Culture
Chapter 3
Test
▪ If you are retaking the test please take
5 minutes to review and ask any
questions.
Culture
▪ Read pages 61 – 66 (Stop right before the “Key
Values of U.S. Culture)
▪ Answer the questions on the next slide that
pertains to the reading.
Questions for pages 61-66
▪ 1. What is the difference between Culture, Nation
and Society? Give an example of each.
▪ 2. What is happening to the number of cultures in
the world? Why?
▪ 3. What are the elements of Culture?
▪ 4. Does language shape your culture? Explain.
New Symbols in the World of
Instant Messaging
▪ Read the “Seeing Sociology in Everyday Life”
section on page 63.
▪ Answer the “What Do You Think” questions in the
bottom right corner.
Chapter 3 Key Terms
▪ Symbol - Anything that carries a particular meaning
recognized by people who share a culture.
▪ Language – A system of symbols that allows people to
communicate with one another.
▪ Cultural Transmission – The process by which one
generation passes culture to the next.
Chapter 3 Key Terms
▪ Sapir-Whorf Thesis – The idea that people see and
understand the world through the cultural lens of
language.
▪ Values – Culturally defined standards that people use to
decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and that
serve as broad guidelines for social living.
Chapter 3 Key Terms
▪ Beliefs – Specific thoughts or ideas that people hold to
be true.
▪ Norms – Rules and expectations by which a society
guides the behavior of its members.
▪ Mores – Norms that are widely observed and have great
moral significance.
Chapter 3 Key Terms
▪ Folkways – Norms for routine or casual interaction.
▪ Social Control – Attempts by society to regulate people’s
thoughts and behavior.
▪ Technology – Knowledge that people use to make a way
of life in their surroundings.
Culture
▪ What is Culture?
– Refers to the beliefs, values, behavior and material object
that, together, form a people’s way of life.
▪ There are two main components of a Culture:
– Non-Material Culture
– Material Culture
Culture
▪ Non-Material Culture
– Also known as “the intangible creations of human society” are the ideas
created by a culture.
– Examples span from Art, Music, Morals, Beliefs and Values.
– Each culture associates themselves with their own Non-Material
Culture that distinguishes them from other cultures.
Culture
▪ Material Culture
– Is the physical things and possessions created by members of a society.
– Examples span from Houses, Clothing, Jewelry and Monuments.
– Both Material and Non-Material Culture plays an important part in
shaping human personality.
Culture
▪ Read the “What is Culture” section on page 58.
▪ When you are done, go to page 60 and read the
“Confronting the Yanomamo” story.
▪ Answer the 3 questions on the “What Do You Think?”
section.
Culture
▪ 1. As they came to know Chagnon, might the Yanomamo
too, have experienced culture shock? Why?
▪ 2. Can you think of an experience you had that is similar
to the one described here?
▪ 3. How can studying sociology help reduce the
experience of culture shock?
Culture
▪ Only humans depend on culture rather than instincts to ensure
survival of their kind.
▪ Culture is very recent and was a long time in the making.
▪ What sets primates apart is their intelligence. Human
achievements during the Stone Age set humans off on a distinct
evolutionary course, making culture their primary survival
strategy.
Culture
▪ The concept of culture (a shared way of life) must
be distinguished from those of a nation (a political
entity) or society (the organized interaction of
people in a nation or within some other boundary).
▪ Many modern societies are multicultural, meaning
that their people follow various ways of life that
blend and sometimes clash.
Culture Activity
▪ In small groups, come up with 10 characteristics of
U.S. culture.
Write these
in your
notebook!
▪ Some characteristics are: Art, Music, Race,
Religion, Language, Norms, Taboos, Gestures,
Attitudes, Beliefs, Values, Priorities and so on.
▪ We will discuss what you came up with shortly.
Culture Activity
▪ Now come up with the same characteristics of a
non-U.S. culture.
Write these
in your
notebook!
▪ Some characteristics are: Art, Music, Race,
Religion, Language, Norms, Taboos, Gestures,
Attitudes, Beliefs, Values, Priorities and so on.
▪ We will discuss what you came up with shortly.