Material vs. Nonmaterial Culture • Material Culture – physical or technological aspects of daily lives • Nonmaterial Culture – ways of using material objects, customs, beliefs, governments, patterns of communication • Cultural Lag – period of maladjustment when the nonmaterial culture is still adapting to new material conditions

Elements of Culture 1. Language Ø Abstract system of word meanings and symbols Ø

Elements of Culture 1. Language Ø Abstract system of word meanings and symbols Ø Foundation of every culture Ø Permeates all parts of society Ø A Cultural Universal: practices and beliefs common to most societies • Other examples?

Elements of Culture 2. Norms (about behavior) Ø Established standards of behavior maintained by

Elements of Culture 2. Norms (about behavior) Ø Established standards of behavior maintained by society Ø Formal norms – written down and enforced Ø Informal norms – understood by not precisely recorded Ø Mores – highly necessary to the welfare of a society Ø Folkways – govern everyday behavior

Elements of Culture 3. Sanctions Ø Penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social

Elements of Culture 3. Sanctions Ø Penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm Ø Positive Sanctions Ø Negative Sanctions

Elements of Culture 4. Values Ø Collective conceptions of good vs. bad, proper vs.

Elements of Culture 4. Values Ø Collective conceptions of good vs. bad, proper vs. improper, morally right vs. wrong

Theoretical Perspectives Ø Functionalist Perspective ØCultural ‘competency’ helps an individual function well in society.

Theoretical Perspectives Ø Functionalist Perspective ØCultural ‘competency’ helps an individual function well in society. ØSocial stability requires consensus. ØSocialization into expected standards of behavior. ØAll cultures are legitimate: recognize cultural uniqueness. ØCan this actually be dysfunctional?

Theoretical Perspectives Ø Conflict Perspective ØThe role of power in defining what is mainstream,

Theoretical Perspectives Ø Conflict Perspective ØThe role of power in defining what is mainstream, and what is deviant: whose interests are supported? ØDominant Ideology – set of cultural beliefs and practices that help maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests ØUS: individual achievement, self reliance, rather than cooperative behavior support Capitalism

Theoretical Perspectives Ø Symbolic interactionist ØCulture is a set of shared symbols (language, practices)

Theoretical Perspectives Ø Symbolic interactionist ØCulture is a set of shared symbols (language, practices) that reflect basic values and have been: ØConstructed though social interaction ØAgreed-upon by members of the culture ØMay be difficult to understand by non-members and can be used to define cultural boundaries

Cultural Variation • Subculture – segment of society that shares a distinctive pattern of

Cultural Variation • Subculture – segment of society that shares a distinctive pattern of mores, folkways, and values different from the larger society. Sometimes associated with deviance. • Counter Culture – subculture that conspicuously and deliberately opposes certain aspects of the larger culture • Culture Shock – feeling of disorientation, uncertainty, or fear when immersed in an unfamiliar culture

Attitudes Toward Cultural Variation • Ethnocentrism – perceive one’s culture and way of life

Attitudes Toward Cultural Variation • Ethnocentrism – perceive one’s culture and way of life as the norm or superior ØFunctionalist vs. Conflict Perspective • Cultural Relativism – view people’s behavior from the perspective of one’s own culture ØXenocentrism – belief that the products, styles, or ideas of one’s society are inferior

Cultural Change • Innovation – process of introducing a new idea or object to

Cultural Change • Innovation – process of introducing a new idea or object to culture ØDiscovery – making known or sharing the existence of an aspect of reality ØInvention – existing cultural items are combined into a form that did not previously exist • Diffusion – process by which a cultural item is spread from group to group • Technology, communication

Thinking about cultural change / variation: • Theory perspectives: – Functional: • differences fill

Thinking about cultural change / variation: • Theory perspectives: – Functional: • differences fill specialized roles, can exist within. Change is adaptive. – Conflict: • differences due to power imbalances or struggles. Change represents challenges to the status quo. – Interactionist: • new cultural forms are shaped through social interaction or agreement

Thinking about rural culture • Is there a “rural culture” in the US and

Thinking about rural culture • Is there a “rural culture” in the US and what might it look like? • Should we care about it? • What might the different theoretical perspectives have to say about it? • How might we recognize and measure it? • Change versus stability in rural places / people

Elements of a rural culture: • • Specialized language Unique values (ideas of right

Elements of a rural culture: • • Specialized language Unique values (ideas of right and wrong) Unique norms (standards of behavior) Material culture products

Theoretical perspectives • Functionalist – How does rural culture keep things running smoothly for

Theoretical perspectives • Functionalist – How does rural culture keep things running smoothly for the culture and for society as a whole (filling roles) • Conflict – How are stereotypes of rural people and environments used to reinforce existing power structures and distribution of resources • Symbolic Interactionist: – How is rural culture ‘created’ within the culture and in larger society through interactional patterns

How might we recognize and measure rural culture? • Prevalence of certain practices /

How might we recognize and measure rural culture? • Prevalence of certain practices / interactional forms – Typical behaviors, attitudes, values – has been suggested that we define rural this way at least partially • But: would it vary by – Region? – Race? – Gender? • Who would count as ‘real rural’?

Do rural / urban values and behaviors differ? • Behaviors: examples? • Attitudes –

Do rural / urban values and behaviors differ? • Behaviors: examples? • Attitudes – – More politically conservative? Rural less supportive of env movement ? Rural more utilitarian values toward nature? Rural less concerned about environmental quality? • BUT: what about – cause-effect relationship – control variables?

How do we define “real rural” • Official definitions of rural places are based

How do we define “real rural” • Official definitions of rural places are based on population / density • Other choices: cultural practices, occupations • These may or may not have little to do with each other: – people versus places as ‘rural’ – How much change are we willing to accept

Rural cultural change: • Links to urban areas, outside world – Exchange of goods

Rural cultural change: • Links to urban areas, outside world – Exchange of goods / resources – Exchange of ideas (non material culture) – New people physically present – New types of employment • May be seen as a threat to tradition • May be seen as an opportunity to innovate

“The small town death wish” • An example of negative aspects of rural culture:

“The small town death wish” • An example of negative aspects of rural culture: – Resistance to change, new ideas – Tendency to look back, not forward – Resistance to outsiders more generally – Lack of recognition of dependence on ‘outside’ world or larger social forces that affect well being – Poor community self image – Lack of cooperation for the common good

The Small Town Death Wish, Cont. • Functional within, but dysfunctional in a changing

The Small Town Death Wish, Cont. • Functional within, but dysfunctional in a changing world (can’t view cultures in isolation) – – Community stagnation / decline Out-migration of best and brightest Alienation of those who would help Mediocrity and “dumbing down” • The response: – “emotion, rather than reason” – “prairie society does not belong to those who can come and go”

How do we think about cultural “capital” • Remember our definitions of Capital—resources that

How do we think about cultural “capital” • Remember our definitions of Capital—resources that can be invested to create other resources/profit • Theoretical perspectives on cultural capital – Functionalist: knowing how to behave “profits” the person in his/her context (note the dysfunctionality of small town death wish) – Conflict: cultural capital can be used to maintain inequality / class differences – Interactionist: how is what counts as cultural capital socially agreed on, and what are the rules that govern this?

What about Legacy? • We inherit cultural capital (values, attitudes, norms, materials) from… –

What about Legacy? • We inherit cultural capital (values, attitudes, norms, materials) from… – Family – Other institutions • This inheritance is shaped by our personal characteristics: – Gender, race, ethnicity, class, place

Next time • Continue to talk about socialization to rural life and the institutions

Next time • Continue to talk about socialization to rural life and the institutions that foster it. • Readings – Re-skim Flora and Flora Ch. 2 for socialization – Elder, King, Conger. 1996. (on web) – Recommended: Schaefer Ch 4