Name: ______________________
Period: ___ Date: _____________
The Four Aspects of Culture:
“Norms, Values, Beliefs, & Material Culture”
Directions: Using your Sociology textbook, read chapter 3 section 3 and 4. After reading both sections answer the following questions
in complete sentences in your Sociology notebook.
1.) How do norms affect the way we live our lives?
2.) Using Figure 3.2, choose two customs from other countries and describe how they are different
from American cultural norms.
3.) What benefits can be gained by studying cultures other than one’s own?
4.) Name and describe the three basic types of norms. (Give one example for each)
5.) Using figure 3.3, name two “Silly Laws” and explain a possible reason for why the need for the
law has disappeared.
6.) What is the difference between formal and informal sanctions?
7.) Why are values important?
8.) Sociologists make a distinction between norms and values. How are these two concepts different?
9.) Why are beliefs important to the study of Sociology?
10.) Compare and Contrast nonmaterial culture and material culture. (How are they related and How are
they different?)
11.) How is real culture different from ideal culture?
12.) Think about an example of real and ideal culture in your school. Should the aspect of ideal culture
be abandoned?