Culture
Sociology 12
Culture
• The knowledge, language, values,
customs, and material objects passed
from one generation to the next in a
human group or society
Culture and Intolerance Toward
Others
Answer true or false
1. Canadians generally see themselves as
tolerant of other cultures and intolerant of
racism.
2. In recent years, the number of reported attacks
in Canada against persons because of their
race, religion, or ethnic origin has increased.
3. It is illegal to be a member of a racist
organization.
True or False Cont’d
4. Individuals can do very little to reduce or
eliminate intolerance in society.
5. As the rate of immigration to Canada has
increased in recent years, anti-immigrant
feelings have risen.
6. The majority of hate crimes in Canada are
directed against racial minorities.
7. Incidents of violence targeted toward African
Canadians and Jews have declined in recent
years.
True or False Cont’d
8. Communities with greater proportions of visibleminority immigrants are generally more tolerant
of racial and ethnic differences.
9. It is illegal to disseminate hate literature on the
internet.
10. A recent national survey found that the majority
of respondents accept the concept of Canada as
a multicultural mosaic.
Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
True
True
False
False
True
True
False
True
False
False
Material and Nonmaterial Culture
• Material culture
consists of the
physical or tangible
creations that
members of a society
make, use, and
share.
• Nonmaterial culture
consists of the
abstract or intangable
human creations of
society that influence
people’s behaviour.
• Language, beliefs,
values, rules of
behaviour, family
patterns, political
systems
Belief
• Central to nonmaterial culture
• May be based on: faith, experience,
scientific research, tradition… or a
combination
• What are some examples of beliefs?
Components of Culture
•
•
•
•
Symbols
Language
Values
Norms
Symbols
• Anything that meaningfully represents
something else.
• Can stand for love, peace or hate just like
words. They can also in some cases have
different meanings for different people.
• Gestures are also forms of cultural
symbols.
• Colours: pink and blue
What do these symbols mean to
you?
Language
• A set of symbols that express ideas and
enable people to think and communicate
with one another.
• Verbal: spoken
• Nonverbal: written or gestured
• Language is one of the most important
human attributes because it allows us to
share our experiences, feelings and
knowledge with others.
Language
•
•
•
•
Language and social reality
Language and gender
Language, race and ethnicity
Language diversity in Canada
Values
• Collective ideas about what is right or
wrong, good or bad, and desirable or
undesirable in a particular culture.
• Usually come in pairs of positive and
negative… ie: brave and cowardly
• We use values to judge and justify
behaviour
Group Work
• In groups of 4-5 read Core Canadian
Values on page 78 of the text
• Discuss the core values listed. Do you
think these values fit in with your image of
what it means to be Canadian? Would you
change or add any?
Canadian Values
1. Equality and fairness in a democratic
society.
2. Consultation and dialogue
3. Accommodation and tolerance
4. Support and diversity
5. Compassion and generosity
6. Canada’s natural beauty
7. Canada’s world image
Value Contradictions
• Value contradictions are values that
conflict with one another or are mutually
exclusive.
• Morality vs success?
• Can you think of an example that might
conflict?
Ideal vs Real Culture
• Ideal culture refers to the values and
standards of behaviour that people in a
society profess to hold.
• Real culture refers to the values and
standards of behaviour that people
actually follow.
• Example: Lie, speeding, drugs, drinking
and driving
Hypocrisy
• Pretending to be what one is nor or to feel
what one does not feel
• Mary tells her students that drinking and
driving is morally wrong and illegal. On
Saturday night Mary is out with friends and
has some drinks and then drives home.
Mary is a hypocrite.
Norms
• Norms are established rules of behaviour
or standards of conduct.
• Prescriptive norms state what behaviour is
appropriate or acceptable.
• Proscriptive norms state what behaviour is
inappropriate or unacceptable.
Formal and Informal Norms
• Formal norms: laws or official rules
• Informal norms: commonly accepted
norms
• Sanctions: awards for appropriate
behaviour or penalties for inappropriate
behaviour.
• Examples?
Folkways
• Informal norms or everyday customs that
may be violated without serious
consequences within a particular culture
• Very culturally specific and are learned
behaviour
• Examples in Canada: wearing deodorant
(asia?) wearing appropriate clothing for
the occasion, waiting in line
Mores
• Mores are strongly held norms with moral
and ethical connotations that may not be
violated without serious consequences in
a particular culture.
• Taboos are mores so strong that their
violation is considered to be extremely
offensive and even unmentionable.
• Examples? Cultural differences around the
world?
Laws
• Laws are formal standardized norms that
have been enacted by legislatures and are
enforced by formal sanctions.
• Civil or criminal
• Changes in law often reflect changes in
culture
Advertising
• Read box 3.2 on pages 82-83
• In a group discuss these questions…
• How did these companies make these
mistakes?
• Do you get the sense that there is a lack of
understanding or desire to understand
other cultures?
Culture Shock
• Culture shock is the disorientation that
people feel when they encounter cultures
radically different from their own
• Reverse culture shock is the disorientation
that people feel when they return to their
home culture after spending time in a
culture radically different from their own
• Has anyone experiences culture shock?
Culture Shock?
Ethnocentrism
• The tendency to regard one’s own culture
and group as the standard, and thus
superior, whereas all other groups are
seen as inferior.
• Positive
• Negative
Cultural Relativism
• The belief that the behaviours and
customs of any culture must be viewed
and analyzed by the culture’s own
standards.
• Example: holding doors, child labour
High culture and popular culture
• High culture
• Ballet, theatre, opera
• Basically things that
people with the economic
and time allowances can
enjoy
• Popular culture consists
of activities, products and
services that are
assumed to appeal
primarily to members of
the middle and working
class.
• Examples: tv shows,
popular music (top 40),
spectator sports, internet
Popular Culture
• Fads
• Fashion
• Leisure activities
The ’90s
The 2000’s
Pop Culture?
High Culture to Popular Culture
Popular Culture Project
• PowerPoint
• Wordle
Group Questions
• In a group answer the questions and
discuss your answers
Subcultures
A subculture is a group of people who share
a distinct set of cultural beliefs and
behaviours that differ in some significant
way from that of the larger society.
Examples: Muslims, Jews, skateboarders,
goth, gamers, etc.
Look at the Hutterites
Countercultures
A counterculture is a group that strongly
rejects dominant societal values and
norms and seeks alternative lifestyles.
Examples: beatniks, KKK, neo-Nazi
Gay/Lesbian Movements?
Culture
•
•
•
•
Functionalist perspective
Conflict perspective
Symbolic interactionist perspective
Postmodern perspectives
Functionalist Perspective
• Biological needs: food and procreation
• Instrumental needs: laws and education
• Popular Culture: glue
• Dysfunctions: crime and violence
– Movies
– Videos
– Games
Conflict Perspective
• Constant struggle between social classes
• Theory that those with the most material
means can control ideas
• Popular culture originated with everyday
people but is now dominated by the
“media” and big business
– Needs?
Symbolic Interactionist
• Continually negotiate realities
• Interpret for different social situations
Postmodern Perspectives
• Should speak of cultures not culture
• Simulation
Media
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJO
SW8U
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRIA3vakVg
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7C64j8
d34U
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQhci0V
Pf3E
Test
10 Vocabulary choose 6
6 Short answer questions choose 3
10 Matching
One essay
Vocabulary Words
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Counterculture
Subculture
Popular culture
Ethnocentrism
Culture shock
Traditions
High culture
Nonmaterial culture
Symbols
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Working class
Mores
Folkways
Values
Norms
Laws
Cultural universals
Material culture
Language