Culture Flashcards
Define culture
Refers to language, belief, customs dress and all the other things that define people’s way of life
Define norms
Guidelines that conduct society’s actions
What is the role of sanctions on society
Exert social control and maintain order
Define values
Personal beliefs (general rather than specific)
Difference between norms and values
Norms provide specific directions and made by society whereas values provide more general guidelines made by an individuals moral compass
Without shared norms, members of society …
Would be unable to comprehend behaviour of others or even cooperate
What is cross cultural research
Research carried out across different cultures-compare norms and values to see if they’re relative or universal
What is universal
When behaviour or action of culture is same across different cultures
What is relative
When behaviour or action of culture is speicific to that culture but can change over time
Name the 5 different types of culture
Popular High Global Consumer Subculture
Define subculture
Small group within larger group that have its own set of norms and values
Define high culture
Enjoyed by those with a higher status in society
Which sociologist explains high culture
Bourdieu states it’s significant as it’s provides cultural capital
Define popular culture
Every aspect of culture not high culture, lies from mass media
What does bourdieu argue between mass culture and high culture
Distinction between the two cultures lie in the power of the group who support and access them
Define global culture
Collection of norms and values that span borders and spread through media
Define mcdonaldisation
Spread of western ideas globally
What does Ritzer argue
Society is becoming more westernised with the influence of media . Culture is becoming more rational which in turn leads to the loss of traditional culture
Define consumer culture
Set of ideas that encourage people to buy a range of never ending products
Define cultural hybridity
Mix of 2 different cultures
Give an example of cultural hybridity
Creolisation: forms of culture that don’t have historical roots but are a result of global connections example mulligatawny soup
Example of Hybrid Identity (food)
Mulligatawny Soup is a mix of british and indian food
cultural diversity
differences in lifestyles between families of different ethnic origins, religious beliefs e.g catholics ban contraception
Bhatti (1999) -cultural diversity
-studied cultural diversity in UK and focused on a south asian family
-1M South Asians in Britain
-emphasis on loyalty to family and maintaining traditional practice in marriage
-‘izzat’ family honour taken seriously
-open clashes if children rejected cultural values