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