Chapter 2 - Terms Flashcards
Culture
the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects that characterize a group and are passed from one generation to the next
material culture
the material objects that distinguish a group of people, such as their art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothing, and jewelry
nonmaterial culture
a group’s ways of thinking (including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world) and doing (its common patterns of behavior, including language and other forms of interaction); also called symbolic culture
culture shock
the disorientation that people experience when they come in contact with a fundamentally different culture and can no longer depend on their taken-for-granted assumptions about life
ethnocentrism
the use of one’s own culture as a yardstick for judging the ways of other individuals or societies, generally leading to a negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors
cultural relativism
not judging a culture but trying to understand it on its own terms
symbolic culture
another term for nonmaterial culture
symbol
something to which people attach meaning and then use to communicate with one another
gestures
the ways in which people use their bodies to communicate with one another
language
a system of symbols that can be combined in an infinite number of ways and can represent not only objects but also abstract thought
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf’s hypothesis that language creates ways of thinking and perceiving
values
the standards by which people define what is desirable or undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly
norms
expectations of “right” behavior
sanctions
either expressions of approval given to people for upholding norms or expressions of disapproval for violating them
positive sanction
an expression of approval for following a norm, ranging from a smile or a good grade in a class to a material reward such as a prize
negative sanction
an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm, ranging from a mild, informal reaction such as a frown to a formal reaction such as a prize or a prison sentence
folkways
norms that are not strictly enforced
mores
norms that are strictly enforced because they are thought essential to core values or the well-being of the group
taboo
a norm so strong that it brings extreme sanctions, even revulsion, if violated
subculture
the values and related behaviors of a group that distinguish its members from the larger culture; a world within a world
counterculture
a group whose values, beliefs, norms, and related behaviors place its members in opposition to the broader culture
pluralistic society
a society made up of many different groups
core values
the values that are central to a group, those around which people build a common identity
value cluster
values that together form a larger whole
value contradiction
values that contradict one another; to follow the one means to come into conflict with the other
ideal culture
a people’s ideal values and norms; the goals held out for them
real culture
the norms and values that people actually follow; as opposed to ideal culture
cultural universal
a value, norm, or other cultural trait that is found in every group
sociobiology
a framework of thought in which human behavior is considered to be the result of natural selection and biological factors
technology
in its narrow sense, tools; its broader sense includes the skills or procedures necessary to make and use those tools
new technology
the emerging technologies of an era that have a significant impact on social life
cultural lag
Ogburn’s term for human behavior lagging behind technological innovations
cultural diffusion
the spread of cultural traits from one group to another; includes both material and nonmaterial cultural traits
cultural leveling
the process by which cultures become similar to one another; refers especially to the process by which Western culture is being exported and diffused into other nations
