Honors Culture Project• http://roshanvarghese.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/World+History • 6 parts of the project

• By Tuesday, October 1st: Culture Project Request Form– Turn in a typed request for the culture you would like to research. You

must have 3 options.– Note: this is not a country necessarily, so please research what you want

to analyze.– This is for Part 6 of the project.

• What do we mean by CULTURE?????– You must choose a living culture (people living right now, not an ancient

culture).– For example: the Mayans are both ancient & modern…so that can be an

option of choice.

A few cultures…..• http://www.everyculture.com/index.html • http://www.freewebs.com/worldcultures/

• Links to articles, etc.

Saudi Arabia’s Bedouin Culture

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Culture

Australian Aborigines

Australian Aborigines

Culture is what makes you a stranger when you are away from home

An iceberg as an analogy of culture

From Gary Weaver in Culture, Communication and Conflict: Readings in Intercultural Relations

Cultural Universals

George Murdock’s 70 Cultural Universals

age-gradingathletic sportsbodily adornmentcalendarcleanliness trainingcommunity organizationcookingco-operative laborcosmologycourtshipdancingdecorative artdivinationdivision of labordream interpretationeducationeschatology

ethicsethno-botanyetiquettefaith healingfamily feastingfire-makingfolklorefood taboosfuneral ritesgamesgesturesgift-givinggovernmentgreetingshair styleshospitality

housinghygieneincest taboosinheritance rulesjokingkin groupskinship nomenclaturelanguagelawluck / superstitionsmagicmarriagemealtimesmedicineobstetricspenal sanctionspersonal names

population policypostnatal carepregnancy usagesproperty rightspropitiation of supernatural beingspuberty customsreligious ritualresidence rulessexual restrictionssoul conceptsstatus differentiationsurgerytool-makingtradevisitingweather control weaving

Introduction to the Seven Elements of Culture

Basic Elements of culture• Social Organization

• Customs and Traditions• Language

• Arts and Literature• Religion

• Forms of Government• Economic Systems

Social OrganizationCreates social structure by organizing its members into

small units to meet basic needs• Family Patterns: family is the most important unit of social

organization. Through the family, children learn how they are expected to act & what to believe.– Nuclear family: husband, wife, children

• Typical family in an industrial society (U.S.A.)• Does not have to be large to accomplish tasks of living

– Extended family: Several generations living in one household, working & living together: grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins• Respect for elders is strong

• Social classes: rank people in order of status, depending on what is important to the culture (money, job, education, ancestry, etc.)

Customs & Traditions• Rules of Behavior–enforced ideas of right & wrong–often these ideas are part of the culture’s written laws

Arts & Literature• Products of the human

imagination–help us pass on the culture’s basic beliefs• examples: art, music literature, folk tales

Religion• Answers basic questions about

the meaning of life–supports values that groups of

people feel are important–religion is often a source of conflict

between cultures

–Monotheism: worship one god–Polytheism: worship more than one

god

Forms of Government• To provide for their common needs, keep

order within society & protect their society from outside threats

• Definition of government:– 1. Person/people who hold power in a society– 2. Society’s laws & political institutions

• Democracy: people have supreme power, government acts by & with consent– Republic: people choose leaders who

represent them• Dictatorship: ruler/group holds power by

force– usually relying on military support for power

Economic SystemsHow people use limited resources to satisfy their

wants & needs• Traditional Economy: people produce most of what they

need to survive (hunting, gathering, farming, herding cattle, make own clothes/tools etc.)

• Market Economy: buying/selling goods & services.

• Command Economy: government controls what/how goods are produced & what they cost. Individuals have little economic power.

• Mixed Economy: individuals make some economic decisions & the government makes others.