Topic Cultural Norms Values Aim How do norms

Topic: Cultural Norms & Values Aim: How do norms and values impact social interaction? Now - word associate…when You think of The world ‘old’ what other characteristics do you associate with them? Do Now: Identify and Explain the age at which you Personally consider Someone “old, or Elderly” Birth 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95

• Biology changes how a person looks/feels, however the concept of being ‘old’ is socially constructed and varies from culture to culture. What kind of life events or occurrences can change a person from feeling ‘young’ to feeling ‘old’ besides actual age?

Going back to our word association themes of the term ‘old’ - when did conceptions of the elderly go from Positive (wise) to negative (useless) in our society? Why? In other words, when did we go from… Ageism (Butler): refers to prejudice, discrimination, and hostilities Directed towards elderly simply because of their age

Changing Role of the Elderly • With the beginning of industrialization, traditional respect for the elderly eroded • The meaning of ‘old’ was transformed – from usefulness to uselessness, from wisdom to foolishness, from an asset to a liability

Age in other cultures: • The Tiwi tribe (top left) is a gerontocracy – a society run by the elderly – where older men control all wealth and power • To grow old in Eskimo society (bottom left) meant voluntary death. A person no longer able to pull his/her own weight was expected to simply go off somewhere and die

Norms: established standards of societal behavior Formal Norms: generally codified Or written down (laws) Informal Norms: generally understood by people but not formal Mores (MOR-AYS): Folkways: norms deemed essential to Norms governing everyday society because they Behavior - violations are not represent essential values Severely punished, if at all and beliefs. Violations of mores *This is what you norm violation are severely punished. Project will ask you to do!

Positive (examples)? Sanctions: societal approval or disapproval for either following, or violating societal norms…can be either: Negative (examples)?

ACTIVITY: “The Woman’s Death” We will now read through a hypothetical scenario (just accept it at face value, it’s an activity! After reading through it together it will be your job to rank, in order of MOST to LEAST, the characters who are responsible for the woman’s death

“In a house, a young woman is married to a man who works very hard. She feels neglected. When her husband has gone off on still another trip, the young wife meets an attractive man who invites her to his house. She spends the night with him and at dawn she leaves, knowing he husband is coming back. The bridge back home is blocked by a madman who kills everyone who comes near him. The young wife follows the river and meets a ferryman who can take her across safely, but he demands $50 dollars to take her to the other side. The young wife had no money. She runs back to her platonic friend who lives at house. She runs to him and explains her problem. The friend refuses to help; she has disillusioned her friend by her conduct.

Characters: HUSBAND WOMAN FERRYMAN FRIEND MADMAN LOVER

Now…what VALUES do each of these characters represent? Hard HUSBAND work, supporting one’s family Capitalis m/right to FERRYMAN earn a living MADMAN Mental Illness Marital Fidelity - WOMAN honesty Loyalty support Opportunit y, male sexuality FRIEND LOVER