unit 6 - lecture notes Flashcards
What are three aspects of culture?
- It is created and sustained by human interaction.
- Culture is acquired through learning, not inheriting.
- Culture is almost imperceptible.
What are three intersections of culture and society?
- No culture can exist without a society and no society can exist without a culture.
- Cultural characteristics can be transmitted from society to society; cultural diffusion/ globalization.
- Societies can share common cultural characteristics.
When understanding culture and society, what metaphor can be used to further one’s comprehension.
Culture is the script that people live by, society is the connection or network of actors within a defined territory.
What are 6 aspects that distinct humans from non human animals?
- Human beings are self-conscious, not only conscious.
- Creation and use of symbols to communicate.
- More adaptable to different physical environments.
- A capacity or interest in year round mating.
- Humans kill other humans more than other animals do.
- The knowledge of mortality.
What are the two segments of culture? Explain.
- Material culture- the physical things created by members of a society.
- Non material culture - the ideas created by members of society; values, norms, ideology etc.
When thinking of an iceberg, what are the three levels of culture and society?
- material culture
- social organization
- world view assumptions
What are eight components of culture?
- Symbols
- language
- stock of knowledge
- values
- norms
- ideology
- forms of expression
- technology
As a component of culture, what are symbols?
Symbols are social products that only come into existence upon mass agreement.
ex. the sound fish means the thing that swims in water, a maple leaf is associated with Canada etc.
As a component of culture, describe three aspects of language.
- Language = thought
“The limits of my language are the limits of my mind.” - It is enabling- allows people to express themselves, understand each other, access and manipulate others, reach beyond the here and now, and generates an abstract reality.
- It is constraining- it affects our perception of reality, everything around us, relationships, cultures etc.
As a component of culture, what does a stock of knowledge entail?
Cultural myth; Beliefs become objectified as knowledge.
As a component of culture, what is the relevance of values?
They are shared ideas about what is desirable; the ideal v. the real.
As a component of culture, what are 5 aspects of norms?
- provides social do’s and don’ts
- are more specific than values
- are justified by values
- are often situation specific
- provides a hierarchy of obligation
What are the three levels of the hierarchy of obligation? What do they mean?
- Folkways - customary, normal, habitual way of doing something
- Mores - strong feelings of right or wrong
- laws - rules enforced by authority of the state.
As a component of culture, how does ideology function?
Ideology creates and maintains social order. It functions as a set of limits to consciousness.
As a component of culture, what is the purpose of forms of expression?
These are activities done for an individual’s own sake; All forms of art are a social experience because all art uses symbols.
As a component of culture, what is the role of technology?
Technology is a part of material culture.
It is:
1. instrumental
2. science is used to create tools to meet human demand
3. cumulative- continually built upon.
4. evaluated according to efficiency
5. technology can be recovered and displayed in museums.
What are five problems created by technology?
- It can dictate the character of life- control society by demanding efficiency and rational.
- Can create a dependency- it depowers, deskills, and replaces people.
- Distorts reality- the effects of social media.
- Accelerates environmental degradation - the materials needed from the environment to produce technology degrade the quality of our environment faster.
- The tyranny of the possible- should something be done just because it can be? Cultural lag can be a consequence of this.
What are 6 concepts of cultural diversity?
- Universals
- Identity
- Relativity v. relativism
- Subcultures v. countercultures
- High culture v. Popular/Mass culture
- Assets
What are some examples of cultural universals?
-Arts and leisure,
-basic needs,
-beliefs,
-communication and education,
-family,
-government and economy,
-and technology.
What are two aspects of cultural identity?
- Culture shock
- Ethnocentrism
In understanding cultural relativism, what is an important rule to remember?
Cultures can only be judged according to their own ethical standards.
What are two aspects of subculture?
- Agrees with some patterns of society but disagrees with others
- They share an overall society but maintain a distinctive set of values, norms, language etc.
What is the difference between art and entertainment? Which one belongs to high culture? Which one belongs to low culture?
Art - High culture; Is seen to challenge an enlightened the mind and move the human spirit deeply.
Entertainment- low culture; occupies one’s mind and time agreeably and amuses one’s feelings securely.
What are three aspects of cultural assets?
- Capital
- Literacy
- Culture of Poverty
