CULTURE Flashcards
whats culture and its 2 types
The way of life of a particular group of people, and the distinct characteristics
- nonmaterial
- material
whats material culture
Consists of artifacts e.g. tools and products - designed for leisure (objects)
- reflects the values and beliefs of the people who live in a culture e.g. american flag, cell phones, cars, monuments, money
whats nonmaterial culture
Concepts like norms, values and beliefs, symbols, and
language (non-object) e.g. laws, hand gestures, english language, individuality
how is culture created and changed
- socially constructed and created through interactions among people - dynamic because of this
- The language of a culture changes over time
how are words related to culture
Words are symbols - used to describe our material goods, beliefs, values, hopes and fears, and every other aspect of our culture - In turn, they become part of our culture and indicate who we are as a people
what are social norms
Expectations about appropriate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a variety of situations (mores + folkways)
what are generalized other
Our perceptions of other communities - the collective knowledge of people that we bring to each situation
what is agency
The ability to act and think independently of social constraints; some norms are easier to ignore than others
what is status
An individual’s relative position in society
- Status is about relative power and respect
*Each society creates statuses and roles
what are roles
Expectations about how people of a given status should think, feel, and behave
*Each society creates statuses and roles
what are values
What a society holds to be desirable, good, and important
what are beliefs
What we deem to be true (as an individual)
- tend to relate to family upbringing and are transmitted through observation and reinforcement
important consideration about values and beliefs
- All values are beliefs, but not all beliefs are values
- they’re influenced by other aspects of a child’s environment
- Society and its institutions impact these
what are symbols
anything that has the same meaning for two or more people - convey both thoughts and emotions
e.g Language is a series of symbols used to communicate meaning among people - Technological inventions can prompt the creation of new words e.g. “sexting”, emojis
what are Social identities
a unique set of statuses, roles, and traits that each of us has - we develop our identities based on statuses and roles available to us
- Culture provides us with the tools to develop our social identities - we incorporate elements of culture with our own, individual way of doing things
- gives us the power to change ourselves and society - link back to the duality at the core of sociology
what is cultural capital
Non – Material goods such as education credentials,
types of knowledge and expertise, verbal skills, and aesthetic preferences that can be converted into economic capital or an advantage
what is social intelligence
Refers to our ability to understand social relationships and get along with others
