Chapter 2- CultureThursday, December 11, 20142:06 PMThe definition- a total way of BE-ING-Knowledge-Language-Values-Customs-Material objects-Passed on person to person and generation to generationA.Culture and society- a changing world1. Importance of Culturei. Humans need culture to surviveii. Society needs culture to survive ( stability-certainty)iii. We are society, we create society, we recreate society continuously2. Culture- material and non-materiali. Material culture- physical creations- make, use, shareTechnology ( through which raw material transformed)ii. Non- material - abstract - intangible - conceptsLanguage- beliefs- values- rulesNon material culture is "transformed" into material culturethrough the technology3. Cultural Universals: customs and practice that occur across all societiesi. Over 70 Cultural Universals ( George Murdock)ii. Appearance- activities - customs - social institutions-"intrinsic" or "imposed"( being made to convert) NOTE: WHAT ARE THE CULTURAL UNIVERSALS FRO COLLEGE STUDENTS?NOTE: WHERE DO THE "STANDARDS" OF WHATS ACCEPTABLE COME FROM? 1. Social Institutions (Adams)i. Family- reproduction and child careii. Economy- produce and distribute goods/servicesiii. Political system- group decisions- meditation- protectiv. Education- socialization and technology transferv. Religion- belief question- values creation/ enforceA.Components of culture1. Symbols - anything that can represent anything else2. Language- symbols that successfully communicate ideas-Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis- words SHAPE perception-*NOTE: Facebook "Douglas Adams" for recent article in the news3. Values- criteria for evaluation of good/bad-Core American values- individualism- achievement-Value contradictions-Ideal culture ( how it should be)- Real Culture (how it is)-NOTE: WHAT ARE THE CORE VALUES OF A COLLEGE FRESHMAN-Norms:-Formal (i.e. Laws) and informal ( unwritten standards)-Folkways - informal - violated without consequence-Mores- Informal - usually a strong sanction: strongly held norms with moral and ethical connotations that may not be violated without serious consequences within a particular culture-Taboos- informal - extremely offensive/ unmentionable :strongest mores to where the violation is considered extremely offensive and even unmentionable -Technology- Culture change - diversity-Cultural change- technology and cultural lag-Technology- knowledge - transforms materials for useGenerally- knowledge is "specialized"-Cultural lag- gap b/t technical development of a society and its moral and legal institutions-Examples: File sharing - cell phones-Cultural diversity- subcultures and countercultures-Diversity- heterogeneity (super diverse) - homogeneityDurkheim- Downside of Cultural Diversity- Anomie-Subcultures- a category of people who share distinguishing attributes, beliefs, values and or norms that set them apart in some significant manner from the dominant-Countercultures- reject "dominant" culture values and norms and seeks alternative lifestyles-Ethnocentrisms and cultural relativism -Ethnocentrism- views others by own culture standards because they practice by judging all other cultures by themselvesSchool children are taught that their school and country are the best-Cultural Relativism- the belief that the behaviors and customs of any culture must be viewed and analyzed by the culture's own standardsWhy cattle are viewed sacred in India and not eaten while there is widespread hunger and malnutritionB. Global Popular Culture-High culture and Popular culture-High culture - reflect "culture" of elite: consists of classical music,opera, ballet, live theater-Popular Culture- reflect " culture: of masses mainly middle and working class-Fads-FashionsDo "material conditions" shape symbols/ values?Thus, Do "material conditions" shape cultural acts?-Cultural capital- affects access to social classes: views high culture as a device used by the dominant class to exclude the subordinate classes-Forms of popular culture- fads : temporary, yet widespread activity-fashion: long-lasting, reflects deeper values / beliefs-Cultural imperialism: Infusion of "dominant" cultureD.Sociological Analysis of Popular Culture1. Functionalism-Culture is the "glue" that holds society together2. Conflict-Culture sustains/ controls access of the powerful-Symbolic interactionist-Interaction creates- sustains- repairs social situations-"reality " is continuously recreated- negotiated via