Culture

The Foundation of Social Life!

• Culture– The beliefs, values, norms of behavior, symbols,

and material objects shared by a particular people

– Culture is also the social process through which meaning is constructed and disseminated

Elements of Culture

• Norms– Culturally defined standards or rules of conduct

• Mores – high moral consequences, e.g. murder• Folkways – considerable leeway, e.g. farting in class or picking

your nose

• Sanctions– rewards or punishments for violating norms

Breaking norms, an example:

Elements of Culture

• Values– Standard of judgment by which people decide on

desirable goals and outcomes– Standards of judgment or desirability• Like what?• Examples: people might value health, privacy, freedom,

education, success, hard work, personal property, money, youth, solidarity, etc.

Elements of Culture

• Symbols– Something used to represent or stand for

something else

Elements of Culture

• Language– Written or spoken system of symbols that conveys

meaning– Language is the most powerful symbol through

which social reality is constructed and maintained• E.g. “Layoff” or “workforce reduction”• E.g. “Collateral damage” or “dead civilians”

Power and Culture

• Assigning meaning to symbols is often contentious and contested

Power and Culture• Influence over culture increases power to

define social reality

The Significance of Culture

• Humans need culture to survive• Culture guides human behavior• Culture gives meaning to our lives

Culture is Learned

• Learned behavior is not instinctual – “Greed” is not human nature

• We are, for the most part, not instinctual creatures; we are cultural creatures

• Specifics of culture change, but culture itself is constant

Our entire base of knowledge is a cultural artifact

“ABOVE AND BEYOND” OPPORTUNITY!

• Identify a FOLKWAY and violate it. Write a brief essay providing a sociological analysis being sure to:1. Identify the specific norm you violated2. Describe the reactions of the people around you3. Explain how you felt while you were violating the

norm4. Discuss what this experiment taught you about

socialization and social control