Sociology Chapter 3: Culture Flashcards

Understanding Culture

• Cultura: Latin term meaning "a tilling" or to cultivate, representing how humans cultivate their environment.
• Culture Definition: Differentiated from instinct, culture encompasses the entire way of life of a group, shaping perceptions and behaviors.

Establishing Culture

• Norms: Rules guiding societal behavior, such as the expectation to attend school or dress appropriately.
• Values: Culturally defined standards determining what is desirable (e.g., the American Dream), good (e.g., loving neighbors), and beautiful (e.g., youth).

Cultural Universals

• Definition: Traits (values, norms) found in every culture.
• Examples:
  • Creating a Family: Each society defines how family is established.
  • Responding to Death: Societies have their own rituals and practices to address death.
  • Eating: Various methods of food production and consumption exist across cultures.

Material and Non-material Culture

• Material Culture: Physical objects that influence lifestyles, like Levis jeans or iPhones.
• Non-material Culture/Symbolic Culture: Includes the ideas, beliefs, and behaviors specific to a culture.
• American Examples: Principles such as democracy, practices like shopping, and rituals like dining out.

Symbols and Communication

• Symbols: Items representing larger concepts, aiding communication (e.g., a wedding band).
• Variation in Interpretation: Cows in the U.S. are seen as food, while in India, they are revered beings.

Cultural Perspectives

• Beginners Mind: A concept encouraging seeing the unusual in the familiar.
• Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism: Judging other cultures based on one's own versus understanding cultures on their own terms.

Subcultures and Countercultures

• Subculture: Groups with distinct values and norms within a larger culture (e.g., Korean Americans, snowboarders).
• Counterculture: Groups that actively reject mainstream values (e.g., 1960s hippies).

Cultural Dynamics

• Culture Wars: Conflicts over which cultural norms should prevail.
• Ideal vs. Real Culture: Ideal culture represents societal beliefs (e.g., all men are created equal) while real culture is the empirical reality, reflecting discrepancies (e.g., women's oppression).

Cultural Processes

• Cultural Diffusion: Spread of cultural traits from one group to another.
• Cultural Leveling: Unique cultures becoming more similar over time.
• Cultural Imperialism: Dominance of one culture over another via media and consumer products, separate from military force.

Notable Concepts

• Moral Holidays: Times when norm violations are accepted (e.g., behavior in strip clubs).
• Hegemony: Dominance by a culture through widely accepted ideas (e.g., commercial music industry).

Academic Perspectives on Culture

• Theologians and Philosophers: Examine morals and values of ideal cultures.
• Cultural Anthropologists: Focus on societies beyond the U.S., engaging in empirical studies.
• Archaeologists: Investigate historical cultures through artifacts.

Influential Theories

• Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Proposes that language shapes our perception and thought processes.
• Folkways and Mores: Folkways are informal norms (e.g., dressing inappropriately), while mores carry moral significance and have serious repercussions (e.g., theft and murder).

These key points provide a comprehensive overview of cultural concepts pertinent to understanding sociology and its implications on human behavior and society.