Culture Flashcards
What is culture
The way of life of a social group - patterns of belief, values, attitudes which people use to make sense of their social worlds
How many different types of culture are there
9
What is dominant culture
The main culture of society
What is mass culture
A set of norms and values the vast majority follow due to exposure to the same media
What is consumer culture
A culture based on social status earned through consumerism
What is a subculture
A smaller group broken off from main culture - within it different norms and values but branched off from main
What is high culture
A culture enjoyed by this within higher status (provides cultural capital)
What is low culture
A culture associated with the poorer
What is popular culture
An easy to understand and popular culture which majority of young people follow
What is folk culture
A culture based on local customs and beliefs pasted down through generations
What is global culture
A one world culture due to mass media and easier connections through globalisations
What do functionalist believe about culture
It provides social order
Creates a shared value consensus
Creates social solidarity because of the above
What do functionalist argue are the 4 key subsystems that maintain social order
Economic
Political
Family and kinship
Cultural
What is a value consensus
Everybody shares the same norms and values
What is social solidarity
The feeling of togetherness and that you belong within society
What do Marxists believe about culture
It benefits capitalism as mass culture controls work
Gramsci - hegemony
Mass culture creates false needs (believe they need something when they dont)
Leads to commodity fetishism (super power) which leads to fade class consciousness (distracted exploitation)
What do feminist believe about culture
Benefits men and the patriarchy
Mass/popular culture stereotype women into particular roles - making patriarchy normal
McRobbie - magazines for girls promote housewife roles
Women are often sexualised in the media
What do interactionists believe about culture
Is created by the interactions between people rather than being imposed by structures of society
Culture is shaped by developing people
What do post modernists believe about culture
Is it diverse
Interchanging with the changing society
Pick and choose what culture we want - is it not relative to one group of people
What is nature (sociology)
Refers to all genes and hereditary factors
What is the nature theory
Belief that people behave as they do because they are animals and who primarily act according to instincts
What is nurture
Refers to all the environmental variable that impact who we are
What was the nurture example we studied
Feral children
Girl developed animalistic behaviour from being in isolation from human contact
