Sociology of Culture Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the definition of culture as mentioned in the content?

Only the shared values and beliefs of a society.

The arts created by elites.

The ways of thinking, acting, and material objects that form a people’s way of life. (correct)

The sum of biological aspects of a society.

How does culture influence social interaction?

By regulating only economic behavior.

By determining genetic traits of individuals.

By providing shared knowledge that facilitates interactions. (correct)

By creating a common language understood only by elites.

What does culture shock refer to?

The process of cultural diffusion among societies.

The personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life. (correct)

The clash of high culture and folk culture.

The excitement of learning new languages.

Which of the following is NOT considered a cultural universal?

Technological advancements Signup and view all the answers

What term describes individuals who consume a variety of cultural forms across different levels?

Cultural omnivores Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following aspects is NOT a component of culture?

Genetic predispositions Signup and view all the answers

What best describes 'high' culture?

The arts and cultural products of the elite. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about cultural diversity is true?

Human cultures may greatly differ from one another. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the coexistence of local responses to global influences?

Glocalisation Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon involves the appropriation of culture for profit as described by Adorno and Horkheimer?

Cultural Industrial Complex Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best represents the idea of cultural cross-fertilisation?

Hybridity and fusion, like Irish hip-hop Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following concepts is NOT associated with globalization?

Localism Signup and view all the answers

What is described as the blend of cultures resulting from globalization?

Cultural Syncretism Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a subculture from the dominant culture?

Distinct values, attitudes, and behaviors Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of cultural repertoires?

Descriptions of actions in civic or market terms specific to national contexts Signup and view all the answers

What are symbolic boundaries in cultural sociology?

Social divisions based on beliefs and values Signup and view all the answers

How does the cognitive turn in cultural sociology affect understanding of culture?

It focuses on interaction-based logics and rules of thumb Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of lifestyles is often influenced by the state, media, and education in Irish society?

Value assignments to cultural consumption Signup and view all the answers

Which statement reflects the dynamic view of culture?

Culture is a toolkit used for situational sense-making. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common characteristic of cultural trends measured in sociological studies?

Interest in specific foods and activities Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of cultural consumption versus cultural production imply?

It differentiates between the creation and use of cultural goods. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Culture

Culture is defined as the ways of thinking, acting, and material objects that shape a people's way of life (Macionis 2007, p.40).
Culture is symbolic and learned, non-biological aspects of human societies.
It distinguishes civilized from nature.
Culture and structure are seen as "cement".
Culture and material are linked, with material often shaping culture.
Culture is internally inconsistent and situationally specific (Lamont/Thévenot 2000).
Culture can be stable — with shared latent processes linking beliefs to actions — or dynamic, using toolkits or inconsistent narratives for sense-making (Polavieja 2015).

Priority Reading

Students should consult Terrible, Magnificent Sociology...
Becker, H.S. (1982) "Culture: a sociological view," in Yale Review, 71(4), 513–27.

Learning Outcomes

Understand culture from a sociological perspective.
Understand why culture matters.
Understand the concept of culture shock.
Understand subcultures.
Understand cultural diversity and diffusion.

Types of Culture

"High" culture refers to the arts and is typically associated with elites.
Folk or "low" culture refers to crafts and is usually associated with ordinary people.
Pop culture is popular, not highbrow, arguably emerging from "below".
How do association/proximity to certain cultures influence perceptions?

Consuming Culture

The rise of "cultural omnivores" who consume a wide variety of culture, encompassing both highbrow and middle-lowbrow forms (Chan/Turner 2017; Fishmann/Lizardo 2013).
Example: attending opera and watching "Love Island" or a football match.

Importance of Culture

Culture provides the shared knowledge that enables successful social interaction.
Culture significantly influences our ideals.
Culture shapes the social rules governing our behavior and interactions.
Culture impacts our creation of goods and our evaluations of other cultures.

Aspects of Culture

Culture includes language, symbols, values, beliefs, norms, practices, and artifacts.

Cultural Universals

Cultural universals include language, family systems, marriage, religious rituals, property rights, and incest prohibitions.
Other universals include art, dance, bodily adornment, games, gift-giving, joking, and rules of hygiene.

Cultural Diversity

Diverse human cultures exhibit variability in material and non-material aspects.
Culture shock arises from disorientation when encountering an unfamiliar way of life (Macionis 2007, 41).
Cultural diversity exists both across and within societies.

Subcultures

A subculture is a smaller group within a larger, dominant or mass culture.
Subcultures are characterized by specific values, attitudes, beliefs, tastes, and behavior patterns that distinguish them from the mainstream (Bruce and Yearly 2006, p.298).
Subcultures share some similarities with the dominant culture but differ in values, norms, and language.
Subculture members often feel a sense of belonging and identity.

Culture in Datasets

Culture is reflected in sociological studies through interests in music, attendance at concerts/museums/sports, tastes in food (e.g., organic), and attitudes towards politics, work, environment, and reading.

Culture and Lifestyles

Reflect on cultural consumption versus cultural production.
How are certain lifestyles valued in Irish society?
Major contributors to lifestyle valuation include the state, media, and education.

Cultural Sociology

Symbolic boundaries define social groups (see Michèle Lamont's work).
"Cultural repertoires" are readily available based on national contexts.
Cultural schemas (mental maps) are defined by cognitive frameworks learned through interaction (DiMaggio 1997).
Note cultural variations in descriptions of action, such as civic/moral versus market, comparing France and the US (Lamont/Thévenot 2000).

Next Lecture

The next lecture will cover values and norms.

Additional Recommended Readings

Includes various books on sociology, cultural theory, subcultures, and related topics from various authors.

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Description

This quiz explores the sociological aspects of culture, including its definitions, functions, and significance within society. Key concepts such as culture shock and subcultures are also examined. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how culture shapes human behavior and social structures.