Starter
• Read the article about Here Comes Honey Boo Boo Child
• Answer the following questions and be ready to discuss as a class:
1) What does the TV show say about American culture?
2) What does the article say correlates in terms of the hillbilly
culture and American history? What does this correlation say
about American culture?
3) Do the offensive aspects of TV shows make them more desirable
to watch?
Any other points for discussion?
COMPONENTS OF
CULTURE
A closer look…
The 5 Components of Culture
• Technology
• Knowledge and tools people use for practical purposes.
• What are the acceptable rules of behavior when using material culture?
• Symbols
• Basis of human culture
• How culture is created and communicated
• Must be recognized by members of a particular culture and for its meaning
• Language
• The organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system.
• Values
• Language and symbols help us communicate these
• Shared beliefs about what is good, bad, right, wrong, desirable,
undesirable
• Values help determine the character of a group of people
The 5 Components of Culture (cont’d)
• Norms
• Shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in certain situations.
• These are EXPECTATIONS of behavior- not necessarily actual behavior;
individuals can violate and deviate from expected norms.
• Exceptions can be made to the norm.
• Sociologists account for the variations by distinguishing them into
two categories:
• Folkways= socially acceptable behaviors that do not have great moral
significance attached.
• Example: Shaking hands; correct methods of eating food
• Mores= socially acceptable behaviors that do have great moral significance
attached. Endanger human society in some way.
• Laws= punishments for violating a more to protect social well-being.
Distinguishing Mores, Folkways and Laws
•List 20 norms and identify each as a folkway,
more, or law.
•Have at least 2 examples of each type of norm.
•Be ready to share these with the class in a
group discussion.