The Social And Cultural World
Copy this diagram into your books. Explain briefly how the concepts are linked
and what this means.
• Answer: This diagram shows the interactions of the course concepts and
how they relate to persons, society and culture in their own environment
over time.
The Fundamental Concepts
Concept
My Definition
Actual Definition
Persons
Society
Culture
Environment
Time
Concept
Power
Authority
Gender
Technology
My Definition
Actual Definition
Complete your table with these
definitions:
• PERSONS: This refers to the individuals who make up a
society. What is important is that every person,
regardless of commonalities they have with everyone,
are unique and have different roles and status within a
society.
• SOCIETY: This concept refers to the way people interact
with each other and organise themselves based on
commonalities. Another term used is Social Group, as
it is the groups, networks, institutions, organisations,
and systems that people use to link themselves with
other people.
• CULTURE: This concept generally refers to the values, arts,
technology, laws and beliefs that bind a society together.
Culture can include artefacts (physical expressions of their
society-tattoos, clothing, buildings etc) and mentefacts
(non-physical- values, beliefs, customs etc)
• ENVIRONMENT: This concept generally refers to the
physical and psychological setting of a society. Physical may
include rural or city environments, whereas psychological
could include growing up in a violent home.
• TIME: Time is a constant in all societies and cultures. In our
western way of thinking we choose to measure it in the
linear model of past, present, and future. In Society and
Culture time refers to continuity and change.
• POWER: The easiest way to understand power is
to think about what it is that allows people to
bring others to do things they may not normally
do. It involves a capacity to influence others to
follow a course of action or a point of view they
would not otherwise follow. Think of peer
pressure.
• AUTHORITY: Authority implies a legitimate use of
influence and or/persuasion. Someone in
authority has permission (implied or directed) to
make decisions; someone in power would make
decisions regardless of what those affected by
the decision think.
• GENDER: This concept refers to how society constructs
the differences between men and women. It is not the
physical differences but the values society places on
those differences. For example, society accepts males
as tough and boisterous while women are seen as
meek and shy. These beliefs only have meaning
because society gives them one, not because they are
based on facts.
• TECHNOLOGY: Technology means the tools that make
life easier for both work and leisure. Some societies
have simple tools whereas others completely rely on
sophisticated tools.
Concepts of Micro, Meso and Macro
Worlds
Micro
Meso
• Your Micro World is
your immediate
sphere of influence.
• It includes all the
people, groups,
social settings, and
experiences that
you interact with
and see first hand.
• Meso level
structures are
groups within the
community, village,
school, workplace,
local interest
groups, branch,
organisation and
state.
• The Meso level is
also known as the
middle level.
Macro
• Your Macro World
is the sphere of
indirect influence.
• It includes laws,
governments,
governing bodies,
media, cultural
expectations, big
business, world
events that you do
not directly
participate in, but
they continue to
have a significant
level of influence
on you.
Fill in the following diagram with examples from your own life
(your personal experience)
My Meso World
• Worksheet:
Complete the
following
worksheet.
Anything you do
not finish in class
will be your
homework due
next lesson!!