Chapter 2 Vocabulary Flashcards
Material culture
Physical objects that people create
Ex. Clothes, food
Culture
All the shared products of human groups
- physical objects
- beliefs
- values
- behaviors
Nonmaterial culture
Abstract human creations
Ex. Love, feelings, and emotions
Society
Group of interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity
Technology
Combination of objects and rules for using those objects
Symbols
Anything that represents something else (has shared meaning)
*can be almost anything as long as people recognize the meaning
Language
Organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system
Values
Shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable
*help determine the character of people and the kind of culture they create
Ex. Yanomamö tribe and San tribe
Yanomamö tribe
- farmers along Brazil and Venezuela border
- warfare and feats of male strength important
- rarely had more than 200 people in tribe (normal was 500-1000)
- conflicts caused separation and creation of new colonies
- warfare between new settlements
San tribe
- Southern Africa
- life based on cooperation
- do not trespass on land of others
- all members search for food
- share food among all members
- break into smaller units when food is short; come together when food is plentiful
Norms
Shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations
Types of norms
Folkways, mores, and laws
Folkways
Norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral significance attached to them
Things to know about folkways
- Failure to abide=reprimand or minor punishment
- some nonconformity allowed because it doesn’t endanger stability
- examples: responding hi, please, and thank you, opening doors for others, eating at the table, not eating with your fingers, table manners, etc.
Mores
Rules that have great moral significance attached to them
Things to know about mores
- violation of rules endangers society’s well-being and stability
- examples: appropriate attire, don’t make out in public, not flip someone off, don’t swear in public, fraudulent claims, etc.
Laws
-written rules of conduct enacted and enforced by government
Examples of laws
Murder, arson, rape, damage to property, theft, etc.
What do we all have in common
All cultures meet needs in different ways;limited only by ..
-biological makeup
-physical environment
Cultural universals
Cultural universals
Features common to all cultures that ensure their fulfillment
George Murdock
Identified over 65 cultural universals; 7 categories
George Murdock seven categories
a. Arts and leisure
b. Basic needs
c. Beliefs
d. Communication and education
e. Family
f. Economy
g. Technology
Subculture
Group that shares values, norms and behaviors not shared by larger society
Things to know about subculture
a. deviant, age, gender, ethnic, religious, political, geographical, social-class, occupational, etc.
b. society is dependent on subcultures:
1) add diversity
2) make society open to change
* Examples: homos, Hispanic cultures
Counterculture
Subgroup that challenges values of society and wants to replace them with new ones
*examples: Kkk, Isis, al queda
Ethnocentrism
Tendency to view ones own culture and group as superior
Things to know about ethnocentrism
- functionalist perspective
- conflict perspective
- encourages discrimination
- too extreme=culture can stagnate
Functionalist perspective
Helps to build group unity
Conflict perspective
Results in one group or society seeing others as inferior
Cultural relativism
Belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards
Cultural diffusion
Spreading of cultural traits from one society to another
*examples: McDonald’s, cars, clothing, music, sports, religion, entertainment
Cultural lag
Time between changes when ideas and beliefs are adapting to new material conditions
*Examples: phones, Internet, gay rights, slavery, women’s rights
Discovery
Recognize new uses for existing elements
*Examples: cell phones, computers, prescription drugs, texting/sexting
Invention
Create something that did not previously exist
*Examples: electricity, automobiles, tv, robots, phone, wheel
Cultural leveling
Process in which cultures become more and more alike
*Examples: language, clothes, food
Personal achievement
Doing well at school and at work is important. Gaining wealth and prestige is a sign of success
Progress and material comfort
History is marked by ongoing progress and this progress improves people’s lives
Work
Discipline, dedication and hard work are signs of virtue
Individualism
Hard work, initiative and individual effort are the keys to personal achievement
Efficiency and practicality
Can help solve every problem. Getting things done well in the shortest time is very important
Morality and humanitarianism
Judgements should be based on a sense of right and wrong. Can also include helping those less fortunate
Equality and democracy
Everyone should have an equal chance at success and the right to participate freely in government
Freedom
Personal freedoms, such as freedom of religion, speech and the press, are central to the American way of life
Other core values
a. Nationalism and patriotism
b. Science and rationality
c. Racial and group superiority
d. Education
e. Religion
Self-fulfillment
Commitment to the full development of one’s personality, talents and potential
Narcissism
Extreme self-centeredness
Things to know about narcissism
a. Weakened the established values of hard work and moderation
b. Threatened the stability of the capitalist system
What are all traditional American values
Personal achievement, progress and material comfort, work, individualism, efficiency and practicality, morality and humanitarianism, equality and democracy, freedom, and other core values
