Chapter 3 Culture and Society 9 25 speaking understanding two diff language Bilingualism bi culturalism knowing more than one culture 09 25 2008 Culture defined collection of elements ideas values beliefs knowledge norms customs technology etc of a particular society Culture element the diff parts of the culture ideas values beliefs knowledge norms customs technology etc o 2 different types of cultural elements Material food technology clothes etc Nonmaterial ideas values belief etc o Active part of understanding a society Symbols Language one kind of symbol that can contain the most complicated idea Values ideas shared by the people in a societies about what is important and worthwhile Every society has a value More abstract less directly affected by a particular behavior Mechanisms to maintain a particular value 1 Proverb penny saved is a penny earned squeaky wheel gets the grease 2 Folklore hard work pays American dream Davey Crockett patriotism 3 Rituals stars and stripes support ribbons funeral Norms Norms of conduct associated with strong feelings of right or wrong violations of which bring intense reactions and some type of punishment 1 More concrete than values Norms are relative Norms change from one society to another o i e in India left hand is a dirty hand Prescriptive what we should do Wear clothes study Proscriptive what we shouldn t do i e cheating Types of Norms 1 Folkways customary way Don t cut in line girls more likely to have long hair 2 Mores norm based on a particular commonality Keep clothes on Taboo violation of a mores o i e incest cannibalism etc Crime violation of a law Speeding murder etc Deviant behavior violating a Norm general Material culture elements 3 Laws behavioral codes written somewhere clearly with a clear punishment for violation 2 Artifacts materials you have in your culture i e clothes houses technology jewelry etc can imagine what kind of life a culture had based on artifacts our life is dictated by out environment o house styles igloos contemporary window placement Personality is effected by environment i e harsh weather more introverted Family size o o i e in Japan large family b c of rice more people to manage fields Cultural Lag material culture comes first and non material comes 2nd i e comp came 10 yrs ago now laptops everywhere 5 yrs ago rare o porn before comp age difficult for child to access porn now very easy due to internet comp and law could not catch up o email spam in ten yrs there will be no spam a particular culture more up to date than a pre existing culture Ethnocentrism the view that ones own culture is superior to others and should be used as the standard against which other cultures are judged thinking our culture is the best except for raw liver eat yourself Could be bad when thinking everything else is inferior o i e racism sexism etc o We cook food while Eskimo means raw meat eater hunt in groups share the meal Cultural Relativism every culture should be judged on their own shouldn t criticize 3 Respect each society with few exceptions something against human rights Xenocentrism hates everything about one s own particular culture Subculture a culture within a culture i e teenager culture LSU culture o i e slavery i e Shoe bomber i e terrorist Counterculture a culture against the mainstream coulter have their own rules Idioculture small scale culture that an outsider usually wouldn t understand i e each family has one rituals dining table seating understood rule birthday person picks where they want to eat Christmas thanksgiving dinner signature dish Ideal Culture Bill Clinton was ideal at first Real Culture i e ideally supposed to go with speed limit in family suppose to love each other and be faithful i e usually go 5 mi faster sometime don t and cheat on the other person Bill Clinton had affair with Monica L Cultural universals component common to every society i e don t steal have food shelter Institutions a stable cluster of values norms statuses and roles that develops around a basic social i e education family politics economy religion basic areas of our life medicine etc need 4 Chapter 4 Structure groups and organizations 9 30 08 Meso level in b t Macro sociology and Micro small groups 09 25 2008 5 rite of passage ages 16 18 21 Social Structure relatively stable patterns of society such as the ways in which people and groups are related to each other and the characteristics of groups influencing statues roles groups organizations institutions Statuses and roles are most important link between society and individuals By behaving according to you status you make the society more stable our behavior gender Predictability Social status 1 Ascribed something you are born with 2 achieved a status you ve earned set status collection of all of your statuses master status the biggest status the one that stands out o i e LSU professor handicap person criminal athlete homosexual Social role Role set Role perception how you are expected to behave o When turn 18 you are suppose to vote Role performance how you actually behave o Many 18 yr olds don t vote 6 Role ambiguity certain status which the role is unclear o How to deal with ex spouse s parent ex in laws ex spouses fianc Role strain difficultly fulfilling their role hardships i e except a single mother to take care of their children and make money very difficult Role Conflict having two statuses that conflict with each other i e being a LSU student and underage o o Groups 1 statistical Statistical categorical aggregate associational social not aware of their kind not social interaction no social organization o i e families with 2 parents and 2 children are aware of their kind no social interaction no social organization 2 Categorical o i e redheads 3 Aggregate 4 Associational o i e Rotary club Not always a clear cut answer are aware of their kind do have social interaction no social organization o i e football crowd crowd in shopping mall are aware of their kind do have social interaction do have social organization 7 i e is sociology class aggregate or association in between Classification typology classify people into groups Social Groups 1 Primary typically small intimate and more important to you 2 Secondary typically larger less important more formal i e family roommate i e socl class interracial relationships usually start in a secondary relationship before moving to primary in vs out groups in group o LSU out group o alabama positive unites group group