Ch.2 Culture Flashcards
Culture shock
When someone is transported to a completely different culture
Ethnocentrism
the idea that your culture is superior to another’s
Cultural relativism
understanding cultures on their own terms
What is an example of cultural relativism?
bull-fighting has a different meaning in Spanish culture than in American culture
Culture
the language, beliefs, values, etc that characterize a group and are based from one generation to the next
Material culture
material objects that distinguish a culture
Nonmaterial culture
a groups way of thinking
What are gestures?
convey messages without words
Are there universal gestures?
This is debated upon because some sociologists say that the expressions that we have when feeling emotions are examples that there are universal gestures but others argue that that does not fall under gestures
What are positives of language?
- allows cumulative human experience
- provides shared past/future
- allows shared perspective
- allows complex, shared, goal-oriented behavior
What did Sapir-Wharf conclude?
language shapes the way we think and perceive
Values
what is desirable in life
Norms
expectations or rules for behaviors
Sanctions
reactions to the following or breaking norms
What can act as an exception to norms?
moral holidays
Folkways
norms not strictly enforced
Mores
norms strictly enforced
Taboos
norms extremely enforced
- severe sanctions if violated
Subculture
- a world within a larger world of the dominant culture
- have their own lingo, gestures, meanings
Counterculture
Groups whose values and norms place them at odds with the dominant culture
Symbolic Culture
another word for non-material culture
Positive sanction
reward or positive reaction for following norms
Negative sanction
expression of disapproval for following norms
Value clusters
values come together to form larger wholes
What is an example of a value cluster
education, hard work, individualism, and material comfort = success
Value contradictions
values change over time
Pluralistic society
a society made up of many groups
What are values a response to?
change in society
What occurs when values clash?
- challenges to core values are met with resistance
- can sometimes lead to culture wars
Culture wars
traditionalists v. change
What can values act as
- can act as blinders when referring to other cultures
What are some cultural universals?
- marriage, funerals, games,etc. occur in every society but how they occur differs
Cultural lag
some areas change while others do not
Cultural-leveling
societies are becoming more alike
How do subcultures and countercultures differ?
a subculture is a group whose values and related behaviors distinguish its members from general culture while a counterculture holds values that stand in opposition to those of a dominant culture
Why do sociologists consider genes to be an inadequate explanation of human behavior?
culture overrides genetic influences
How is technology changing culture?
- cultural diffusion is occurring rapidly
- could lead to cultural leveling
