Chapter 3 Culture
The values, beliefs, behavior, and material
objects that, together, form a people’s way of
life
Cultural relativism-pgs 35-39
• Little is known of the beginnings of the
Nacirema, although tradition says that they
came from the East. According to Nacirema
mythology, their nation was originated by a
culture hero, Notgnihsaw who is otherwise
known for two great feats of strength - the
throwing of a piece of wampum across the river
Pa-To-Mac and the chopping down of a fruit
bearing tree in which the Spirit of Truth lives.
Rituals of the Nacirema?
• How do we perceive
their culture?
*they seem very
odd*their beliefs
don’t make
sense*odd and
grotesque*weird*
strange*behavior is
shocking*harmful to
themselves*extreme
beliefs*no good can
come from time
consuming and
deadly rituals*stupid*
unusual* compulsive*
Nacirema
Nacirema?
Nacirema?
Ethnocentrism and cultural
relativity
• Our culture is the basis for our reality and
necessary for us to be emotionally
attached to our way of life
• Can lead to ETHNOCENTRISM:
• “The tendency to judge another’s culture
as inferior in terms of one’s own norms
and values”
Ethnocentrism in language
• Language is culturally
biased
• China is “The Far
East”
• East of what?
• They call themselves
“The Central Kingdom”
And historically
considered other
cultures as barbaric
Ethnocentrism and food
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“Our” cuisine is right and smells good
“Theirs” is inferior an smells bad.
“Ours” is what we are familiar with
Food preferences easily become prejudices
Food has become basis of ethnic slurs
– “Krauts”
– “Beaners”
Why this?
And not this?
Ethnocentrism and travel
• As we examine this toilet as well as other
cultural components we must remember
to be culturally relative. In other words,
try not to be ethnocentric, but in stead
understand each culture from its own
perspective. In the case of the Japanese
toilet, not only does it look and function
differently from ours, but it also
represents fundamentally different nonmaterial culture. The Japanese are very
germ conscious and they try hard not to
spread germs. They also do not have a lot
of furniture - they do not sit on furniture
in their houses, why would they in a
bathroom? And finally, they are used to
sitting and squatting in positions difficult
for westerners.
•Here is my new bathroom. As you can see, it is
right off of the kitchen. Very efficient because the
plumbing can be all in one place, but not very
pleasant. I've gotten used to it now. As you can
see, the bathroom is so small that there is no
room for the sink inside, so it's outside, in the
kitchen, right next to the washing machine.
Yes, this is the entire bathroom. You can kind of
see the showerhead on the left. It isn't separated
from the toilet, which is a squatty potty as you
can see. The result is that the entire bathroom
floor gets wet anytime anyone showers. (I have
rubber flip flops outside the door for showering
and for using the toilet if the floor is wet.)The only
thing omitted is a tiny bit of the bathroom on the
right side, which is full of assorted plastic tubs. I
have no idea what they're for, but they complete
the trashy appearance of the whole thing. :) You
can't stand underneath the shower-head, you
have to hold it, which is inconvenient. I hear that
most people just fill up one of the aforementioned
tubs and use that to rinse instead of the showerhead, kind of like you do when you're washing a
young child's hair. Interesting.
This is my new dining room/kitchen/laundry room. Quite space-efficient, no? I'm
allowed to cook here, which is great because many families who rent rooms don't allow
you to cook, but I haven't yet, except for making noodles once last week to make with
.
my instant curry
the bed isn't a mattress. It's a "dilam", which is very
common here. Basically, it's like a futon but not as
firm or heavy. So kind of like a giant flat cushion.
However, see my little stuffed animals on the bed?
I use them as pillows/body supports in places
where the bed sags, and it all works out great
since I barely move when I'm asleep :)
Cultural Relativism
• Is the alternative to Ethnocentrism
• Cultural relativism: “The practice of
evaluating a culture by it’s own standards
• It involves understanding unfamiliar values
and norms and suspending cultural
standards we have known all our lives
Values, Norms and Sanctions- pgs46-55
So what do we mean by
“Values and Norms”
Values
Socially shared ideas about what is right
Norms
the set of rules and understandings that control the behavior of
individuals and groups. They derive from and support values
American values
• Equal opportunity
– People in the United States endorse not
equality of condition but equality of
opportunity. This means that society should
provide everyone with the chance to get
ahead according to individual talents and
efforts.
American values
• Achievement and Success
– Our way of life encourages competition so
that each person’s rewards should reflect
personal merit. Moreover, success confers
worthiness on a person—the mantle of being
“a winner
Material comfort
Success in the United States generally means
making money and enjoying what it will buy.
Although people say “money won’t buy
happiness” most pursue wealth all the same.
American Values
• Activity and Work
– Popular U.S heroes, from fictional
archaeologist Indiana Jones to golf champion
Tiger Woods, are “doers” who get the job
done. Our culture values action over
reflection and controlling events over
passively accepting one’s fate
American values
• Practicality and efficiency
– People in the United States value the practical
over the theoretical, or “doing” over
“Dreaming”. Activity has value to the extent
that it earns money. “Major in something that
will help you get a job” parents say to their
children
American Values
• Progress
– We are an optimistic people who, despite waves of
nostalgia, believe that the present is better than the
past. We celebrate progress equating the “very
latest” with the “very best”
Science
We look to science and advanced technology to solve
problems and improve our lives. We believe we are
rational people, which probably explains our cultural
tendency (especially among men) to devalue emotion
and intuition as sources of knowledge
American Values
• Democracy and Free Enterprise
– Members of our society recognize individual
rights that should not be overridden by
government. We believe that a just political
system is based on free elections in which
adults select their leaders and on an economy
that responds to the choices of individual
consumers
American Values
• Freedom
– Our cultural value of freedom means that we
place a higher value on individual initiative
than on collective conformity. Although we
know that everyone has responsibilities to
others, we believe that people should be free
to pursue their own personal goals with
minimal interference from government.
American Values
• Racism and group superiority
– Despite strong notions about individualism and
freedom, most people in the United States still
evaluate individuals according to gender, race,
ethnicity, and social class. In general, U.S. culture
values males above females, whites above people of
color, people with northwest European backgrounds
above those whose ancestors came from other lands,
and rich above poor. Although we like to describe
ourselves as a nation of equals, there is little doubt
that some of us rate as “more equal than others”
Values
• There are differences in how people
interpret them and the extent to which
they adhere to them
• The smaller the society, the greater the
consensus
• Diverse societies generate conflict
Conflicting values 55-56
• Individualism: it is to
everyone’s benefit to
value individual
accomplishment
• Or
• Excessive
individualism creates
too great a gap,
which leads to
suffering and crime.
Conflicting values over the
distribution of wealth and power
Conflicting values
What about “family” values?
(supreme court decisions)
Deliberating in a Democracy
1-Rules for Deliberation
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Read the material carefully.
Focus on the deliberation questions.
Listen carefully to what others are saying.
Check for understanding.
Analyze what others say.
Speak and encourage others to speak.
Refer to the reading to support your ideas.
Use relevant background knowledge, including life
experiences, in a logical way.
• Use your heart and mind to express ideas and opinions.
• Remain engaged and respectful when controversy arises.
• Focus on ideas, not personalities.
2
• Read the article carefully and underline
facts and ideas you think are important
and/or interesting
3
• Grouping and Reading Discussion
• Groups of 4 or 5.
• Share important facts and interesting
ideas with each other to develop a
common understanding of the article.
Record these facts and ideas on Handout
2
4
• Deliberation Question
• Should our democracy extend government
support for higher education to
immigrants who-as young people-entered
the country illegally?
• Should our democracy permit physicians
to assist in a patient’s suicide?
5
• Divide into 2 teams
• Each team is responsible for selecting the most
compelling reasons for your position
• A-Reread and find the most compelling reason
to support the question
• B-Reread and find the most compelling reason
to oppose the deliberation question.
• Each person in group should come up with one
reason
6
• Each team will present the most compelling
reasons to support or oppose the
deliberation question. opposite team listen
carefully and list the reasons
• Team A will explain their reasons for
supporting the deliberation question. If
Team B does not understand something,
they should ask a question but NOT argue.
• Team B will explain their reasons for
opposing the deliberation question. If Team
A does not understand something, they
should ask a question but NOT argue.
7
• To demonstrate that each side
understands the opposing arguments,
each team will select the other team’s
most compelling reason
8
• You will now drop your roles and
deliberate the question as a group. You
can use 1.what you’ve learned about the
issue and 2. offer their personal
experiences as you formulate opinions
regarding the issue
• Find areas of agreement in your group.
As an individual express your opinion to
the group and write it down on worksheet
• You do not have to agree with the group.
9
• Entire Class-handout 3 for discussion and
homework
• 10
• On a scale of 1-5, where are you on the
deliberation question?
THE NORMATIVE ORDER
• This is the second major dimension of a
culture
• Norms are the set of rules and
understandings that control the behavior
of individuals and groups in a culture
Norms can change quickly
SANCTIONS
• When norms are
followed or violated,
people may rewarded
or punished. These
rewards and
punishments are
called sanctions
Sanctions
• Vary in intensity
• Dress code violations?
• Check out your
student planner for
examples of sanctions
Normative Order
• The wide array of norms and sanctions
that permit a society to achieve relatively
peaceful social control is called its
normative order
The normative order
Weakly sanctioned
folkways
Strongly sanctioned
Taboos/Mores
Misdemeanors
Felonies
Language and Culture 39-45
• THERE IS NO CULTURE WITHOUT
LANGUAGE
– Allows human experience to be cumulative
– Provides a shared past
– Enables a shared future
– Allows shared perspectives
– Allows complex, goal directed behavior
Language and culture 39-45
• Non-verbal communication
– Gestures
– Body language
– Emoticons
Language and Culture 39-45
• Linguistic Relativity (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis)
• Language determines thought-The words
you have determine what you can think
about
• Schadenfreude- Taking pleasure in the
misfortune of others
Language reflects
thought-What you think
about determines the
words you create and use
In Carrier, the general word for beaver is TSA, but
a small beaver is a TSAYAZ; a mid-size beaver is
a TSATUL; a large beaver is a TSATSUL; a young
beaver is a TSACHENISBOO’; an adult male
beaver is a TSATA’; a female beaver is a TSA’AT;
a mother beaver is a TSADIYA; the foreman
beaver is a TSACHO; and the list goes on…
Gender and language
• Gender neutral language expands our
ideas about who belongs in what
categories
• Gender differences in communication:
– Women’s culture?
– More group oriented
– Consensus is valued
– More indirect
– Conversations seek common ground and
involve self-disclosure.
Gender and language
• Men’s culture
– More competitive
– Even their friendly gestures are often “put
downs”
– Conversations involve bragging and
competition
– Problem solving
– Men converse on “safe” topics—it’s not good
to be vulnerable
When translation fails-just for fun
• “Engrish: Singapore Edition”
Technology 57-58
handouts
Assimilation and Subculture 50-51
• Assimilation occurs When culturally
distinct groups within a larger civilization
adopt the language, values, and norms of
the host civilization. Their acculturation
enables them to assume equal status in
the social groups and institutions of that
civilization
• When a culturally distinct group fails to
assimilate fully or has not yet become fully
assimilated they may be considered a
SUBCULTURE
Subcultures maintain certain
rituals, norms, traditions and
values that set them apart from
majority culture
Subculture
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Age
Ethnic background
Religious groups
Social Class
Occupation
Geographic location
Political ideologies
Hobbies
School
Sexuality
You are what you eat
culture and food
Our food behavior like our clothing, can be part of our contrived
public image
“Never order spaghetti on a dinner date”
We judge people through eating
habits
• People will make judgments of others
based on shopping list
• Food preferences play a role in judgment of
social class
– Lower class judged to prefer sweet foods
– Drinks? Upper class drinks
– white wine, scotch and water.
– Lower classes drink rum and coke (sweeter)
Why?
• Sweets represent immediate gratification
of childhood, preference indicates inability
to reach mature self-discipline
• It benefits the elite to demonstrate
superiority by rejecting these preferences
• OR
• Harshness of life demands immediate
visceral pleasure
Identifying self through food
• People develop preferences for foods that
represent the type of person they admire
or identify
• Social class climbers may abandon
McDonald’s and Pizza Hut in favor of more
upscale restaurants
• Buy groceries at specialty shops instead of
supermarkets
• Many supermarkets have ‘gourmet’ food
sections now
Gender identity and food
• Feminine foods include:
• salads, yogurt, fruit, rice, cake, tea
• Women are more aware of health aspects
of food than men are
• Newly married feel responsible for health
of spouse
• Masculine foods include:
• meat, potatoes, coffee, corned beef and
cabbage
Food and special occasions
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Ethnically linked
Turkey and
Thanksgiving
Your family?
Music and cuisine
• Different music linked with different
cuisine on basis of shared cultural
stereotypes
– Country and western with
– bbq?
– Rock and roll with
– pizza and hamburgers?
– Classical music and
– lobster and filet mignon?
Adolescents and food
• Peer pressure
• Conformity to group norms especially
noticeable among first or second
generation American teen-agers
• Tendency to reject traditional ethnic foods
in favor of “American” food.
– Mexican –American teenagers in the ’40’s
traded in their taco lunches for pb and j
sandwiches
Adolescents and food
• Unhealthy food choices like junk food and
fad dieting
• Weight-reduction dieting epidemic among
teen-aged girls
• Change in diets from new information
from coaches, friends, New experiences
Moral judgments and food
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Gluttony is a venial sin among Catholics
Kosher food for Orthodox Jews
Pork is forbidden for Muslims
Many religions consider it immoral to
waste food
• We judge people by how they conduct
themselves at the table
– To “eat like a pig” is to be unworthy of
respect
Ethnocentrism and food
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•
•
•
•
“Our” cuisine is right and smells good
“Theirs” is inferior an smells bad.
“Ours” is what we are familiar with
Food preferences easily become prejudices
Food has become basis of ethnic slurs
– “Krauts”
– “Beaners”
Ethnocentrism con’t.
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Beef consumption in America
Puppy dogs are a treat in parts of Asia
Americans reject kidneys, frog legs, and snails
Prairie oysters (bulls’ testicles) an rattlesnake
meat are acceptable in parts of the western U.S.
• Sudan-raw baby camel’s liver and camel’s milk
cheese patties that are cured in camel’s dung
• “Monkey feast” in China