culture Flashcards
what is culture
the totality of socially transmitted material and non-material aspects of human existence such as language, values, customs, material objects, and knowledge
diffusion
the spread of cultural practices of one society or group to another
- internet, globalization makes diffusion faster and easier
cultural universals
a common practice or belief found in every culture
- marriage, sports, cooking, medicine
subculture
group that shares the cultural elements of a larger society but also has its own distinctive values, beliefs, norms, and behaviour patterns
- small culture that exists within a larger, more dominant culture
counterculture
subcultures that deliberately oppose aspects of larger culture
sapir and whorf hypothesis
language can shape our interpretation of reality. language is culturally determined
mores
strongly held norms with moral and ethical connotations. violations would result in strong societal reactions
- dont kill
folkways
informal norms or everyday customs that may be violated without serious consequences in a given culture.
- wearing shorts to a job interview
ethnocentrism
believing that your own culture is the right one and judging others from your own terms
believe yours is superior and the norm everywhere
cultural relativism
belief that all cultural practices are equally valid and every culture should be judged on its own terms
xenocentrism
when people believe their own culture is inferior to others
high culture
high status group preferences like the ballet, fine arts, classical music..
excludes more peopl
bourdieus forms of capital
economic
cultural
social
symbolic
functionalist perception of culture
role of culture is to maintain order in society and argue that dominant cultural values reflect societal consensus
conflict perspective on culture
dominant cultures and norms reflect the interest of the powerful
devalue groups
