Culture

Question 1

Define society.

Answer 1

– group that has a collective identity that works in a collective way

Question 2

define culture

Answer 2

– something shared by the society, including tangible items

Question 3

define material culture

Answer 3

– any of the tangible materials that the society makes and or uses

Ex: clothes, oven, book, synthetic cell phone, strollers, drugs (anything physically constructed)

Question 4

define non material culture.

Answer 4

-- everything else (ideas, laws, etc.)
Ex: raising your hand, getting out of class on time, owning a pet, expectations

– can be primitive

Question 5

What are norms?

Answer 5

– what we think is important (rules –> norms)

Ex: don’t chew w/ your mouth open –> not necessarily a law

Ex: raising your hands in class – respecting the teacher

different context different rules

Question 6

What are values?

Answer 6

– opinions; an agreed upon set of ideas

Ex: freedom, popularity, equality of opportunity

Question 7

Describe the difference between official and unofficial norms.

Answer 7

– Official norms –> laws

– unofficial norms –> everything else

–> learned, shared, transmitted across generations, changing, adaptable

Question 8

Describe the difference between folkways and mores (more- ays)

Answer 8

– folkways –> not a big deal; probably not supposed to do that

– mores –> more serious infraction; hits deep values

– both are sometimes connected to laws, but not always

– context-specific, they change over time

Ex: a teacher in a classroom –> authority vs. at a supermarket –> normal person

Question 9

Example of folkway and more.

Answer 9

Folkway: jaywalking –> can turn into a more depending on who’s doing it

More: cheating in a relationship

Question 10

What are cultural universals?

Answer 10

• • values and norms are socially constructive
• —> differ between groups

– what food you can and cannot eat, w/ whom you can have children; burial, dress

– mannerism – no slurping

Question 11

What is a symbol and what are the importance of symbols?

Answer 11

– something we give meaning

– swastika peace in Hindu culture –> Nazi symbol – Germany

– Confederate flag – slavery, the Civil War, independence from the North

– mascots

– colors

– they’re adaptive, changing over tome

–> crying emoji becoming something that represents laughing

Question 12

T or F, language is pivotal to communication and culture

Answer 12

True; what do you do? How do you make money? Who gets to decide what makes it into the dictionary?

Question 13

Ideal culture vs. real culture

Answer 13

Ideal: what we want

Real: what is actually is

There is a disconnect

—–> texting while driving

—–> cheating in a relationship

Question 14

Subcultures vs. Countercultures

Answer 14

– Subcultures: a group that does things differently than the dominant culture (vegans, marching band, religious groups)

– Counterculture: doesn’t only do their own things, but they want things in the dominant culture (policies, laws) to change (BLM movement, anti-war movement during the Vietnam war)

both change depending on context

Question 15

T or F, the presence of two or more groups does not mean pluralism

Answer 15

True

Question 16

T or F; lack of dominant group makes something multicultural

Answer 16

True

Question 17

T or F; a multicultural society believes that doing things differently is good.

Answer 17

True

Question 18

T or F, there are no known pluralistic societies

Answer 18

False

Question 19

What is ethnocentrism?

Answer 19

– one group that believes their way of doing things is morally superior (right); imposing you values on others

– can be unintentional (nuanced) or intentional (rude)

– narrow way of thinking

• promotes social stability

Question 20

What did Max Weber warn against?

Answer 20

– warned against ethnocentrism

Question 21

Define multiculturalism

Answer 21

• • more diversity
• • more knowledge –> can learn more things
• • some cultures are more vulnerable than others
• • efficiency issue –> (“ too many cooks in the kitchen”) –> nothing gets done promptly

Question 22

Define cultural imperialism

Answer 22

• • when a dominant culture spreads its influence to other groups (cultures)
• —–> McDonald’s

– pop culture

Question 23

Define cultural appropriation

Answer 23

– taking an aspect of a culture w/o permission and misusing it

• • typically culture being taken from marginalized group
• • taken and not given credit

– surface-level –> dominant culture does not understand the aspect of that culture on a deeper level

Question 24

Define cultural appreciation.

Answer 24

– respecting the culture you’re borrowing from

Question 25

What is the list of mechanisms by which culture changes

Answer 25

• • cultural dynamics
• • cultural diffusion –> culture spreads to other group
• • cultural invention – we actually create ideas
• • cultural innovation –> needed to implement the invention
• • cultural discovery –> we discover it (penicillin)

– cultural lag – when material culture changes faster than nonmaterial culture
Ex: autonomous driving cars –> who is liable?