Honors Culture Project
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Transcript of Honors Culture Project
Honors Culture Project• http://roshanvarghese.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/World+History • 6 parts of the project
• By Tuesday, October 1st: Culture Project Request Form– Turn in a typed request for the culture you would like to research. You
must have 3 options.– Note: this is not a country necessarily, so please research what you want
to analyze.– This is for Part 6 of the project.
• What do we mean by CULTURE?????– You must choose a living culture (people living right now, not an ancient
culture).– For example: the Mayans are both ancient & modern…so that can be an
option of choice.
A few cultures…..• http://www.everyculture.com/index.html • http://www.freewebs.com/worldcultures/
• Links to articles, etc.
Saudi Arabia’s Bedouin Culture
Scottish Highlands
Scottish Culture
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Culture is what makes you a stranger when you are away from home
An iceberg as an analogy of culture
From Gary Weaver in Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations
Cultural Universals
George Murdock’s 70 Cultural Universals
age-gradingathletic sportsbodily adornmentcalendarcleanliness trainingcommunity organizationcookingco-operative laborcosmologycourtshipdancingdecorative artdivinationdivision of labordream interpretationeducationeschatology
ethicsethno-botanyetiquettefaith healingfamily feastingfire-makingfolklorefood taboosfuneral ritesgamesgesturesgift-givinggovernmentgreetingshair styleshospitality
housinghygieneincest taboosinheritance rulesjokingkin groupskinship nomenclaturelanguagelawluck / superstitionsmagicmarriagemealtimesmedicineobstetricspenal sanctionspersonal names
population policypostnatal carepregnancy usagesproperty rightspropitiation of supernatural beingspuberty customsreligious ritualresidence rulessexual restrictionssoul conceptsstatus differentiationsurgerytool-makingtradevisitingweather control weaving
Introduction to the Seven Elements of Culture
Basic Elements of culture• Social Organization
• Customs and Traditions• Language
• Arts and Literature• Religion
• Forms of Government• Economic Systems
Social OrganizationCreates social structure by organizing its members into
small units to meet basic needs• Family Patterns: family is the most important unit of social
organization. Through the family, children learn how they are expected to act & what to believe.– Nuclear family: husband, wife, children
• Typical family in an industrial society (U.S.A.)• Does not have to be large to accomplish tasks of living
– Extended family: Several generations living in one household, working & living together: grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins• Respect for elders is strong
• Social classes: rank people in order of status, depending on what is important to the culture (money, job, education, ancestry, etc.)
Customs & Traditions• Rules of Behavior–enforced ideas of right & wrong–often these ideas are part of the culture’s written laws
Arts & Literature• Products of the human
imagination–help us pass on the culture’s basic beliefs• examples: art, music literature, folk tales
Religion• Answers basic questions about
the meaning of life–supports values that groups of
people feel are important–religion is often a source of conflict
between cultures
–Monotheism: worship one god–Polytheism: worship more than one
god
Forms of Government• To provide for their common needs, keep
order within society & protect their society from outside threats
• Definition of government:– 1. Person/people who hold power in a society– 2. Society’s laws & political institutions
• Democracy: people have supreme power, government acts by & with consent– Republic: people choose leaders who
represent them• Dictatorship: ruler/group holds power by
force– usually relying on military support for power
Economic SystemsHow people use limited resources to satisfy their
wants & needs• Traditional Economy: people produce most of what they
need to survive (hunting, gathering, farming, herding cattle, make own clothes/tools etc.)
• Market Economy: buying/selling goods & services.
• Command Economy: government controls what/how goods are produced & what they cost. Individuals have little economic power.
• Mixed Economy: individuals make some economic decisions & the government makes others.