Defining Culture Flashcards
Christopher jencks
As the whole way of life of a society
What does culture involve?
Shared beliefs, values, norms, customs, language, symbols, history
Abbott
Language is the most obvious set of symbols through which members of society share meaning
Values
Widely accepted beliefs that something is worthwhile and desirable
British values
Hard work, democracy, free speech, justice, family life
Norms
Rules of behaviour that relate to specific social situations
Customs
Traditional and regular norms of behaviour associated with specific social situations
Marshall
Suggests that culture is everything in human society which is socially rather than biologically transmitted
Giddens
No cultures could exist without societies
- no societies could exist without culture
Social position
Members of society given a social position or status by their culture
Ascribed status
Fixed at birth, inheritance or biology eg gender, race
Achieved status
Those over which individuals have control - social status attained through education, jobs and sometimes marriage
Sense of self
How we see ourselves and how we think others see and judge us
Richard Jenkins
Identity is partly negotiable - we generally try to persuade others to think of us in a positive light
Kath Woodward
Identity is always partly formed by our individual decision making - linked to our roles and positions through identities and symbols
