“A lens through which we see the world”

How Do Sociologists Study Culture?

•Structural functionalists▫Culture as the underlying basis of

interaction

•Conflict theory▫Stresses why particular aspects of a culture

develop

•Symbolic interactionism▫Stresses how culture is learned and

communicated

A Sociological View of CultureClass Activity

•Rules:▫Do not respond (make eye contact or speak)

until touched on arm

▫You may only speak to or address an individual for about 15 second increments

▫You may only address one individual at a time

▫Only answer “non-jackets” with Yes or No

•Language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and material objects

•Material culture▫Jewelry, art, buildings, weapons, machines,

hair styles, clothing

•Nonmaterial culture▫Beliefs, values, behaviors, language, gestures▫Also referred to as symbolic culture

Cultural Characteristics• Language

▫All words are symbols with specific meanings

▫Allows for development of culture Learning from

mistakes of the past

• Gestures▫Use of body to communicate with others

Facilitate communication

▫Differ around the world Can lead to misunderstandings or embarrassment

NOVA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRQSRed58XM

What does it all mean?!?

• Brazil, Germany, and Russia• Depicts private bodily

orifice• Japan – money• France - zero

Australia, Greece, and Middle East – “Up yours”

Italy – your wife is cheating on youAfrican countries - curse

China, Japan, Indochina, Latin America – rude, impolite

Cultural Characteristics•Values

▫Shared beliefs about what is desirable in life

▫Standards by which people define good and bad, right or wrong, etc. Can change over time

▫Examples: Importance of education

Involvement in religion

•Norms▫Shared rules of

conduct/behavior

▫Expectations about right way to reflect values

• Two types:▫ Mores – more serious

Do not kill people

▫ Folkways – not as serious Good etiquette

Cover mouth when yawning

Consider: What is good in one culture may be bad in another

Culture Broken Down

•Subculture▫A world within a larger

world of the dominant culture U.S. society contains

tens of thousands of subcultures

▫Values and norms are compatible to larger society

•Counterculture▫Group’s values and

norms place it in opposition to dominant culture

Culture Broken Down cont’d• Folk culture

▫Traditional practices by small homogenous groups typically living in an isolated area

▫Promoted by isolation

• Pop culture▫Found in large

heterogeneous societies that share certain habits and customs

▫Examples: Music/Dance Clothing Foods

▫Much of popular culture refers to leisure time in affluent populations

Ethnocentrism

•Individuals develop a “learned” culture▫Embedded as

they grow up

•Ethnocentrism ▫Using your own

group’s ways of doing things as a measuring stick to judge other groups

•Positive consequence▫In-group loyalties

•Negative consequence▫Harmful discrimination

against those who differ

Cultural Relevance

•Helps us understand a culture in its own terms▫Suspending your perspective in order to grasp the perspective of others

▫Viewing things from the perspective of the culture in which they take place

•How the elements of a culture fit together▫Examination of the elements of another

culture… without judgment

• Coming into contact with radically different culture▫Disorientation

• Not being able to make sense of the world around you

• Globalization: becoming increasingly more integrated and interconnected with people around the globe

•How does globalization impact culture?

Social Structure• Network of interrelated statuses and roles that guide

human interaction▫ Social structure guides behavior

What IS/IS NOT acceptable

• Status▫ Socially defined position

Father, son, lawyer, etc.▫ Where do you fit within society?▫ Types:

Ascribed – assigned (race, sex) Achieved – earned (priest, spouse)

• Role▫ Behavior of someone occupying a certain status▫ Based on the many statuses that one has, an individual may play

many different roles daily ▫ Role conflict

Fulfilling one role makes it difficult to fulfill another

“You occupy a status, but you play a role”

ROLEThe behavior expected of someone occupying a particular status

• Role Expectations▫ Socially determined

behaviors expected of a person performing a role Example – police enforcing

laws

• Role Performance▫ Actual role behavior▫ Might not match that which

is expected▫ Remember – role behaviors

differ in different societies Example – teachers

manage classes in different ways

• Role Conflict▫ Fulfilling role of one

status makes it difficult to fulfill that of another Example – working part-

time job results in missing practice for sport

• Role Strain▫ Person has difficulty

fulfilling role expectations for one status Example – sickness

results in student missing school

Social Institutions• Organizing of statuses and roles in

order to fit a need within society▫ Set limits and guide our behaviors

• Tend to be more formal in industrialized societies▫ Education more highly valued than in

preliterate society

• Each “institution” has its own roles, values, and norms

• Examples:▫ Religion▫ Law▫ Medicine▫ Family▫ Education

Types of SocietiesSociety – that which shares a culture and a territory

Hunting and Gathering

Society

Pastoral Society

Horticultural Society

Agricultural Society

Industrial Society

Postindustrial Society

First Revolution:Domestication(of plants and

animals)

Second Revolution:Agricultural(invention of

plow)Third Revolution:

Industrial(invention of steam

engine)

Fourth Revolution:Informational(invention of microchip)

Types of Societies

• Hunting and Gathering societies▫ Simplest societies

▫ Society cannot support a large number of people Limited resources

▫ Small, nomadic groups

▫ Cannot accumulate possessions due to constant migration

Emerged about 10,000 years ago:• Pastoral societies

▫ Based on the pasturing of animals Remained nomadic

Followed animals

• Horticultural societies▫ Based on cultivation of

plants▫ Developed permanent

settlements• Both pastoral & horticultural societies transformed human society• Dependable food supply; larger

groups; division of labor; etc.

Types of Societies cont’d

• Agricultural societies▫ Agricultural surplus

Increase in population Development of cities Other activities

Art, literature, etc.

▫ “The dawn of civilization”

▫ Emergence of social inequality Competition over

resources

• Industrial societies▫ Began in Great Britain

▫ Produced great surplus…and greater

inequality

▫ Led to great class struggles

• Postindustrial societies▫ Based on information,

services, and the latest technology

▫ Trend away from production/manufacturing

▫ Growth of service industry Health, Education, Research

Types of Social Interactions• Exchange

▫ When people interact in an effort to receive a reward or a return for their actions

▫ Can be material or non-material

• Competition▫ When two or more people, or

groups, oppose each other to achieve a goal

• Conflict▫ Deliberate attempt to…

Control a person by force Oppose someone Harm someone

▫ Competition can lead to conflict

• Cooperation▫ Occurs when two or more

people or groups work together to achieve a goal that will benefit the group

• Accommodation▫ Involves a “give and take”▫ A balance between cooperation

and conflict▫ Can have many forms:

Compromise – agreement based on cooperation

Truce – agreement to end a conflict

Mediation – third party stepping in to resolve conflict