3.1: What is Culture? Flashcards
What is the definition of culture according to Edward Tylor?
Edward Tylor defined culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities acquired by man as a member of society.”
According to Geert Hofstede, how did he define culture?
Geert Hofstede defined culture as “the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another.
Culture, in this sense, includes systems of values; and values are among the building blocks of culture.”
How do sociologists Zvi Namenwirth and Robert Weber define culture?
Namenwirth and Weber view culture as a system of ideas and argue that these ideas constitute a design for living.
What do values represent in the context of culture?
Values are abstract ideas about what a group believes to be good, right, and desirable.
They are shared assumptions about how things ought to be.
What are norms in the context of culture?
Norms are the social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate behavior in particular situations.
They define how people should behave in society.
How is society defined in the context of culture?
Society refers to a group of people who share a common set of values and norms. It represents a community where these shared beliefs and behaviors are practiced.
What is the role of values in a culture?
Values form the foundation of a culture and provide the context for establishing and justifying a society’s norms.
They encompass attitudes toward concepts such as freedom, democracy, justice, honesty, and social obligations, and are often emotionally significant, leading people to argue, fight, or even die over them.
How are values reflected in the political and economic systems of a society?
Values are reflected in the political and economic systems of a society.
For instance, democratic free market capitalism reflects a philosophical value system that emphasizes individual freedom.
What are norms, and how can they be categorized?
Norms are social rules governing people’s interactions.
They can be categorized into **folkways and mores. **
Folkways concern routine conventions of everyday life and are of little moral significance.
Mores, on the other hand, are central to a society’s functioning and social life and carry significant consequences if violated.
Provide an example of a folkway related to attitudes toward time in different countries.
Attitudes toward time vary in different countries.
For instance, Canadians are time-conscious and arrive a few minutes early for appointments.
In contrast, in some cultures, arriving late might be more acceptable and arriving early could be considered impolite.
What distinguishes mores from folkways, and what are some examples of mores?
Mores are norms that are essential to a society and carry greater significance than folkways.
Violating mores can result in serious consequences.
Examples of mores include prohibitions against theft, adultery, incest, and cannibalism.
In many societies, certain mores are enacted into laws.
How is the consumption of alcohol perceived differently in Canada and Saudi Arabia, highlighting the concept of mores?
In Canada, drinking alcohol is widely accepted and not a violation of social mores, whereas in Saudi Arabia, it is viewed as a serious violation and is punishable by imprisonment, reflecting the cultural differences in perceptions of mores related to alcohol consumption.
How is a society defined in the context of culture, and what commonality binds people in a society?
A society is defined as a group of people who share a common set of values and norms, forming a bond through a shared culture.
What is the distinction between a society and a nation-state?
While a society is a group of people sharing common values and norms, a nation-state is a political creation that may contain one or multiple cultures.
A nation-state can represent a single culture or multiple cultures within its borders.
Provide examples of countries where there are significant cultural differences within their borders.
Canada is an example with its Anglo, French-speaking Quebecois, and Indigenous cultures.
Similarly, African nations often have diverse cultural differences among tribal groups, as seen in the case of Rwanda. Iraq, with Kurds, Shiites, Sunnis, and Marsh Arabs, is another example.
