Chapter 3 Flashcards
what is society
What is Culture?
the shared beliefs, values, and practices of a group of people
The relationship
between society &
culture
society is the structure of people, and culture is the fabric that holds them together
- To understand a society – need to understand its culture
Types of capital
- Economic Capital
- Social Capital
- Cultural Capital
THE RISE OF THE NATION- STATE
- charles tilly
- “war made the state and the state made war,” essentially stating that the constant need for warfare in early modern Europe significantly propelled the development of strong, centralized states, which then used their power to engage in further warfare; this process is considered a key driver in the formation of modern nation-states.
“Global North”
Wealthy Industrialized – Post Industrial Societies
* US, UK, European Union, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, Japan, South Korea
* With growing status of India & China
“Global South”
Poorer Developing Countries
* Various countries - Latin America, Asia, Africa, etc.
* Often former colonies
Globalization
International movement of people, trade & engagement
Pierre Bourdieu
- Class-based social groups
- Three forms of Capital – components of class distinction
Economic Capital
– Built upon the Marxian idea of capital
– Finances $, property (land, buildings, etc.), investments
– Greater economic capital – Freer to engage social life
– More increases the individual’s status in society
– More resources, power/access to power, fewer constraints
Social Capital
– Being known and trusted by others
– Better known & trusted – greater your social capital
– Network of important people you know that can help you
– The more people you help – returned in kind
– Again accumulating a type of “resources”
* Social Capital is the “property” of the individual NOT the group
Cultural Capital
The social “assets” that one accumulates
* Intellect, style of speech, fashion, manners, knowledge of “high culture”, speak
multiple languages, well-traveled, etc.
– Knowing the difference between a Bordeaux & Barolo
– Know what to wear & bring to a Yacht party - High Society
* The ability to fit into any situation – show you belong
– Capital that is “converted into economic capital” & social mobility
– Those with elevated cultural capital establish “taste standards”
Symbolic Capital
(often a part of cultural capital)
–Resources to the individual due to:
* Honor, prestige or recognition
* Education level & awards e.g. Phi Beta Kappa, Rhodes
Scholar, Nobel Prize, etc.
- * Famous actor, writer, athlete, official, etc.
why are disagreements over cultura; values used as a politcal strategy
- Motivate your political base
- Or to divide society
- Or Both
- Divert attention away from bigger issues – that may unite
society against the political interests of the powerful
What is Cultural
Appropriation?
the act of taking and using aspects of a culture that is not one’s own, often without permission
when is cultural appropriation ok?
cultural appreciation
WHY CULTURE MATTERS
– Culture – shaping behavior and social life as a Social Context
– It is the GRAND Social Construction of Social Life; MASTER Social Context
– Social Glue – binds us together // Social Order – if we share a culture – material and non-
material - it provides connection; common reference points
dominate culture
a cultural practice that is dominant within a particular political, social or economic entity, in which multiple cultures co-exist
Cultural lag
the idea introduced by William Ogburn that changes in cultural values and norms take time to catch up with technological development
Subcultures
groups of people who share values and norms that differ from the majority of society
- share idenity with larger group
- goth
Countercultures
radical groups of people who reject established social values and practices and who embrace a mode of life opposed to the mainstream
- opposes larges culture
- Hippies
- feminists
Assimilation
the process of becoming similar to others by taking in and using their customs and culture
multiculturalism
the acceptance of different cultures in a society and the active support of these cultural differences by both the majority and minority group members
what is cultural universals
a social element, behavior pattern, or institution that is common to all known human cultures worldwide
what is nonmaterial culture
the abstract ideas, beliefs, values, norms, and customs that make up a society’s culture, excluding any physical objects or artifacts
what is material culture
the physical objects that a group of people use to express their culture. This includes tools, clothing, buildings, art, and more.
what are values
a set of shared beliefs or ideals within a society that define what is considered good, desirable, and important
what are norms
unwritten rules or expectations that define acceptable behavior within a society or group
what are symbols
anything - an object, gesture, word, or image - that carries a specific meaning shared by a group of people within a culture, representing something else beyond its literal form, allowing for communication and understanding within that society
what are signifiers
a physical representation of a concept or idea. Signifiers can be words, images, sounds, gestures, or other indicators.
what are semiotics
the study of the ways in which non linguistic phenomena can generate meaning — as in the example of a traffic light
what is linguistic relativity hypothesis
suggests that the language a person speaks influences how they perceive and think about the world
Describe the main elements of culture.
How people dress, marriage customs, family life, patterns of work, religious ceremonies, and leisure pursuits.
What is the linguistic relativity hypothesis?
A hypothesis, based on the theories of Sapir and Whorf, that perceptions are relative to language.
What roles does culture play in society?
Without culture, we’d have no language to express ourselves and no sense of self-consciousness-ability to think and reason would be limited.
Identify three examples of cultural universals.
ways of communicating and expressing meaning and all cultures depend on material objects in daily life, possess some recognizable form of family system in which there are values and norms associated with the care of children. marriage.
language
The primary vehicle of meaning and communication in a society, language is a system of symbols that represent objects and abstract thoughts.
cultural turn
sociology’s recent emphasis on the importance of understanding the role of culture in daily life
hunting and gathering societies
societies whose mode of subsistence is gained from hunting animals, fishing, and gathering edible plants
pastoral societies
societies whose subsistence derives from the rearing of domesticated animals
agrarian societies
Societies whose means of subsistence are based on agricultural production (crop growing).
Industrialization
the process of developing machine production of goods
industrialized societies
strongly developed nation-states in which the majority of the population works in factories or offices rather than in agriculture, and most people live in urban areas
nation states
particular types of states, characteristic of the modern world, in which governments have sovereign power within defined territorial areas, and populations are citizens who know themselves to be part of single nations
Compare the three main types of premodern societies.
Hunting and Gathering Societies: societies whose mode of subsistence is gained from hunting animals, fishing, and gathering edible plants.
Pastoral societies: societies whose subsistence derives from the rearing of domestic animals.
Agrarian societies: Societies whose means of subsistence are based on agricultural production (crop growing)
what transformations led to the development of civilizations?
These societies, based on settled agriculture and developed cities, led to inequalities in wealth and power, ruled by kings and emperors (called civilizations).
what does the concept of industrialization mean?
the process of the machine production of goods
how has industrialization weakened traditional social systems?
Transportation and communication became much more rapid, promoting a more integrated “national” community.
Colonialism
The process whereby Western nations established their rule in parts of the world away from their home territories.
cultural capital
the accumulated cultural knowledge within a society that confers power and status.
emerging economies
Developing countries, such as India or Singapore, that over the past two or three decades have begun to develop a strong industrial base.
ethnocentrism
The tendency to look at other cultures through the eyes of one’s own culture, and thereby misrepresent them.
cultural relativism
the practice of judging a culture by its own standards
give examples of subcultures that are typical of american society
Hip-Hop, College Students, Sports Fans, etc.
why is cultural appropriation considered problematic by some?
when a majority or dominant culture appropriates elements of a minority culture particularly one that has historically suffered oppression at the hands of the majority it is especially important that those doing appropriation be extremely sensitive to the historical meaning a contemporary significance of the cultural forms being appropriated
what is the difference between cultural ethnocentrism and cultural relativism?
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at other cultures throughout the eyes of one’s own culture, misrepresenting them; believing that your country is the best, correct way to do things. Cultural relativism is judging other societies by the standards of one’s own.
sociobiology
an approach that attempts to explain the behavior of both animals and human beings in terms of biological principles
instincts
fixed patterns of behavior that have genetic origins that appear in all normal animals within a given species
nationalism
a set of beliefs and symbols expressing identification with a national community
explain the nature/nurture debate. how is recent sociological research on the relationship between genetics and social influences our human behavior contributing to this debate?
many assume we are shaped by our biology or we are products of learning through life’s experiences. Sociologist today acknowledge a role for nature in determining attitudes and behavior. Instincts
