Culture Flashcards
What relates agency and the society
Culture examines the interaction between agency and the structure
Shared symbols and their meaning its known as
Culture
How do human generally regard the meaning an object or a situation and what is wrong with that
We often interpret gestures, object based on the meaning the culture have defined them with and think that meaning defines what that experience or object is
For example, we think that the sign we make with our fingers to indicate a phone call inherently means making a phone call
But that is not, that hand gesture was defined by our culture as a way of signifying using a phone and so that’s why we use that sign not that the indication that you’re using your phone is to bend your fingers weirdly
What other aspects propagate the application of a meaning by culture
The meaning assigned by culture needs to be shared by multiple people, that is if i make a waving gesture to another human, because culture has assigned meaning to that behavior, they know what I mean by that but if i do that to an alien, that do not understand that behavior, because that collective meaning of hand waving is not clear, it is not a shared experience nor culture since that berhvaioir offers no meaning to the alien
Explain the point that, we humans give meaning to objects which now transcend as culture even though that objector experience does not exactly have a logical reason behind that meaning
For example, giving a high-five, We give a high five, when we are happy, joyful, to signify something good happening and wanting to share that experience with someone via a gesture, even though slapping hands together does not in any way mean or have any connection to being happy but the culture of what that gesture signifies has been ingrained in us thriving culture
Why does culture require shared meaning among people
Because if there is no universal agreement of what something signifies, then how would I understand that act if i notice it.
For example if someone gives me a hug, I understand showing affection, familiarity or happiness but if i live on mars and come to earth and never experienced a hug, i think the person is probably trying to attack my back or choke me to death. For something to be culturally significant the meaning we assign to it has to be accepted and understood by others
How does a sociologist try to understand how culture assign meaning to experience
Although we may inherently mean a behavior is what it is and defined that way, sociologist diver deeper in to figure out the social realities that give meaning to that behavior
Explain how culture assigns meaning to experience, why means different experiences would have different interpretations of a gesture and what that means
For example a wink a and a twitch, they are essentially the same bodily motions eye movements, While one is ore of an international act that signify a meaning the other is a reflexive action that we may unconsciously do.
With essentially the same body movements, one differs from the other because of the meaning assigned to it by culture
So food, religion, traditions, dress, customs all have different connotations to different people because of the meaning assigned to unit by culture
Culture is the story we tell about structure, what does this statement mean?
The subjective experience of people, based on the structures in place. For example the structure is getting a drivers license at 18 before driving. Some may have the mindset of i want to drive by 14 without a license and some may say i want driving to begun at 21 to keep the roads safe
The meaning/ interpretation of that structure put in place from the point of view of people is how culture tells the stories of structure
What does it mean that culture gives an experience mood or flavour
Comparing a glass of red wine and a bottle of grape juice, culture does not explain to you what theses objects are but impacts how you feel about them. I may see a glass of wine and think sophistication, class, good for digestion and the heart but ill look at grape juice, simple drink with sweetener to quench thirst.
Culture affects the interpretation we give to certain objects therefore affects how it makes us feel, the thoughts we have about that thing
How does culture link an idea to a different situation with slight correlation but uses one to explain the other?
The example zero waste phrase used to explain do not throw waste in the class there are no garbage bins here
The word zero waste is used is a sustainable, environmentally used phrase
Why was it used here?
Because it was meant to illicit a meaning of be careful not to throw waste in the class because garbages bins are in the hallway.
There is a close proximity and relation between zero- waste and carful diosposale of garbage implied, zero waste culture is used to flavor/ interpret how we throw waste away
But note that zero waste in this context does not mean if you throw away the garbage in class wrongly you are contributing to climate change and global warming (the proximity is too far here)
What is the best means to see the effects of culture and what does it mean and explain using an example
When culture and the impacts or meaning it gives, gets contested we can start to notice the impacts of culture
When people’s beliefs created by culture are different from ours, we start to see how culture may differ from another persons perspective.
For example, the belief that Muslim people serve a different god, their lives are different form ours and we should not associate with them, but coming to Manitoba and living with a Muslim, realizing that they are no different form me. My own ideology was invincible to me, in that I didn’t see the image that culturally the society had impacted me to create,
How does culture try to assign meanings in a universal way
When people make comments about human nature, common sense, self evident, in such situations commonality and universal meaning gets assigned because of culture.
For example, culture helps us to make assumptions that because theses group of people I know, have encountered all act this certain way in a particular topic, i infer that people of this certain group act in a assimilate way
Explain how the value of money impacts the interacting between structure and culture
First, money is just a paper, inherently it is meaningless but because of the meaning placed on it,
Second, it make sense to us, a this shared meaning between people about its value and meaning makes us know what it means and the context we can use it
Thirdly, the structure upholds this culture, How?
The government have structure and mandates that who ever decides rot make counter fit money would go to jail,
As culture gives meaning to the money, value it explains the story of the physical object created by structure and structure upholds the meaning and value that was placed on the object by culture to ensure that the value and meaning created would be maintained
So if you go against the meaning of $20 using it and try to scam people out of it, or make a fake form of it, your are assigning a. Meaning differnt from what was established culture and there would be consequences from structure
STRUCTURE ENFORCE CULTURE
Explain the relationship between structure and culture as culture changes in examples like pre martial sex and homosexual behavior
Structure is not the reason why i make certain decisions but rather the culture affects my ideologies and beliefs and cause me to think about things a certain way
These ideologies are affected by culture which can change overtime, but each time it was still a cultural outlook, one is not better than the other, just an alternative as time changes
Explain how culture may change with reference to advertisements in womanhood and body
Historically the definition of beauty standards for women
To be a woman—> is to be beautiful—> means you must be thin
Now- “A Change”—> a contention to the norm
To be a woman—> is to be beautiful—-> irrespective of your body type
Both are exmaples of cultural impact on beauty standards for women and one is not better of worse or some un known truth, it just an alternative view i of the beauty i of women that is different from the initial view
But both points Still sustain the culture/ ideology that women must be beautiful, regardless of being thin formaly or any body type, women must be beautiful and these structures Would beat you up if you think as a woman i font have be beautiful to be woman. I am woman regardless of how i look
The over-aching system of meanings that authorizes and justify the existing structure including inequality is what
Dominant culture
Explain dominant and subordinate culture with respect to slavery
The dominant culture in slavery is reinforced by social reporoduction of the belief that black peoples are less humans, Babarians and savages. This ideology is justified by the culture i as researchers at the time wrote humans have a social development with the hunter and gathers at the lowest stage and white at the apex, that they look Kline monkeys and are superior in strength, so therefore should not be considered the same class of humans. Such ideologies created based in the meaning of a black man culture influenced led to socialite reproduction of over 300 years of slavery and continues inequality
While the alternate to that ideology that we are all humans and should be treated the same is subordinate cukture
System of meanings that challenge dominant culture is?
Subordinate culture
What is propaganda
When people intentionally use the dominant culture to enforce or socially reproduce forms of inequality
How did pre modern era enforce the dominant culture
The pre modern era, created a an existence of social class that divided individuals into 2 groups based on their labour and responsibilities (division of labour)- the social structure present at the time
The dominant culture at the time was the monarch, if you were born as one, you were the supreme leader, who could make decisions that others had to obey but was not subject to you. A life of pleasure, without working and living in a highly privileged class
The peasant/ common class was the suffering, had to work to sustain the land, labour for food.
The relationship stories, (culture) that justified and maintained this social structure was the fact that we were born into that class by God and if you wanted to contend that you are inherently fighting with God
