Lecture 2-Culture PDF

NORMS Norms are socially defined rules and expectations regarding human behavior. They are generally enforced by sanctions (rewards or punishments). Types of Norms Formal Norms generally have been written down and specify strict punishments for violators. Informal Norms are generally un...

NORMS Norms are socially defined rules and expectations regarding human behavior. They are generally enforced by sanctions (rewards or punishments). Types of Norms Formal Norms generally have been written down and specify strict punishments for violators. Informal Norms are generally understood but not precisely recorded.  Laws are norms that have been written down by a political authority; their breach entails designated punishments (sanctions) that officials (e.g., the police, judges) have been empowered to enforce. Laws, then, are formal rules and principles governing the affairs of community members.  Values: the things we cherish and place importance on, that have worth. Values: are collective conceptions of what is considered good, desirable, and proper- or bad undesirable, and improper- in a culture. Some values, like keeping one’s word or respecting human life, are relatively universal; others, like individualism or chastity, differ widely from one culture to another.  Dominant ideology of a culture is the set of cultural beliefs and practices that help to maintain powerful social, economic and political interests. Development of culture around the world  Innovation is the process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture. Innovation interests sociologists because of the social consequences on introducing something new. There are two forms of innovation: Discovery Invention Discovery involves making known or sharing the existence of an aspect of reality. Invention results when existing cultural items are combined into a form that did not exist before.  Diffusion refers to the process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group or society to society.  Sociologist William Ogburn (1922) made a distinction between material culture and nonmaterial culture. Material culture refers to the physical or technological aspects of our daily lives, including food houses, factories and raw material. Nonmaterial culture refers to ways of using material objects, as well as to customs, beliefs, philosophies, governments and patterns of communication. Culture lag refers to the period of maladjustment when the nonmaterial culture is still struggling to adapt to new material conditions (for example: in 2010, manufacturers introduced the electronic cigarettes). Cultural Variation  A subculture is a culture within a culture consisting of a category of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviors that distinguish them from the larger society. Members of a subculture generally agree with most of the cultural aspects of the greater society but share a key characteristic that provides them with a sense of identity Example of subculture: students.  A counterculture has norms, values, and beliefs that consciously oppose the dominant culture. Counterculture groups seek societal change. When a large segment of a population embraces a counterculture, it may be transformed into a social movement. In this regard, a plurality of individuals, groups, or organizations possess a shared collective identity in pursuing a cause and seeking to reach goals. These goals differ from those of the prevailing, existing culture.  Culture shock refers to the feeling of surprise and disorientation that people experience when they encounter cultural practices that are different from their own.