CultureCulture

Mr. A

South High

Room 252

Definition of CultureDefinition of Culture

Culture is the total way Culture is the total way of life shared by of life shared by members of a members of a community. It community. It includes not only includes not only language, values, and language, values, and symbolic meanings symbolic meanings but also technology but also technology and material objects.and material objects.

2 Categories of Culture2 Categories of Culture

Nonmaterial culture;Nonmaterial culture;

language, values, rules, knowledge, and language, values, rules, knowledge, and shared meaningsshared meanings

Material culture;Material culture;

physical objects that a society produces-physical objects that a society produces-tools, streets, sculptures, and toys, etc…tools, streets, sculptures, and toys, etc…

Common AssumptionsCommon Assumptions

Culture is Culture is problem solvingproblem solving

Culture is Culture is relativerelative

Culture is a Culture is a social productsocial product

Culture is Culture is problem solvingproblem solving

People everywhere face common issues;People everywhere face common issues;

-food-food

-shelter-shelter

-security-security

-raise children to replace them and their -raise children to replace them and their way of lifeway of life

Culture is Culture is relativerelative

methodological relativism: cultural practices can only be understood relative to the culture in which they exist (e.g., is Yanomamö endocannibalism nutritional or religious?).ethical relativism: there is no basis to judge whether a particular cultural practice is good or bad. That is, all cultures and cultural values are equally valid, of equal worth, and equal dignity - we should have tolerance and respect for any cultural practice. This is a non-scientific proposition because it cannot be evaluated scientifically.

Culture is Culture is relativerelative

EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

Culture is a Culture is a social productsocial product

People learn culture, and, as they use it People learn culture, and, as they use it they modify it and change it.they modify it and change it.

Culture depends or relies on language.Culture depends or relies on language.

Culture is cumulativeCulture is cumulative

Carriers of CultureCarriers of Culture

LanguageLanguage

ValuesValues

NormsNorms

LanguageLanguage

Communicating with symbols.Communicating with symbols.

Language as embodiment of cultureLanguage as embodiment of culture

Language as symbolLanguage as symbol

ValuesValues

Shared ideas about desirable goalsShared ideas about desirable goals

NormsNorms

Shared rules of conductShared rules of conduct

FolkwaysFolkways

MoresMores

LawsLaws

Social ControlSocial Control

SanctionsSanctions

SanctionsSanctions

Cultural DiversityCultural Diversity

SubcultureSubculture

CountercultureCounterculture

SubcultureSubculture

Counterculture Counterculture

Deafness as SubcultureDeafness as Subculture

Assimilation or MulticulturismAssimilation or Multiculturism

Sources of Cultural Diversity and Sources of Cultural Diversity and ChangeChange

EnvironmentEnvironment

IsolationIsolation

Cultural DiffusionCultural Diffusion

TechnologyTechnology

Mass MediaMass Media

EnvironmentEnvironment

IsolationIsolation

Cultural DiffusionCultural Diffusion

TechnologyTechnology

Mass MediaMass Media