Chapter 3; What is Canadian Culture Flashcards
culture
the sum total of the social environment in which we are raised and continue to be socialized throughout our lives; includes shared and contested ideas, custom behaviours, and practices that shape the attitudes and behaviours of members of that culture
what are cultural universals and who conceptualized it?
George Murdock; common practices shared by all societies, ex. securing food, clothing, shelter, developing forms of communication/familial structures, implementing ways to use tools, coming up with means of self expression
postmodern lens of Canadian culture
multiple simultaneous Canadian “cultures”
what is social heritage and who conceptualized it?
William Fielding Ogburnhe the shared cultural traditions, beliefs, values, arts, and practices that are passed down through generations within a particular society
material culture
tangible/physical items people have created for use in/give meaning to a given culture, ex. clothing, consumer goods, housing, schools, places of worship, transportation, tools, art
non-material culture
intangibles stemming from intellectual and/or spiritual development, or the meaning people attach to artifacts, ex. language, knowledge, symbols, customs, morals, beliefs, practices
cultural diffusion
spread of material and non-material culture from one social group to another through communication, trade, intermarriage, immigration, and technology
cultural shock
sense of disorientation/confusion from being place in unfamiliar surroundings where things, practices, language, and rules are new or unknown
high culture
activities shared by the social elite
Pierre Bourdieu
cultural/educational practices lead to the social reproduction of classes
status symbol
material indicators of wealth/prestige
what is popular culture and how is it constructed?
well liked everyday practices and products, constructed via the media (famous people)
critical approach on pop culture
views it from the perspective of ideology
ideology
a set of ideas that support the needs/views of a particular group
conflict theorists view of pop culture
its a means for the ruling class to control their masses
Fiske
pop culture is in part negotiated by the masses
what are cultural omnivores and who conceptualized it?
Richard Peterson; those of high social standing who enjoy both high and pop culture
language
a shared system of communication that includes spoken, written, and signed forms of speech as well as nonverbal gestures used to convey meaning
linguistic determinism
language controls how humans think and therefore shape entire cultures
linguistic relativism
language has particular meaning with the given culture in which it occurs
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
takes the principles of linguistic determinism and relativism and asserts that language shapes reality/the language a person speaks can influence their worldview
canadianisms
words and phrases uniques to Canadians, ex. tuque, washroom
the nuances of language can be seen in what?
foreing marketing
norms
expectations on how to think, act, and look
what are folkways and what are they based on?
informal norms based on accepted traditions and centre on kindness/ politness/ demonstrates respect for the generalized other, ex. waiting in line for coffee, addressing people as their formal titles, ex. professor
failure to comply with folkways results in what?
informal sanctions, ex. looks of disapproval
what are mores and what is their purpose?
institutionalized norms embedded in laws (considered to embody fundamental views) used to maintain control in society, ex. formal legislation/laws
taboos
mores that have such strong moral connotations they are considered wrong and of themselves, ex. cannibalism, incest, pedophilia
failure to comply with mores and taboos results in what?
formal sanctions, ex.prison, fines, parole
prescriptive norms
rules depicted behaviours we are expected to perform (prescribed behaviours), ex. covering a sneeze, respecting the rights of others, following appropriate authority at work/school
proscriptive norms
rules outlining behaviours we are expected not to do, ex. talking with your mouth full, swearing in church, going to work high/drunk
informal sanctions are often conveyed through what?
nonverbal communication, ex. dirty looks, middle finger, honking the horn. These gestures are non-universal but there are universal categories of what gestures mean(happy, angry)
emblems
nonverbal gestures with direct verbal equivalents, ex. middle finger = fuck you, devil horns = rock on
cultural values
collectively shared ideas about what is right and wrong
7 common unifying Canadian values
- Belief in equality and fairness in a democratic society
- Belief in consultation and dialog; settling difference peacefully both at the individual and governmental level
- Accommodation and tolerance; need to sustain culture while attaching to Canada’s society, values, and institutions
- Diversity; overreaching principle for the multiculturalism act
- Compassion and generosity; supporting the collective via social service, healthcare, pensions, welcoming refugees
- Attachment to Canada’s natural beauty
- World peace; commitment to freedom, peace, and nonviolent change
every cat acts dumb cats are weird
Multiculturalism as a value
assumes all groups are inherently equal within a culture
bill 21
designed to uphold French secularism by ensuring religious neutrality
Functionalist Perspective on values and norms
shared cultural values are the foundation of society
what are social facts and who conceptualized it?
Emile Durkheim; cultural values + norms; observable social phenomenon external to individuals and excerise power over them
collective conscience
recurring pattern of respecting norms/ following them because they are internalized through early socialization
internalized norms
people accepting and following cultural norms subconsciously
Talcott Parsons
norms and values work together at a general level in the form of social institutions
Conflict perspective on values and norms
there is a lack of correspondence and contradictions between cultural values and norms. ex. equality is valued but not all groups are treated equally
ideal culture
cultural values that most people identify with, ex. environmental preservation
real culture
actual practices engaged in, ex. oils sands destroying the environment
what causes discrepancies between ideal and real culture?
quest for control, fighting over scarce resources, and cultural variations in the exsisting beliefs/practices of particular groups, ex. regionalism of French Canadians
cultural relativism
understanding another culture sympathetically enough so that it appears to be a coherent/meaningful design for living
A society’s customs and ideas should be described objectively and should be understood within the context of that society’s problems and opportunities.
ethnocentrism
tendency to believe that one’s cultural beliefs/practices are superior and should be used as the standard
subculture
a group that can be differentiated from mainstream culture by differing traits involving language, norms, beliefs, and values; identified by shared traits, ex. food preferences (vegan), music interest, body art, recreation (internet groups), age (boomer)
counterculture
type of subculture that strongly opposes core aspects of mainstream culture, ex. Hells angels, hippies
cultural mosaic
blend of diverse groups and traditions coexisting
