SOC 101 Chapter 2 Flashcards

Culture

• essential for survival and communication among individuals
• learned through interaction, observation, and imitation
• fundamental to societal existence and the essence of human social interaction

Cultural Universals

• include appearance (bodily adornment, hairstyles)
• cover activities like sports, dancing, games, and joking
• consist of social institutions such as family, law, and religion
• involve practices including cooking, folklore, and gift-giving

Symbols

• represent something else and hold significant meaning

Language

• a set of symbols used to express ideas and facilitate communication

Values

• collective beliefs about right, wrong, good, and bad

Norms

• established rules and standards of behavior
• prescriptive norms indicate acceptable behavior
• proscriptive norms identify unacceptable behavior

Formal Norms

• documented rules with specific punishments for violations, often represented as laws

Informal Norms

• unwritten standards understood by individuals within a shared identity
• violations may lead to informal social sanctions

Folkways

• everyday customs that can be violated without severe consequences
• examples include personal hygiene practices and appropriate attire for occasions

Mores

• strongly held norms with moral implications, violations may have serious repercussions
• include taboos, like the incest taboo, which is widely recognized as offensive

Laws

• formal norms codified by legislation and backed by sanctions
• distinguish between civil law (disputes among individuals/groups) and criminal law (public safety issues)

Cultural Lag

• the disparity between a society's technological advancements and its moral/legal institutions

Counter Culture

• groups that reject mainstream societal values and seek alternative lifestyles
• historical examples include beatniks, flower children, KKK, and skinheads

Culture Shock

• the anxiety experienced when encountering vastly different cultures

Ethnocentrism

• the belief in the superiority of one's own culture compared to others

Cultural Relativism

• understanding and analyzing another culture based on its own values and standards

Material Culture

• encompasses the physical objects and tangible creations made, used, and shared within a society

Non-Material Culture

• involves abstract or intangible aspects of culture, such as beliefs, attitudes, and values influencing behavior

Subculture

• groups with distinct values and behaviors that set them apart from the larger culture, creating a "world within a world"

Taboos

• behaviors that incur the most severe sanctions within a society