Lecture 4 - Culture Flashcards
What is Culture?
The elements of social life that have meanings and social actors interpret and can also convey
- language, values, belief etc.
Why Study Culture?
Culture is a powerful social force
- key to understanding how we relate to each other
What is Structure?
Enduring patterns of social relations and social institutions through which society is organized and through which behaviour is carried out
- Political and School systems
What is the Orthodox Marxist theory?
The nature of society is largely determined by the economic mode of production
- economic base of society
What are Neo-Marxists?
They believe that ideological (super-structural) forces accompany the economic mode of production
What is the Dominant Ideology? (Neo-Marxism)
A system of thoughts, knowledge and beliefs that legitimates and perpetuates the existing order. Minimizes criticism of capitalism and maximizes participation in and support for capitalism
What is Cultural Functionalism?
Focus on integrative aspects of culture and now culture reflects the needs of society
What is Symbolic Interactionism?
Culture is a vehicle that transmits meanings to people. Culture is generated by individuals in face-to-face encounters
What is the Dramaturgical Perspective?
The sending and receiving of signals and messages is central to the overall organization of society
What is the Production of Culture Perspective?
Culture is a product of social action just as non-cultural products are. Theorists examine cultural products that are explicitly and intentionally produced
What is the primary means through which communication takes place?
Language and Discourse
What is Discourse?
A discourse is a way of talking (writing, communicating) about something. A set of ideas, concepts and vocabulary routinely used together.
What is a discourse’s “Rules of Formation?”
They specify what can be said, in what form, and by whom
Discourses play a role in the …
Social Construction of the categories and definitions we use to understand the world
What is Subculture?
A subset of cultural traits of the larger society that also includes distinctive values, beliefs, norms, style of dress, and behaviour
