What Is Culture?

What Is Culture?

The customary ways in which humans live.

For example; diet, family forms and processes, social organisations, and religions.

Culture

The cultural heritagethat a group shares and attempts to hand down from one generation to the next through learning.

12 Aspects of Culture or Ethnicity1. History- One’s past forms one’s present.2. Social Status / Value – education, occupation, income3. Social Group Interaction Patterns: Etiquette, manners

etc... )4. Value Orientation – standards by which members of a

culture judge their personal actions and those of others.5. Language and Communication: Verbal and Nonverbal6. Family Life – gender roles, family dynamics7. Healing Beliefs and Practices – attitudes and beliefs

about health.8. Religion – spiritual beliefs and practices9. Art and Expressive Forms – art, music, stories, dance,

etc.10. Diet/Foods – preferred food eaten by groups.11. Recreation – activities, sports for leisure, etc.12. Clothing – types, styles, and extent of body coverings.

What is socialisation?

Socialisation is a process of social interaction through which people acquire (1) personality and identity and (2) the way of life of their society. Through socialisation, we internalise the culture of our society.The result of successful socialisation is that the world becomes so comprehensible that we can take it for granted.

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Socialisation and social reproduction

Through socialisation, the norms and values of society are carried on.This process connects generations throughout their lives.It is the process of sharing culture within family groups—primary socialisation—that makes it feel inherited.

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G.H. Mead and socialisation

Mead understood socialisation through the symbolic interactionist perspective.He focused largely on primary socialisation, that portion of the process that takes place with infants and young children. Socialisation occurs through children interacting with those around them and beginning to identify certain roles and behaviors as patterns.

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G.H. Mead and socialisation

Language is the primary vehicle for this learning.Children first take on the roles and attitudes of their significant others first, and then those of the generalised other (which we may understand as culture).

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Agents of socialisationThese are the most significant groups and institutions within which socialisation occurs:

- Family- Schools- Peer groups- Workplace- Mass media

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However, what if these institutions

were also agents of power?

PowerFor some theorists socialisation is also about power.

Not only do we learn how to behave but also learn to accept social hierarchies between people.

For example this might mean that women should be subservient to men or that white people are superior to black etc

Power & IdeologyThe acceptance of such hierarchies as ‘true’ or ‘correct’ or ‘right’ or ‘just’ is the ideological function of socialisation and culture.

Socialisation is thus about the acceptance of forms of hierarchy as ‘normal’

It can exist where you are most comfortable!!!!!!!!!!

Power & IdeologyMarx was interested in ideology as a support for, a justification of, economic inequalities.

But can extend his ideas.