Soc Lesson 11

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What did George Murdock search for in 1945?

Cultural universals across hundreds of communities (correct)

Cultural differences between communities

The impact of technology on material culture

The role of humour in releasing social tensions

What is a common feature of all societies, according to George Murdock's findings?

The regulation of sexual reproduction and the upbringing of offspring (correct)

A uniform family structure

A universal method for teaching kids to use the bathroom

A single method for burying the dead

What is the term used to describe the inconsistency between rapid technological advancements and slower changes in nonmaterial culture?

Material culture

Social tension

Cultural change

Cultural lag (correct)

What is an example of a cultural universal?

Funeral customs Signup and view all the answers

Who coined the term 'cultural lag'?

William Ogburn Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of cultural universals?

They are present in all human cultures Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between material and nonmaterial culture?

Material culture refers to items, while nonmaterial culture refers to ideas Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind cultural lag?

Cultural elements change at different rates, causing inconsistency Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote about the importance of humour in releasing social tensions?

Henslin Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a cultural universal that is not uniform across cultures?

Family structure Signup and view all the answers

What typically happens to the nonmaterial culture when the material culture undergoes transformation?

It lags behind the material culture Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why people still go to the doctor's office despite advances in technology?

Traditions have not kept up with technology Signup and view all the answers

What is high culture typically associated with?

Upper classes and intelligentsia, requiring extensive education and resources Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of aesthetic gatekeepers according to Shrum (1991)?

To limit artistic diversity and maintain the separation of highbrow genres from folk and popular tastes Signup and view all the answers

What does folk culture encompass according to Real (1977)?

Activities like dance, low-rider car customization, quilting, doll making, and tube art Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of popular culture according to Bogart (1991)?

It is produced for leisure, pleasure, and mass consumption Signup and view all the answers

What is the main theme of the book 'Wallbangin' by Susan Phillips (1999)?

The division of graffiti into three categories Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind the phrase 'All things shall pass'?

That everything is impermanent and will eventually come to an end Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between high culture and folk culture?

High culture is associated with the upper classes, while folk culture is associated with the working-class and minority group members Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of cultural diversity in the twentieth century?

It was represented in the various aesthetic standards and tastes of socioeconomic classes Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Culture Universals

Anthropologist George Murdock searched hundreds of communities to find cultural universals, discovering that all societies engage in similar behaviors, but with unique practices.
Examples of cultural universals include family structures, funeral customs, and taboos against incest.
Despite differences, all human cultures have funeral customs to deal with death, and humor to release social tensions.

Cultural Lag

William Ogburn coined the term "cultural lag" to describe how technology advances quickly, but nonmaterial culture (ideas) takes longer to catch up.
Material culture (items) changes quickly, while nonmaterial culture lags behind, causing an inconsistency in a cultural system.
An example of cultural lag is how we can diagnose illnesses using computers, but our traditions (nonmaterial culture) have not kept up with technology.

Culture, Class, and the Media

Herbert Gans identified three "taste cultures" in the 20th century: high culture, folk culture, and popular culture.
High culture: associated with the upper classes and intelligentsia, requiring extensive education and resources, and seen as a social sign of sophistication.
Folk culture: encompasses activities and creations of working-class and minority groups, impulsive, familiar, and useful.
Popular culture: includes items that appeal to the population as a whole, often criticized for favoring "vulgarity" and "the commonplace".

Cultural Change: Today and Tomorrow

All aspects of culture are subject to change, and when one aspect changes, others follow.
Cultural integration: the intimate ties between diverse components of a cultural system, exemplified by how changes in women's employment affect family structures and marriage ages.
Human history will continue to change as long as humans exist, and cultural change will continue to occur.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore the concept of cultural universals, where all human societies share similar behaviors, and cultural lag, a phenomenon where cultural values lag behind technological advancements.