Culture Flashcards
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
language influences cognition
Formal norms
laws; professional certification requirements
Taboos
vehemently prohibited behaviour: incest
Mores
reflect our most cherished principles: child labour
Informal norms
give up bus seat to elderly person, queue in hall until classroom is empty; face doors in elevator
Folkways
questioning/not your instructor- cultural differences
Sanctions
Rewards and penalties for conduct
Discourse
refers to the way we conceptualize and talk about an issue
Subculture
A group that shares the cultural elements of the larger society but also has its own distinctive values, beliefs, norms, style of dress, and behaviour patterns
Counterculture
a subculture that rejects conventional norms and values and adopts alternative ones
Culture capital
body of knowledge and social skills that help people get ahead socially. Cultural capital often includes learning about and taking part in high culture.
Social capital
include resources (both economic and noneconomic) that one gains from being part of a network of social relationships
Cultural literacy
enough general knowledge of a society’s popular culture that allows one to communicate effectively with an adult member of that society
Globalization
increased flow of goods, services and information beyond state boundaries
Cultural lag
non-material culture struggles to keep up with material culture
Cultural imperialism
global dominance of American culture
Durkheim
emphasized integrative ability of culture
e.g., religion in culture
Marxist
culture determined by political-economic structure
Neo-Marxist
capitalism is accompanied by a dominant ideology which serves to legitimate it
-culture can be manipulated by dominant groups and employed to maintain hegemony
Hegemony
a set of relatively non-coercive methods of maintaining power used by the dominant class (e.g., through the media or legal system)
Cultural hegemony
the domination of the masses by prevailing ideas and cultural forms important to smaller but more dominant groups in society
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirt of Capitalism
Protestant Germany much more economically successful than Catholic Germany
Dramaturgical Perspective
Erving Goffman
like actors, we perform a role based on cultural script in our interactions with others
we manage impressions of ourselves on the front stage and our real selves are on back stage
