CultureCulture

What does this mean?What does this mean?

Culture – all the shared Culture – all the shared products of human products of human groups. This includes groups. This includes both physical objects both physical objects and the beliefs, values, and the beliefs, values, and behaviors shared and behaviors shared by a group.by a group.

Sociology –Sociology – You need a ½ sheet of You need a ½ sheet of

paperpaper– In 500 years, if an In 500 years, if an

archeologist arrived at archeologist arrived at this room, what would this room, what would s/he say about the way s/he say about the way we lived? Explain, with we lived? Explain, with examples and detail.examples and detail.

Material culture Material culture – physical or – physical or tangible creations that tangible creations that members of society make, members of society make, use, shareuse, share

Nonmaterial culture Nonmaterial culture – – abstract or intangible human abstract or intangible human creations of society that creations of society that influence people’s behaviorinfluence people’s behavior

Components of Components of CultureCulture

TechnologyTechnologySymbolsSymbolsLanguageLanguageValuesValuesNormsNorms

TechnologyTechnology The items The items

themselves are themselves are important, but the important, but the rules of acceptable rules of acceptable behavior when behavior when using material using material culture is a part of culture is a part of this.this.

Technology and its impact Technology and its impact on cultural changeon cultural change

Cultural lag – gap between the technical Cultural lag – gap between the technical development (material culture) of a society development (material culture) of a society and its moral and legal institutions and its moral and legal institutions (nonmaterial culture)(nonmaterial culture)

Discovery – learning about something Discovery – learning about something previously unknownpreviously unknown

Invention – combining existing cultural Invention – combining existing cultural items into a new formitems into a new form

Diffusion the transmission of cultural items Diffusion the transmission of cultural items or social practices from one group or or social practices from one group or society to anothersociety to another

SymbolsSymbols It is through symbols It is through symbols

that we create our that we create our culture and culture and communicate it.communicate it.

Symbols have a shared, Symbols have a shared, accepted meaning. It’s accepted meaning. It’s how we make sense of how we make sense of our lives.our lives.

Culture shock! Inability Culture shock! Inability to read the symbolsto read the symbols

SociologySociology questions (1/2 sheet) questions (1/2 sheet)

Would a mosque near the Would a mosque near the 9/11 site be viewed by most 9/11 site be viewed by most American’s as a symbol of American’s as a symbol of tolerance or a symbol of tolerance or a symbol of weakness? Explain.weakness? Explain.

Should this issue even Should this issue even matter to anyone who lives matter to anyone who lives outside that area? Explain.outside that area? Explain.

LanguageLanguage The organization of The organization of

written or spoken written or spoken symbols into a symbols into a standardized system.standardized system.

Changing nature of word Changing nature of word acceptance – what are acceptance – what are some examplessome examples

Language shapes the view of Language shapes the view of reality of the speakerreality of the speaker– Language and genderLanguage and gender

The use of the male and The use of the male and femalefemale

– Language and race, ethnicityLanguage and race, ethnicityTransmission of Transmission of preconceived ideaspreconceived ideas

Another Another QuestionQuestion

Does the fact that Does the fact that the U.S. does not the U.S. does not have an official have an official language damage language damage our culture? Why our culture? Why or why not?or why not?

ValuesValues Language and symbols Language and symbols

allow us to allow us to communicate our values communicate our values to one another.to one another.

Values are shared Values are shared beliefs about what is beliefs about what is good or bad, right or good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or wrong, desirable or undesirable.undesirable.

Question 4Question 4 What are core What are core

American values? American values? Identify 7.Identify 7.

Equal OpportunityEqual Opportunity

The chance to achieve successThe chance to achieve success– Youth sports, clubs organizationsYouth sports, clubs organizations– Adult intramural activitiesAdult intramural activities– Public schoolPublic school– Federal aide programsFederal aide programs

Achievement and Achievement and SuccessSuccess

Built into our competitive Built into our competitive activitiesactivities– Grades in school for Grades in school for

scholarships and class rank scholarships and class rank (bumper stickers, choice of (bumper stickers, choice of school)school)

– Promotions at work for power, Promotions at work for power, prestige, and pay (floor, office)prestige, and pay (floor, office)

Material ComfortMaterial Comfort Material possessions = Material possessions =

achievement and successachievement and success Knowledge for self Knowledge for self

actualization . . . BLAH. Give actualization . . . BLAH. Give me $me $

Material wealth confirms hard Material wealth confirms hard work and perseverance work and perseverance

Tremendous symbolism hereTremendous symbolism here

Activity and Activity and WorkWork

Employment, participation, outdoor Employment, participation, outdoor activities, cell phonesactivities, cell phones

The unemployed are ridiculedThe unemployed are ridiculed Connected to the character issueConnected to the character issue From the young to the oldFrom the young to the old

– Youth sports; “go play outside”; get a Youth sports; “go play outside”; get a summer jobsummer job

– Retirement becomes travel; part-time Retirement becomes travel; part-time job, we don’t slow downjob, we don’t slow down

Practicality and Practicality and efficiency efficiency

People want bigger, better, fasterPeople want bigger, better, faster For tech - “How well does it work?” For tech - “How well does it work?”

“What is its usefulness?”“What is its usefulness?” For people - “Is this a realistic thing to For people - “Is this a realistic thing to

do?” “Play it safe” “Play the odds”do?” “Play it safe” “Play the odds”– We value people on their ability to We value people on their ability to

“get things done.”“get things done.”– Think about a college majorThink about a college major

Doers vs. dreamersDoers vs. dreamers This is why it can be difficult to change This is why it can be difficult to change

institutions like schoolinstitutions like school

ProgressProgress

Often times this is connected Often times this is connected with Material Comfort, and with Material Comfort, and later with Science, but it may later with Science, but it may stand alone.stand alone.

We have always changed We have always changed government, technology, social government, technology, social structure, for the better, albeit structure, for the better, albeit most of the time most of the time slowlyslowly..

““Things can and will get Things can and will get better.”better.”

Science/Math/Science/Math/TechnologyTechnology

Vary much tied to our Vary much tied to our comparison with the rest of comparison with the rest of the world and our progressthe world and our progress

It controls our health and It controls our health and safety, our reliance on day to safety, our reliance on day to day functioningday functioning

““I want to no numbers, I want to no numbers, results, proof”results, proof”

Democracy and free Democracy and free enterpriseenterprise

Individual nature of Individual nature of both the political and both the political and economiceconomic

Self-reliance is Self-reliance is promoted just as much promoted just as much as equal opportunityas equal opportunity

FreedomFreedom Natural, civil, political, Natural, civil, political,

economic, social rightseconomic, social rights No matter the political attitude No matter the political attitude

the concept of freedom and the concept of freedom and liberty is always articulatedliberty is always articulated

This is oftentimes the first This is oftentimes the first complaint, “I’m being denied complaint, “I’m being denied my . . .”my . . .”

Racial and/or Racial and/or group superioritygroup superiority

American past and American past and present discriminationpresent discrimination

Do we need this to Do we need this to strengthen our strengthen our culture?culture?

Core American ValuesCore American Values

Equal OpportunityEqual Opportunity

Achievement and Achievement and successsuccess

Material comfortMaterial comfort

Activity and workActivity and work

Practicality and Practicality and efficiencyefficiency

ProgressProgress

ScienceScience

Democracy and Democracy and free enterprisefree enterprise

FreedomFreedom

Racism and group Racism and group superioritysuperiority

Application of valuesApplication of values

How does our specific How does our specific geographic location geographic location (Morehead, Ky.) influence our (Morehead, Ky.) influence our value of Activity and Work?value of Activity and Work?

In practicality and efficiency?In practicality and efficiency? In freedom?In freedom? In race relations?In race relations?

Value Contradictions – values Value Contradictions – values that conflict with one another or that conflict with one another or are mutually exclusive are mutually exclusive (achieving one means makes it (achieving one means makes it difficult to achieve another)difficult to achieve another)

Ideal culture – what we professIdeal culture – what we profess Real culture – what people Real culture – what people

actually followactually follow

NormsNorms Norms are created to enforce Norms are created to enforce

culture.culture. Norms are shared rules of Norms are shared rules of

conduct that tell people how conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations.to act in specific situations.

Ex. – the value of democratic Ex. – the value of democratic government is reinforced government is reinforced through the norms governing through the norms governing political participation; political participation; respect for the flag; etc.respect for the flag; etc.

NormsNorms Folkways – norms that Folkways – norms that

describe socially acceptable describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have behavior but do not have great moral significancegreat moral significance– Provide 5 examplesProvide 5 examples

Mores – norms with great Mores – norms with great moral significancemoral significance– Provide 5 examplesProvide 5 examples