CultureCulture

Thomas Theorem (yet again)Thomas Theorem (yet again)

People decide what to do next on the People decide what to do next on the basis of what they THINK is going on nowbasis of what they THINK is going on now

• That is, people’s behavior depends on what That is, people’s behavior depends on what they think is going onthey think is going on

Therefore, understanding behavior Therefore, understanding behavior requires knowing how people …requires knowing how people …

1.1. Decide what’s going onDecide what’s going on

2.2. Transform definition of situation into bhrTransform definition of situation into bhr

CultureCulture

How do people know what is going on?How do people know what is going on?• To large extent, To large extent, cultureculture tells them tells them• CultureCulture provides context of meaning and provides context of meaning and

provides tools for divining meaningprovides tools for divining meaning How do people know what to do?How do people know what to do?

• To a large extent, To a large extent, cultureculture tells them what to tells them what to dodo

• When does not specify what to do, tells how to When does not specify what to do, tells how to figure out what to dofigure out what to do

Culture DefinitionsCulture Definitions

Backman: The established ways of Backman: The established ways of thinking, believing, feeling, and acting that thinking, believing, feeling, and acting that are widely understood and followed by are widely understood and followed by members of a societymembers of a society

Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr: Giddens, Duneier, Appelbaum, and Carr: the values, norms, and material goods the values, norms, and material goods characteristic of a given groupcharacteristic of a given group

CultureCulture

Key characteristics of culture:Key characteristics of culture:

1.1. It is sharedIt is shared

2.2. It is learned and taughtIt is learned and taught

3.3. It changes over timeIt changes over time

4.4. Usually it is not monolithicUsually it is not monolithic

Dimensions of CultureDimensions of Culture

Culture has three dimensions or Culture has three dimensions or aspects:aspects:

1.1. Material dimensionMaterial dimension

2.2. Normative dimensionNormative dimension

3.3. Symbolic dimensionSymbolic dimension

Material Dimension of CultureMaterial Dimension of Culture

Physical residues of behavior in a Physical residues of behavior in a cultureculture• Especially physical things that have Especially physical things that have

recognized special meanings in a culturerecognized special meanings in a culture Especially important are objects used Especially important are objects used

for subsistence (making a living)for subsistence (making a living)

Normative Dimension of Culture INormative Dimension of Culture I

Concerned with the rules society Concerned with the rules society uses to evaluate behavior and other uses to evaluate behavior and other thingsthings

Two components:Two components:•Cultural valuesCultural values•NormsNorms

Normative Dimension of Culture IINormative Dimension of Culture II

Cultural valuesCultural values• Beliefs or feelings that are widely shared Beliefs or feelings that are widely shared

by members of a society about what is by members of a society about what is important to the society’s identity or well-important to the society’s identity or well-beingbeing

NormsNorms• Expectations shared by members of a Expectations shared by members of a

group that specify behavior that is group that specify behavior that is considered appropriate for a given considered appropriate for a given situationsituation

Selected U.S. Cultural ValuesSelected U.S. Cultural Values

ActivismActivism- it is desirable to shape - it is desirable to shape your world through intense effortyour world through intense effort

EgalitarianismEgalitarianism- everyone should - everyone should have an equal chance to succeedhave an equal chance to succeed

AchievementAchievement- it is desirable to have - it is desirable to have and accomplish personal goalsand accomplish personal goals

Selected U.S. Cultural ValuesSelected U.S. Cultural Values

Materialism- Materialism- it is good to have it is good to have “stuff”“stuff”

HumanitarianismHumanitarianism- it is desirable to - it is desirable to help people who are having troubleshelp people who are having troubles

Others: Others: progress, morality , progress, morality , freedom, individualismfreedom, individualism• Source: Turner and Starnes in Stokes, p.72Source: Turner and Starnes in Stokes, p.72

Value Conflict

Complex value systems routinely have apparent conflict between values• E.g., humanitarianism and materialism• E.g., egalitarianism and achievement

Morality as an American Morality as an American Cultural ValueCultural Value

moralitymorality: it is desirable to evaluate : it is desirable to evaluate each behavior for whether it is moral each behavior for whether it is moral or not and to choose only moral or not and to choose only moral behaviorsbehaviors

Often leads to Often leads to ends vs meansends vs means conflictsconflicts

Ends vs MeansEnds vs Means

EndsEnds – desired outcomes, often – desired outcomes, often culturally valuedculturally valued

MeansMeans – behavior directed toward – behavior directed toward achieving endsachieving ends

Often apparently effective means to Often apparently effective means to valued ends violate cultural value of valued ends violate cultural value of moralitymorality

Personal ValuesPersonal Values

Individual’s feelings about what is Individual’s feelings about what is important to his or her identity or important to his or her identity or well beingwell being

Do not have to be congruent Do not have to be congruent (consistent) with cultural values, but (consistent) with cultural values, but often areoften are

Deciding what to do is easier if Deciding what to do is easier if personal values and cultural values personal values and cultural values are congruentare congruent

Norms and the Norms and the Thomas Theorem IThomas Theorem I

Thomas Theorem says definition of Thomas Theorem says definition of situation is somehow turned into situation is somehow turned into behaviorbehavior

Norms tell actors how the culture Norms tell actors how the culture feels a particular situation feels a particular situation shouldshould be be turned into behaviorturned into behavior• That is, norms tell the actor what That is, norms tell the actor what

he/she/they/it he/she/they/it shouldshould do in this do in this situationsituation

Norms and the Thomas Theorem IINorms and the Thomas Theorem II

Simplifies deciding what to do, Simplifies deciding what to do, but …but …

1.1. Actor must to be able to define Actor must to be able to define situations situations

2.2. Actor must remember what is Actor must remember what is appropriate behavior in situationappropriate behavior in situation

Our ability to do so is amazing!Our ability to do so is amazing!

Social Sanctions ISocial Sanctions I

Social sanctions are responses to Social sanctions are responses to behavior, responses that enforce behavior, responses that enforce social normssocial norms

- May be - May be positivepositive (rewards) or (rewards) or negativenegative (punishments) (punishments)

- Used by itself, the term usually - Used by itself, the term usually implies “negativeimplies “negative””

Social Sanctions ISocial Sanctions III

Sanctions may be Sanctions may be formalformal or or informalinformal• Formal sanctionsFormal sanctions – –

based on written rulesbased on written rules administered by persons recognized to have administered by persons recognized to have

authorityauthority• Informal sanctionsInformal sanctions - sanctions that are not - sanctions that are not

formalformal• Most of the sanctions we receive are informalMost of the sanctions we receive are informal

Possibility of negative sanctions is one reason Possibility of negative sanctions is one reason we follow normswe follow norms

Possibility of positive sanctions is anotherPossibility of positive sanctions is another

Symbolic Dimension of CultureSymbolic Dimension of Culture

The symbolic dimension of culture is the The symbolic dimension of culture is the system of meanings a group has for system of meanings a group has for interpreting and making sense of the interpreting and making sense of the world around them and for communicating world around them and for communicating meaningmeaning

Most important element: languageMost important element: language

Others: body language (non-verbal Others: body language (non-verbal communication), cultural icons, collective communication), cultural icons, collective memoriesmemories

Language ILanguage I

Importance of Language-Importance of Language-

• Language is the most important medium Language is the most important medium for learning culturefor learning culture

• Language allows Language allows vicarious learningvicarious learning• Learning through the experience of Learning through the experience of

othersothers• With language, you don’t have to be With language, you don’t have to be

therethere

Language IILanguage II

We think in languageWe think in language• Everyone talks to him- or herselfEveryone talks to him- or herself• Difficult to think about things for which Difficult to think about things for which

we have no wordswe have no words

Language III: Language III: Whorf-Sapir (Sapir-Whorf)Whorf-Sapir (Sapir-Whorf)

Whorf-Sapir HypothesisWhorf-Sapir Hypothesis: Categories our : Categories our minds use to process information are minds use to process information are given by our languagegiven by our language• In effect, language controls how our senses In effect, language controls how our senses

operateoperate At level of vision, hypothesis is falseAt level of vision, hypothesis is false For vicarious learning through language, it For vicarious learning through language, it

might as well be truemight as well be true For thinking, largely trueFor thinking, largely true

Language IV:Language IV:Social BoundariesSocial Boundaries

Language can create and maintain Language can create and maintain boundariesboundaries• Subcultural boundaries can be Subcultural boundaries can be

recognized through argotsrecognized through argots ArgotArgot- specialized vocabulary of a group- specialized vocabulary of a group

• Some societies are divided by languageSome societies are divided by language Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, South AfricaCanada, Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa

• Accent can identify class positionAccent can identify class position

Other SymbolsOther Symbols

Gestures Physical distance Flags

• Message: we can develop strong emotional attachments to symbols

Societies, Organizations, Groups Societies, Organizations, Groups and Culture Iand Culture I

Term “culture” usually refers to the Term “culture” usually refers to the ways of a societyways of a society• Sometimes called Sometimes called dominantdominant or or

mainstreammainstream culture culture Collectives smaller than societies Collectives smaller than societies

often have distinctive contexts of often have distinctive contexts of meaning meaning • Sometimes called Sometimes called subculturessubcultures, ,

especially if many people are involvedespecially if many people are involved

Societies, Organizations, Groups Societies, Organizations, Groups and Culture IIand Culture II

Can be analyzed in ways similar to Can be analyzed in ways similar to analysis of a society’s cultureanalysis of a society’s culture

Characteristics of culture in collectives Characteristics of culture in collectives smaller than societiessmaller than societies

• Cover smaller ranges of behaviors and symbols Cover smaller ranges of behaviors and symbols than overall culturethan overall culture

E.g., group of friends has norms and E.g., group of friends has norms and symbols, but not an entire language or rules symbols, but not an entire language or rules about drivingabout driving

• Aware of overall cultureAware of overall culture Usually augments overall cultureUsually augments overall culture Some may be in opposition to overall cultureSome may be in opposition to overall culture