Chapter 3 Flashcards
culture
a set of beliefs, traditions, and practices; the sum of the social categories and concepts we embrace in addition to beliefs, behaviors (except instinctual ones), and practices; everything but the natural environment around us
ethnocentrism
the belief that one’s own culture or group is superior to others, and the tendency to view all other cultures from the perspective of one’s own
nonmaterial culture
values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms
material culture
everything that is a part of our constructed, physical environment, including technology
ideology
a system of concepts and relationships, an understanding of cause and effect
cultural relativism
taking into account the differences across cultures without passing judgment or assigning value
cultural scripts
modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal or natural
subculture
the distinct cultural values and behavioral patterns of a particular group in society; a group united by sets of concepts, values, symbols, and shared meaning specific to the members of that group distinctive enough to distinguish it from others within the same culture or society
values
moral beliefs
norms
how values tell us to behave
socialization
the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society
reflection theory
the idea that culture is a projection of social structures and relationships into the public sphere, a screen onto which the film of the underlying reality or social structures of a society is projected
media
any formats, platforms, or vehicles that carry, present, or communicate information
hegemony
a condition by which a dominant group uses its power to elicit the voluntary “consent” of the masses
consumerism
the steady acquisition of material possessions, often with the belief that happiness and fulfillment can thus be achieved
