Chapter 3Culture and societyCulture-values, norms and material culture characteristic of a given group. -one of the most distinctive properties of human social association.-ways of life of individual members of group.Cultural universals-values or modes of behavior shared by all human cultures. (ex language,family system,marriage etc)-incest: sexual relations between members of the immediate fam.Society-system of interrelationships that connects individuals.-group of people who live in a particular territory, are subject to a common system of political authority and are aware of having a distinct identity from other groups.Values-abstract ideals, ideas held by individuals or groups about what us desirable proper, good and bad.-what you value is influenced by culture in which you live.Norms-principles or rules of social life that everyone is expected to observe.-rules of conduct that specify appropriate behavior in a given range of social situations. Material culture-physical objects a society creates that influence the ways in which ppl live.-consumer good, clothes, cars, houses, tools, technology to make those goods.Language-primary vehicle of meaning and communication in a society, language is a system of symbols that represent objects and abstract thoughts. -demonstrates both unity and diversity of human culture. Linguistic relativity hypothesis-Sapir and Whorf, language influences our perceptions of the world.-we are more likely to be aware of things if we have words for them. Symbols-items used to stand for or represent another. Signifier-any vehicle of meaning and communication-any sets of elements to communicate. (ex sounds made in speech, marks made on paper, visual signs)Semiotics-the study of the ways in which nonlinguistic phenomena can generate meaning. Cultural turn-sociology’s recent emphasis on the importance of understanding the role of culture in daily life.-Ann swindler “tool kit” from which ppl select different understandings and behaviors.-includes variety of “scripts” that we draw on and improvise on to shape beliefs, values and actions.-(ex: the good Samaritan)*types of human societies*Hunting and gathering societies-societies whose mode of subsistence is gained from hunting animals, fishing and gathering edible plants.-usually participatory rather than competitive, little interest in developing material wealth, main concernwere religious values and ritual activities. Pastoral societies-societies whose subsistence derives from the rearing of domesticated animals. -found in regions of dense grassland, deserts or mountains.Agrarian societies-societies whose subsistence are based on agricultural production (crop growing).Industrialized societies-strongly developed nation-states in which the majority of the population works in factories or offices rather than in agriculture and most ppl live in urban areas. -18th century in Britain, industrial revolution-industrialization: process of machine production of goods.-in the city social life becomes impersonal and anonymous.Nation States-first were industrialized cities-particular types of states, characteristic of modern world, gov has sovereign power within defined territorial areas and populations have citizens who know themselves to be part of a single nation.Colonialism-the process whereby western nations established their rule in parts of the world away from their home.-17th – early 19th western colonies-global north (advanced) and global southThe global south-areas that underwent colonial rule, south asia, Africa, and south America. -Haiti first to gain independence -poverty worst in rural areas, lack of education, low life expectancy, low agricultural productivity, women disadvantaged of men. Emerging economies-formerly impoverished countries that over the past two or three decades have begun to develop a strong industrial base.-singapore and indiaSubcultures-values and norms distinct from those of the majority, held by a group within a wider society.-different cultural backgrounds, languages, cultural patterns-ex: goths, computer hackers, hippies.Assimilation-process by which different cultures are absorbed into mainstream culture.Multiculturalism-respecting cultural diversity and promoting equality of different cultures. Ethnocentrism-tendency to look at other cultures through the eyes of one’s own culture and thereby misrepresent them.Cultural relativism-practice of judging a society by its own standards. *Nature vs Nurture*Sociobiology-attempts to explain the behavior of both animals and humans in terms of biological principles.-genes influence physical traits and behavior.Instincts-fixed patterns of behavior that have genetic origins and that appear in all normal animals within a given species.Nationalism-a set of beliefs and symbols expressing identification with a national