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CHAPTER 4
SOCIETY
People who interact in a defined territory
And share a culture
Society & Culture-> Interdependent
Society
What is Culture?
Ways of thinking and acting
Material objects
That form a way of life
Culture
Culture: Two Categories
1. Material CulturePhysical things created by members of society
2. Non-Material (Symbolic)Culture
Ideas created by members of society
Material Culture
Physical objects people create and give meaning
Examples:Homes School buildingsChurches, synagogues, temples,
mosques Cell phonesClothesCarsComputersBooks
Material Culture:
Material Culture
Non-Material Culture
Common elements:
Symbols
Language
Values
Norms
Non-material CultureRules of Etiquette for Eating: Japan
Non-material CultureRules of etiquette for eating U.S.
Non-material Culture: Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tJYN-eG1zk
http://www.youtube.com/user/beyonce
Symbols
Meaning recognized by people who share a culture
Humans create meaning
Symbols
Non-material / Symbolic Culture
We communicate through: Signs Gestures Language
Signs
Gestures
Language
System of symbols: People communicate
Language: Key to accumulating knowledge
Cultural TransmissionPassing culture one generation to the next
Human Languages: A Variety of SymbolsHere the single English word “Read” is written in twelve of the hundreds of languages.
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
The way people think is strongly affected by their native languages.
Controversial theory by linguist
Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Whorf
Does language shape reality?
See and understand world through language
Cannot think without language
Language connects symbols with emotions
Does language determine thought?
In Chinese, only a single term luotuo( 骆驼 )
In English the word is camel. In Arabic, there are more than 400
words for the animal.
Eskimo language has many words involving snow. For example:
apun= “snow on the ground”, qanikca= “hard snow on the ground”, utak= “block of snow”
Language & RealityIn English, time & objects counted & talked about in same way
Time is objectified
In Hopi, concept of time as “becoming later”,
Not a physical quantity that you can “have”
Language and Reality
Language & Reality
English—a world of things Time as commodity
Hopi—a world of events
Language & Reality
http://vimeo.com/42744105
*** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS1Dno_d2yA
How Many Cultures?
One indication is language
7,000 languages
Words Past and Present
40s Slang Take a powder Fuddy-duddy Gobbledygook Eager beaver Flip your wig Lettuce Pass the buck
60s & 70s Slang Skinny Can you dig it? Spaz Far out Chill Bread A gas Bug out
Language and EmotionsLanguage influences human emotional experiences
Words such as anger or sadnessCultural artifacts of English language
Connecting symbols with Emotions
Values and Beliefs
ValuesCulturally defined standardsWhat is desirable, good, and beautiful
Broad guidelines for social living
BeliefsStatements accepted as true
American Values
Key Values of U.S. CultureRobin Williams Jr. (1970)
Ten values central to our way of life
1.Equal OpportunityNot equality of condition but equality of opportunity
2.Individual Achievement & Personal Success
3.Material Comfort
4. Activity and WorkOur heroes are “doers”
5. Practicality and Efficiency Practical over the theoretical
6. Progress
7. ScienceExpect scientists to solve problems and improve our lives
8. Democracy and Free EnterpriseIndividual rights
9. FreedomIndividual initiative over collective conformity
10. Racism and Group Superiority
Some people in the U.S. still judge others according to gender, race, ethnicity, and social class
Emerging ValuesValues change over time: Material comfort Personal growthU.S. always valued hard workRecently, increasing importance of leisureTime off from work for:
TravelFamilyCommunity service
NormsRules that guide behavior People respond with Sanctions:
RewardsPunishments
Encourages conformity to cultural norms……Norbert Elias
Laws
Norms established by an “authority”
Examples:Speed limits Income TaxCrime
Mores (“more rays”) or Taboos
Norms widely observedGreat moral significance
Religious dietary restrictions
PolygamyPedophiliaIncestCannibalism
FolkwaysNorms for routine or casual interaction
Correct mannersAppropriate dressProper eating behavior
SanctionsShame
Painful sense that others disapprove
GuiltNegative judgment we make about ourselves
Ethnocentrism
People use their culture as standard to evaluate another group or individual
Viewing other cultures as abnormal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QJ7ZrL9Y4g
Cultural Relativism Understanding other cultures on their terms
Researchers: Use cultural relativismObjectivity
High Culture & Popular Culture
High CultureCultural patterns of society’s elite
Popular CultureCultural patterns widespread among a society’s population
High Culture
Popular Culture
Applying Theory: Culture
Society: The Basics, 9th Edition by John Macionis
Copyright © 2007 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
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