Introduction to Sociology
Chapter 2 – “Culture”
Roderick Graham
Explaining Culture
Culture – the ways of thinking, the ways of acting, and the
material objects that together form a people’s way of life
Culture can be divided into…
Nonmaterial culture – ideas
Material culture – physical things
Culture is shared…and people who interact in a defined
territory and share a culture is considered a society.
Elements of Culture - Symbols

Symbols – anything that carries a particular meaning
recognized by people who share a culture.
Symbols can be logos…
Symbols can mean social causes
Symbols can communicate instructions
Symbols remind us of our history and
values
Symbols can be manipulated because we all
know what they are supposed to mean....
Artists use symbols…
Elements of Culture - Language

Language – a system of symbols that allows people to
communicate

Through language we can transmit culture. Wisdom over
time is passed down through language.
Elements of Culture: Norms

Norms – rules and expectations by which a society
guides the behavior of its members. There are two types
of norms…

Mores – norms that are widely observed and have great
moral significance. They are taboos. Often breaking
norms lead to being outcast or imprisonment (ex. Incest,
rape, murder)

Folkways – norms of routine or casual interaction (ex.
Shaking hands, eating styles, saying excuse me)
Elements of Culture: Values and Beliefs

Values – culturally defined standards that people use to
decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and that
serve as broad guidelines for social living

Beliefs – specific ideas that people hold to be true
Values tend to be general, and beliefs tend to be specific.
They are linked…your abstract values affect the specific
things you believe about the world.
Technology and Culture

Norms, symbols, language, values and beliefs are nonmaterial elements of culture

Technology is the material elements of culture.
Technology is the knowledge that people use to make a
way of life in their surroundings
Technology and Culture
Hunting and Gathering
Horticulture and Pastoralism
Agriculture
Industry
Post-Industrial Information Technology
Cultural Diversity

Although societies share general cultures (they share
similar symbols, norm, values, and language), there is
tremendous variety in the types of specific cultures
certain groups practice
Cultural Diversity – High Culture and
Popular Culture
High Culture – Society’s
Elite
Popular Culture –
Widespread in a society
Cultural Diversity – Subculture and
Counterculture
Subculture – set apart
from society
Counterculture – strongly
oppose wider society
Cultural Diversity - Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism – perspective recognizing the cultural
diversity of the United States and promoting equal
standing for all cultural traditions
Why do people think multiculturalism is a good thing?
Cultural Diversity – Ethnocentrism and
Cultural Relativism

Ethnocentrism – the
practice of judging
another culture by the
standards of one’s own
culture

Cultural Relativism – the
practice of judging a
culture by its own
standard
Cultural Change
Cultural patterns do not always stay the same…here are
some ways they change?



Invention – creating new cultural elements
Discovery – recognizing new ways to use something
already in existence
Diffusion – the spread of objects or ideas
What are some examples of invention, discovery, and
diffusion?
END