Aim: How much does culture define our lives?

Do Now: You are visiting a friend’s family in Thailand. During dinner, they offer

you some sautéed sago worms. Would you eat them? Why or why not?

NY State Learning Standards 2Common Core RS 2, 5 and LSS 1

I What is culture?Culture is the way of life of a group of people. It

includes language, dress, beliefs & behavior.

Questions to Consider:Can you belong to more than one culture?

Can you change your culture?

II What culture or cultures do I belong to?

Where do you live? What languages do you speak? How does your family make a living? What do you eat? Do you believe in a religion or philosophy? What do you wear? What symbols are important to you? What music do you listen to?

Turn to the student next to you. Say hi! You will now interview each other by asking and answering at least four of the

following questions.

III Cultural TermsA) Ethnicity:People with the same ethnicity share a common ancestry. They may also share a common culture, but not always.

Consider this scenario: In 1825 your ancestors immigrated from Genoa, Italy to New York City. Today, no

one in your family speaks Italian. On Sundays, you have a huge family dinner of Chinese take-out. What is your ethnicity?

What is your culture?

B) IdentityYour identity is how YOU choose to identify yourself to others.

"The various media have portrayed me as an African-American, sometimes Asian," he said in the short statement. "In fact, I am both... . Truthfully, I feel very fortunate and equally proud to be both African-American and Asian.” – Tiger Woods, June 1995

C) Taboos

Taboos are practices that are forbidden within a culture.

Questions to Consider:1. Would you marry your brother or sister?2. Should a woman pay for the first date?

3. What is normal? What is abnormal?

Incestuous marriage (between close relations such as siblings) was very common in many

ancient societies such as Egypt to preserve the royal blood line.

D) Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural RelativismEthnocentrism is the belief that your culture is superior to another.

Cultural relativism is the viewing of a culture through their perspective, rather than your own.

Are you ethnocentric or culturally relativistic?1. You visit France for the first time. Your parents order escargot as an

appetizer. You look at the snails in garlic butter and lose your appetite.

2. You visit friends of your family who are Orthodox Jews with your boyfriend/girlfriend. In order to not offend anyone, you and your

boyfriend/girlfriend do not hold hands or kiss in public.

Is it ever okay to judge a culture if they are committing human rights violations?

E) Pluralism vs. Cultural Assimilation

Pluralism: Smaller groups within a society maintain their

cultural identities.

Cultural Assimilation:Smaller groups within a

society adapt to the larger culture.

Where in New York City do

you find examples of

pluralism?

Where in New York City do you

find examples of cultural

assimilation?

Chinatown in Flushing, New York CityAn Example of Cultural Pluralism

Protest in NYC Concerning Cuts to Immigrant English Classes, 2010

An Example of Cultural Assimilation

F) Cultural DiffusionCultural diffusion is the spread of culture from one place to another.

Can you think of other

examples of cultural

diffusion?

Key Vocabulary Culture Ethnicity Identity Taboo Incest Ethnocentrism Cultural relativism Cultural pluralism Cultural assimilation Cultural diffusion

How much does culture define your life?