Sociology Test #2 Flashcards
Culture
the learned patterns of perception, judgement, and behavior which are shared by a group and differentiate this group from other collectives
Socialization
the process through which culture is taught/learned. (enculturation)
Material Culture
The physical objects that are made/used by a cultural group
Non-Material Culture
The symbols, values, norms, rituals and other non-physical aspects of a culture.
Linguistic Relativity (Sapir-Wharf Hypothesis)
Posits that the structure/syntax of a language predictably shaped its speakers’ perceptions of reality and—in turn—behavior.
Norms
The rules of behavior within a cultural group:
folkways (politeness/etiquette)
mores (moral conduct)
laws (formalized rules)
taboos (ostracization)
Proxemic Norms
Rules related to the use of space, both physical and personal.
Edward T. Hall
Studied Proxemics and identified the four proxemic zones: intimate, personal, social, public
Values
That which a culture socializes its members to regard as important, virtuous, and beautiful. (cultural preferences)
Ideal Values
The values that are publicly proclaimed by a cultural group.
Real Values
The cultural values which actually shape the social facts of the group.
George Murdock
Anthropologist who first described (and listed) cultural universals.
Cultural Universals
Cultural traits, patterns, rituals, and practices that are common to all social groups, but tend to manifest in highly divergent forms.
Cultural Lag (Ogburnian Lag)
William Ogburn’s term for the phenomenon in which a technological or social change generates a period of anomie in a society. Ogburn notes that this lag is inevitable as norms take time to develop.
The Protestant (Work) Ethic
A cultural value, first described by Max Weber, which views “hard-work” as inherently good and an end in itself, as opposed to a means of achieving other goals. This value also entails one viewing their job as a “calling.”
