Culture: Material and Non-Material Aspects

Culture

• Culture is composed of material and non-material aspects, which include physical objects and intangible elements such as values, beliefs, and norms.
• Ideal culture refers to the ideals and values that a society strives to achieve, whereas real culture is the actual behavior and practices of its members.
• Elements of culture include:
  • Beliefs: opinions or convictions about the world and its workings.
  • Values: principles or standards that guide behavior and decision-making.
  • Norms: established rules or standards that govern behavior.
  • Social sanctions: rewards or punishments for adhering to or deviating from norms.

Related Concepts

• Cultural Relativism: the practice of judging a culture by its own standards, rather than by the standards of another culture.
• Sub Cultures: smaller groups within a larger culture that share distinct values, beliefs, and practices.
• Ethnocentrism: the tendency to view one's own culture as superior to others.
• Xenocentrism: the preference for another culture over one's own.
• Cultural lag: the delay in adapting to changes in cultural values, beliefs, and practices.

Socialization and Personality

• Personality is shaped by various factors, including:
  • Genetics
  • Environment
  • Socialization
• Socialization: the process of learning and internalizing the norms, values, and beliefs of a culture.
• Agencies of Socialization: institutions and individuals that influence socialization, such as family, schools, and media.
• Role and Status: the position and expectations associated with a particular role or position within a society.

Deviance and Social Control

• Deviance: behavior that violates social norms and expectations.
• Types of deviance:
  • Criminal
  • Violent
  • Immoral
  • Abnormal
• Social control: the mechanisms by which society regulates and enforces norms and behavior.
• Need for social control: to maintain social order and stability.
• Forms of social control:
  • Informal (e.g. social pressure, ridicule)
  • Formal (e.g. laws, punishments)
• Methods and agencies of social control:
  • Law enforcement
  • Education
  • Religion

Collective Behavior

• Collective behavior: spontaneous and unstructured behavior that occurs when a group of people are together.
• Types of collective behavior:
  • Panic
  • Riot
  • Fad
• Crowd behavior: behavior that occurs when a large group of people are gathered together.
• Public opinion: the attitudes and opinions of a society or group.
• Propaganda: the dissemination of information to influence public opinion.
• Social movements: organized efforts to bring about social change.
• Leadership: the process of guiding and influencing others to achieve a common goal.

Culture

• Culture refers to the complex whole of collective human behaviors, attitudes, and products that are learned, shared, and transmitted from generation to generation.

Aspects and Characteristics of Culture

• Material culture: tangible objects and items created by humans, such as tools, clothing, and buildings.
• Non-material culture: intangible aspects of culture, such as language, customs, and traditions.
• Ideal culture: the norms and values that people aspire to achieve.
• Real culture: the actual practices and behaviors of a society.

Elements of Culture

• Beliefs: opinions or convictions about the world and its mysteries.
• Values: principles or standards that guide human behavior and decision-making.
• Norms: established rules or standards of behavior that are widely accepted.
• Social sanctions: rewards or punishments that enforce social norms.

Other Related Concepts

• Cultural Relativism: the idea that cultures should be judged on their own terms, rather than according to universal standards.
• Sub Cultures: smaller cultural groups within a larger society, often with distinct customs and traditions.
• Ethnocentrism: the tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one's own culture.
• Xenocentrism: the tendency to prefer or admire other cultures over one's own.
• Cultural lag: the delay between a change in cultural values or technology and its widespread adoption in society.