also refer to expressive culture, which includes plastic and graphic arts, such as sculptures and painting, and language when utilized as an artistic medium

according to sociologists and anthropologists, culture refers to the total and distinctive way of life or designs for living of any society

it is the sum total of human creations—intellectual, technical, artistic, physical and moral

is a people’s social heritage; it refers to

the customary ways in which groups

organize their ways of behaving, thinking

and feeling

is the aspect of our existence which is

familiar to some people but different to

others

Forms of Culture

Material Culture

--refers to the concrete and tangible

objects that humans create, use and share

serving as buffers against the various

elements in the environment

o Nonmaterial Culture

-- consists of knowledge, social norms,

beliefs and sanctions which are abstract

and intangible creations that influence

human behavior

Components of Culture

Norms

Sanctions

Values

Symbols

Language

Norms Norms are established standards of behavior

maintained by a society

Formal norms have been written down and involve

strict rules or punishment

of violators

Norms

Informal norms are generally understood

but are not precisely recorded

Examples: standards of proper dress or

proper behavior at school

Types of Norms (according to

their relative importance to

society)

Folkways are norms governing everyday

behavior whose violation might cause a

dirty look, rolled eyes, or disapproving

comment

Example: Walking up a “down” escalator

in a department store challenges our

standards of appropriate behavior

Types of Norms (according to

their relative importance to

society)

Mores are norms deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society, often because they embody the most cherished principles of people

Each society demands obedience to its mores (violation can lead to severe penalties

Examples: murder, child abuse

Types of Norms (according to

their relative importance to

society)

Taboos are norms that are so deeply held

that even the thought of violating them

upset people

In the U.S. There is a taboo against eating

human flesh

Sanctions

Sanctions are penalties and rewards for

conduct concerning a social norm

Conformity to a norm can lead to positive

sanctions such as pay raise, a medal, a

word of gratitude, or a pat on a back

Norms and Sanctions

NORMSSANCTIONS

POSITIVE NEGATIVE

Formal

Salary bonus Fine

Medal Jail sentence

Diploma Execution

Testimonial

dinnerExpulsion

Informal

Smile Frown

Compliment Humiliation

Cheers Ostracism

Values

are collective concepts of what is considered

good, desirable, and proper-or bad, undesirable,

and improper- in a culture

Values indicate what people find important and

morally right (or wrong)

Values influence people's behavior and serve as

criteria for evaluation the actions of others

Symbols Anything that stands for (or shared meaning

attached to it) something else

“something to which people attach meaning and that they then use to communicate with one another” (Henslin 2007a:39)

Any word, gesture, image, sound, physical object, event can serve as a symbol as long as people recognize that it carries a particular meaning

Ex. Class ring, word hello, handshake = all symbols

Symbols vary from culture to culture

Language

Is one of the most significant cultural

universals (others include marriage and

art).

Languages are complex systems of

communication, which are fundamental

to human social life as they free us from

our immediate environments.

Characteristics of Culture

1. Culture is learned.

2. Culture is transmitted.

3. Culture is social, collective, and learned.

4. Culture is ideational.

5. Culture is gratifying.

6. Culture is adaptive.

7. Culture is an integrated whole.