Sociology Chapter 3: Culture Flashcards
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Questions and Answers

What is the Latin word for culture?

Cultura

What does Cultura mean?

A tilling

What does 'a tilling' mean?

To establish/to cultivate

What is culture?

<p>Different from instinct</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do humans establish or cultivate culture?

<p>Norms and values</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are norms?

<p>Rules and expectations guiding behavior</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are values?

<p>Culturally defined standards</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are cultural universals?

<p>Values, norms or traits found in every group</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are three examples of cultural universals?

<p>Creating a family, responding to death, eating</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the first example of a cultural universal?

<p>Creating family</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the second example of a cultural universal?

<p>Responding to death</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the third example of a cultural universal?

<p>Eating</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the 3 examples of cultural universals illustrate?

<p>Seeing the general in the particular</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is material culture?

<p>Physical objects created by a society</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of material goods/culture in the U.S.?

<p>Levis blue jeans, the American flag, an iPhone, an American Girl doll, Taco Bell</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is non-material culture/symbolic culture?

<p>Ideas associated with a cultural group</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of how Americans think or behave?

<p>Diversity</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of non-material culture/symbolic culture in the U.S.?

<p>Democracy, equality, religious freedom, freedom of speech, efficiency</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are symbols?

<p>Items used to represent another</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of symbols?

<p>A smile, a wedding band, an automobile</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do Americans see cows?

<p>Food, leather, home decorating, danger, a way of life, food chain</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are cows viewed in India?

<p>Symbolic and god-like</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are dogs viewed in America?

<p>Symbolic and friend-like</p> Signup and view all the answers

What cultural lesson do cows in India and dogs in America provide?

<p>Use our Beginners Mind</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Mukesh Rai Case (1997)?

<p>A lawsuit against Taco Bell over a beef burrito</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do theologians and philosophers study culture?

<p>Debate morals and values</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do art, literature, and film scholars study culture?

<p>Through novels, films, paintings, and plays</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do cultural anthropologists study culture?

<p>Investigate societies through empirical fieldwork</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do archaeologists study culture?

<p>Study past cultures through artifacts</p> Signup and view all the answers

Define culture.

<p>The entire way of life of a group of people</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is ethnocentrism?

<p>Evaluating other cultures by one's own standards</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural relativism?

<p>Understanding cultures on their own terms</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is Otaku?

<p>Devoted fans of manga, anime, or video games</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is material culture?

<p>Objects associated with a cultural group</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is symbolic culture?

<p>Ideas associated with a cultural group</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the three ways to communicate pertaining to symbolic culture?

<p>Signs, signals, and language</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?

<p>Language shapes thought and perception</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are folkways?

<p>Loosely enforced norms for social interaction</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are mores?

<p>Norms with great moral significance</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a taboo?

<p>Norms deeply ingrained and evoke strong feelings of revulsion</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a moral holiday?

<p>A time period when norm violations are allowed</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is multiculturalism?

<p>A policy valuing diverse backgrounds</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is dominant culture?

<p>Values and norms of the most powerful group</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is hegemony?

<p>Cultural aspects of social control</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is subculture?

<p>A group with distinctive values within society</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is counterculture?

<p>A group opposing society's values and norms</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are culture wars?

<p>Clashes over values and norms in society</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is ideal culture?

<p>Norms and values that society believes should be observed</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is real culture?

<p>Norms and values that actually exist</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is technology?

<p>Material artifacts and knowledge to use them</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural diffusion?

<p>Dissemination of culture from one group to another</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural leveling?

<p>Cultures becoming increasingly similar</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is cultural imperialism?

<p>Imposition of one culture's beliefs on another</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

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.

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Description

This quiz contains flashcards focused on the concept of culture as discussed in Sociology Chapter 3. It covers the Latin origins of the term 'culture' and explores its meanings and implications in human society. Engage with these flashcards to deepen your understanding of cultural contexts and their significance.

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