Bargeboe Culture

• Culture is essential for individual survival and communication
• People learn culture through interaction, observation, and imitation
• Culture is fundamental for the survival of societies
• Culture is described as "the common denominator that makes the actions of individuals intelligible to the group"
• All societies need systems for making and enforcing rules like laws
• Culture is not determined by nature (biological and genetic makeup) but rather nurture (social environment).
• Instincts are unlearned and biologically determined behavior patterns
• Reflexes are unlearned, biologically determined involuntary responses to a physical stimulus
• Drives are unlearned, biologically determined impulses that satisfy needs
• Culture and social learning, not nature, account for behavior patterns

Multiculturalism in Canada

• A 2014 survey supports that multiculturalism allows people to preserve their ethnic origins, contributes to social cohesion, assists immigrants to adopt shared values, and promotes reasonable accommodation of religious differences
• Multiculturalism also opens the door to people pursuing cultural practices not compatible with laws and norms.
• Those incompatible practices include religious head coverings
• During Citizenship swearing-in ceremonies, the practice of veiling was considered offensive to Canadian values

Culture definition

• Culture includes knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects passed down through generations in society
• The society is the larger social grouping that occupies a geographic territory, and is subject to political authority and expectations
• Culture is made of ideas, behaviors, and possessions
• Society and culture are interdependent

Critical Thinking Questions

• To what extent does culture keep individuals from understanding, accepting, or learning from other cultures?
• Is intolerance toward outsiders accepted by some people in Canada, and why?
• Is cultural freedom under the Multicultural Act more symbolic than real?

Culture and Society

• Culture is essential for individual survival and communication with others
• People learn culture through interaction, observation, and imitation
• Sharing culture simplifies interactions, and understanding other cultures is also important
• Culture is fundamental for the survival of societies and individuals
• Culture creates rules about kindness, civility, and tolerance
• Instincts are unlearned behavior patterns common to all members of a species
• Reflexes are unlearned, biologically determined involuntary responses
• Drives are unlearned, biologically determined impulses to satisfy needs
• Culture, not nature, accounts for behaviour.

Multiculturalism Quiz

• Canada is one of the most multicultural countries
• In 2012, multiculturalism ranked fourth as what made canadians most proud
• Canadians do not reject multiculturalism because of illegal immigration
• Most Canadians feel multiculturalism is a good thing
• Multiculturalism and social integration are not mutually exclusive goals

Basis of Pride in Being Canadian: Top Mentions, 1994–2012

• Free country/freedom/democracy was a top mention every year
• Multiculturalism increased as top mention from 1994 to 2006, then mildly decreased
• Social programs has almost not been mentioned since it started being tracked
• This table shows the top reasons why canadians liked being canadian

Culture as a Toolkit

• Humans rely on culture for their survival
• Culture is a "tool kit" of symbols, stories, rituals, and world views used to solve problems

Material Culture and Nonmaterial Culture

• Culture is divided into material and nonmaterial culture
• Material Culture: Physical, tangible creations members of a society make, use, and share -Initially, items were raw materials transformed by tech -Technology: Knowledge, techniques, and tools to transform resources and use them
• Concrete and abstract
• Material culture is a buffer against our environment
• Nonmaterial Culture: Abstract/intangible human creations influencing people's behavior -Language, beliefs, values, rules, family patterns, and political systems
• Beliefs: Mental acceptance that things are true or real by tradition, faith, experience, and science

Cultural Universals

• Because humans have similar needs (food, clothing, shelter), activities that contribute to survival are similar
• More than 70 cultural universals entail appearance, activities, social institutions, and customary practices
• Specific forms for customs and practice vary by group / time.
• Cultural universals ensure smooth operation of society by meeting human needs, teaching children and new members, and settling disputes
• Customs and practices might be from enforced behaviors rather than functional necessity

Components of Culture

• Cultures have 4 parts consisting of symbols, language, values & norms, and contribute to both harmony and conflict in a society
• Symbols: Meaningfully represent. something
• Symbols can produce both loyalty and animosity, love and hate
• Symbols help us communicate ideas with visible objects
• The interpretation of symbols vary in different cultural contexts
• Flags can represent religious belief

Language

• It expresses ideas and enables people to think and communicate with one another
• Language describes reality
• Used for sharing experiences and creating visual images
• Also used for distinguishing people and maintaining group boundaries
• Not solely a human characteristic
• Chimpanzees can use sign language, language is not limited to humans

Language and Social Reality

• A key issue in sociology is whether language creates or simply communicates reality
• Terms used by organizations can create or express a reality
• Language not only express our thoughts and perceptions but influences our perception of reality.
• There are cultural assumptions about women and men are represented in language -Words have + connotation when relating to men & carry negative overtones of weakness when used with women

Gender in Language

• Gender in language has been extensively studied, resulting in increased awareness
• Guidelines have been established to promote nonsexist language
• Titles like "chairman" are changed to "chair" or "chairperson"
• Scholars advocate for inclusive language to foster a more equitable society

Language, Race, and Ethnicity

• Language influences perceptions of race and ethnicity by conveying preconceived ideas. -Terms have multiple meanings to create and reinforces negative images -English has words that gives black and chinaman negative consonance and derogatory imagery -Verbs minimizes activities or achievements of minority group.

Language Diversity in Canada

• Linguistic diversity in Canada stems from Indigenous languages, French, English, and other languages commonly spoken
• over 200 languages are reported as a mother tongue in the 2011 census
• Canada passed the Official Languages Act, making both French and English the country's official languages
• most canadians speaks english only, another portion speaks French only, and a portion are bilingual.
• There are immigrant languages spoken, and reflect unique histories and cultures
• Indigenous stories only can be passed down through Indigenous speaking language
• Residential schools once not allowed Indigenous persons to report in Indigenous language

Technology & Culture

• The uneven pace of material and nonmaterial culture results in cultural lag

Indigenous Language Preservation

• Measures to preserve Indigenous languages have been taken
• The introduction of Indigenous language courses in schools and universities
• Indigenous media programming
• the recording of elders' stories and songs
• Language a source of power

Values

• Values are collective ideas about what is right/wrong, good/bad & desirable/undesirable
• Values provide a standards framework about how people are evaluated

Value Contradictions

• They conflict with one another for being mutually exclusive
• Core values may conflict with individual achievement/success

Ideal vs Real Culture

• Sociologists finds there is a gap between ideal and real culture -Values and standards differ for what people profess to hold
• There are rules of behavior and standards of conduct -Prescriptive norms state acceptable behavior while proscriptive norms tells behavior that are unacceptable

Norms

• They can be based on custom directing one to act a certain action
• Norms may act as either being prescriptive telling how one should act appropriately
• Rules for conduct and the way people are to act

Formal and Informal Norms

• Crucial norms are formalized
• Laws are the most common type of formal norms and sanctioned
• Sanctions are rewards or penalties for inappropriate behavior with specific consequences

Time To Review: Main Type of Norms

• Classification of norms depending in relative social importance
• Folkways=Informal norms/ everyday customs that are violated without serious consequences. This may also include using underarm deodorant, appropriate clothes on occasional events
• Mores= Strong held norms with moral and ethical connotations, violators result in sever negative sanctions like ridicule or loss of employment
• Taboos= Mores so strong if there violation are very offensive and unmentionable.
• Laws= Formal, standardized norms made by legislatures that enforced by formal sanctions. Can either in civil or criminal

Technology, Cultural Change, and Diversity

• Despite those factors, cultures generally do not remain static and may occur culture shock and succumb to ethnocentrism
• Cultural change consist of the nonmaterial part, and can result in diffusion, invention and discovery

Cultural Change

• Societies experience cultural change at both material and nonmaterial levels.
• New technologies makes a big difference in people’s lives with changes of technology shaping material culture .
• Examples of new technology included the printing press and electronic communications
• The pace of technological change has increased rapidly

Cultural Lag

• Cultural lag occurs when nonmaterial culture is unable to keep up with the constantly changing technology
• Discovery is learning about something previously unknown or unrecognized ex. the true shape of earth
• Invention: restructures existing culture into a new form
• Diffusion : Transmission of those with social culture to new society like in the military

Cultural Diversity

• Cultural diversity refers to the range of cultural differences found between and within nations
• Countries range from countries that is homogeneous to heterogeneous

Culture is essential for individual survival and communication. People learn culture through interaction, observation, and imitation. Culture is not determined by nature but rather nurture and social learning.