Intro. to Culture

Notes and Definitions

Ethnicity The identification with others who

have the same ancestral background A sense of peoplehood Considered part of one’s biological

heritage

Heritage Biological heritage: innate, born with

it Cultural heritage: what we’ve learned,

grown up with “American”

Culture Learned behaviors, traditions, and

way of life created by a group of people Learned Shared Adaptive Changing

4 parts of Culture

Learned: not born a culture; made up of learned behaviors (brushing teeth)

Shared: culture binds people together as an identifiable group (music)

4 parts of Culture Adaptive: it develops to

accommodate environmental conditions and available resources (Eskimos)

Changing/Dynamic: constantly changing (technology/clothes)

Class Goal:

To help students value cultural differences while realizing that individuals across cultures have many similarities

Similarities: All people have the same

psychological and biological needs (Maslow’s Hierarchy)

Can you list some shared needs?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Level 1: physiological needs Level 2: safety needs Level 3: love and belongingness

needs Level 4: self-esteem needs Level 5: self-actualization needs

Differences How we go about meeting or fulfilling

our needs is different Depends on resources available,

environment of region, and the groups relationship to dominant society

American Culture Can you think of some examples of

things that are part of/unique to American culture?

Ethnocentric This term mean’s that one’s own

culture traits are viewed as natural, correct, and/or superior to those of another culture whose traits are perceived as odd, amusing, inferior, even immoral.

Ethnocentric cont. We view the world through a cultural

lens.

What are your opinions of the following? Arranged marriages Eating dog or pork Women not shaving Wearing disks in one’s lips

Culture Notes – Day 2 How does an individual learn to

become a functioning adult in his/her society? Enculturation – process of learning the

characteristics of a given culture and becoming fluent in its language

Socialization – learning to function as a member of society by learning social roles (mom, husband, student, child)

RememberWe are not born a culture …

we are encultured and socialized to a culture

Multicultural An individual who can operate

successfully in 2+ different cultures Mastered the knowledge and necessary

skills to feel comfortable and communicate effectively

Cultural Relativism An attempt to understand other

cultures in their own terms; not judging on the basis of your own cultural beliefs How?

learn/know own culture learn others culture Experience another culture

How do we all live together?

Assimilation the process by which one individual

gives up or forgets his/her own culture to become part of a different culture and is accepted by the dominant culture

How do we all live together? Acculturation

merging of cultures a s result of prolonged contact; adapting to or borrowing traits form another culture

examples: Anglo Conformity Theory (WASP), Melting Pot Theory, Salad Bowl Theory

Living Together, or not Cultural Pluralism

Refusing or not being permitted into the dominant American culture

Ethnic Enclavean isolated area of a minority culture w/in a dominant cultureCan you think of some examples?

Examples Reservations Chinatown Little Italy The Amish Harlem Barrios San Francisco

Macro/Micro Culture Macro : National culture that is shared

by most of its citizens

Micro: traits not common to all “Americans” but common among other, smaller identifiable units of society (peer, gangs, occupations)