Chapter 5 Anthropology The study of humans past and present The study of cultures Study how leisure and human societies are reciprocal forces What is culture o A set of traditions and beliefs shared by members of a social group o Demonstrated through art literature music sports value systems and traditions o Our leisure expressions fit within our culture o Culture is shared Values and standards of behavior are held in common by members of a social group makes life orderly Can predict how others are likely to act in given circumstances Doesn t mean everyone is the same Not celebrating thanksgiving because they don t believe in what o Culture is learned it stands for We learn our culture by growing up on it Enculturation the process by which cultural understanding is transmitted to new members o Cultural Change Cultures change over time Sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly Mechanisms for Cultural Change Innovation Diffusion o Any new practice tool or principle that gains widespread acceptance within a culture o Television cell phones internet cars o 24 hour convenience stores o Changes in leisure because of television pg 95 o The spread borrowing of customs or practices from one culture to another Common accounts for 90 of any culture s content But people are choosy and pick only those things that are compatible with their existing culture Changes are in accordance with the dominant values of receiving culture o Presence of Asian stores restaurants in Champaign because of great presence from that part of the world Loss Acculturation o Change resulting in the loss of a cultural tradition o Transition from radio to television Sunday drive o Exchange of cultural features as a result of prolonged contact between different groups individuals o Implies a mutual influence in which elements of the two cultures mingle and merge o Possible outcomes of acculturation Integration Merging of cultures Melting pot Rejection Denial and avoidance of those in another culture The Amish and their rejection of modernity Marginalization Confining a group to an unimportant or powerless position Poor people aboriginal communities Paleolithic People o Paleolithic Era refers to the cultural periods of the stone age o Lived is what is today Asia and Africa grouped together in small scale societies called bands o Original Leisure Society Worked less than todays standard The average length of time each person spent per day collecting and preparing food was 3 4 hours Had fewer material possessions to care for more free time Rich in leisure Spent time chatting and socializing Impact of Cultural Development o The story of human kind after these prehistoric times is one of cultural development o Societies continue to develop and become better o Both advantages and disadvantages o Cultural Vitality Development measures economic social and demographic Overall scores includes cost of living income traffic healthcare pollution education life satisfaction Sports and Tourism often used by less developed countries to become more developed to become more modern Leisure in modern societies is typically more commercial and sped up to the detriment of community family and social group Post modernism critical skeptical of modernism Progress is not ALWAYS a good thing o Impact on leisure