CHAPTER 2 -- CULTURE

CHAPTER 2 -- CULTUREWarm-Up Taking someones life is violation of a social norm.

Is there ever a situation where this is not the case?What is culture?The total pattern of human behavior and its shared products shown in a groups beliefs, thoughts, art, music, food, customs, religious laws, superstitions, speech, behaviors, valvesORShared products of human groups including physical objects as well as beliefs, values and behaviorsTechnologyCombination of objects and rules that make up a societys cultureUsing material culture, like tools, required knowledge of various skills, non-material cultureSociologist not just interested in skillsEX: people can use the internet to hack into legal systems, is this practice considered acceptable?NormsEX: In the US there are norms concerning financial responsibility but more than half of the US is in debt

There are norms against taking a life but in the case of police and soldiers these norms differTWO TYPES OF NORMSFolkwaysDescribe socially acceptable behaviorsDo not have great moral significanceOutline common customs of everyday life

EX: you dont put food in your mouth with a knife, you dont push people out of the way when you are in a line, when you meet someone you shake their handSome degree of nonconformity exists with folkways because it doesnt endanger the well-being of anyone else.MoresHave great moral significance attached to themRelation exists because the violation of such rules endangers societys well-beingEX: dishonesty, fraud, murder

Societies typically punish the violation of social mores in order to protect stabilitySerious mores are formalized into laws

Name some lawsthat enforce SERIOUS mores.Laws against arson, murder, rape and theft.that enforce less severe folkways.Parking spaces reserved for the handicapped. Government Attempts to Legislate MoralityProhibition (18th Amendment)Affirmative ActionDrug useDrinkingNudity

Examining CultureCulture continually changes it is dynamic rather than static.

Sociologists study culture by breaking it down into levels and studying each level separatelyCultural traits : simplest levelindividual tool, act, or belief thats related to a particular situation or need

ex: using knives, forks, or spoons when eating; greeting when you meet someone

Cultural complexes : more complex levelcluster of interrelated traitsindividual culture traits combine to form culture complexes

ex: using the fork at dinner, making a turkey, family passing food around the table makes for a Thanksgiving Dinner football game

Cultural patterns : most complex levelcombination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated wholeculture complexes combine to form larger levels called culture patterns

ex: football, basketball, baseball, swimming are complexes that form into the American athletic pattern

EthnocentrismTendency to view ones own culture and group as superior

Although, this belief can create unity

EX: Nazi GermanyCultural RelativismBelief that cultures should be judged by their own standards rather than by applying the standards of another culture

Think back to the reasons behind 9/11 or Saddam Husseins dictatorship in Iraq

CountercultureSubcultures that find their beliefs at odd with the predominate culture

Countercultures are INTENTIONALLY challenging the culture of the larger society

EX: hippies in the 60sRejected dress styles, hairstyles, and work

1930s anthropologist Margaret Mead conducted famous study on cultural variation

purpose was to determine whether differences in personal temperament results mainly from inherited characteristics or cultural influences

New Guinea lived among them and participated in their society

Arapesh vs. Mundugumor

These tribes lives 100 miles apart, shared many social traits, but the cultures were vastly different.

Arapeshcontented, gentle, non-aggressive, receptive, trusting, warmsociety based on complete cooperationclose-knit villages consisting of clans (families with a common ancestor)

Arapeshwomen bring firewood and water, prepare daily meals and carry goods from place to placediscouraged from showing any aggressive behavior toward others; taught to show aggression in harmless ways (throwing stones, hitting palm tree with stick)

Mundugumoraggressive, competitive, jealous, and violentready to recognize and avenge any insultdelight in showing off and fightingwere headhunters until the government banned itbabies have no physical contact with moms (rigid basket); child has lots of rigid rules; physical punishment for violating rules

Comparing the twoAt the time of Meads study, Arapesh lived in mountains and Mundugumor in the valleys. Arapesh planted gardens while Mundugumor primarily food gatherers. Food was scarce for Arapesh and abundant for Mundugumor.

Meads conclusionthat the differences in temperament were mainly the result of culture rather than biology. Differences were greater between 2 societies rather than within them (males and females similar within one society, but not between them).

1940s George Murdock (anthropologist) examined hundreds of cultures to determine general traits common to all cultures.

came up with 65 cultural universalsincluded: body adornmentcookingdancingfamilyfeasting forms of greetingfuneral ceremoniesgift givinghousinglanguagemedicinemusicmyths/folklorereligionsportstoolmaking

homeworkRead page 28 Case Study on the Nacirema

Start Peters Township Culture tomorrow!