LESSON 3: Culture and Cultural Values PDF

LESSON 3: Culture and Cultural Values A. Social Organization What is Social Organization? In an organized society, there is stability and change. Stability is the condition of equilibrium among the parts of society. It is the state of smooth functioning. During this condition; the social...

LESSON 3: Culture and Cultural Values A. Social Organization What is Social Organization? In an organized society, there is stability and change. Stability is the condition of equilibrium among the parts of society. It is the state of smooth functioning. During this condition; the social problems decrease in society. Change is the dynamic condition of society. An organized society is also changing for the fulfillment of social needs. Abrupt changes in the form of revolution disrupt the existing social order and disorganization occurs in society. Social Organization Definitions by Author: Duncan Mitchell: “Social organization means the interdependence of parts which is essential characteristic of all enduring collective entities, groups, communities and societies.” Ogburn & Nimkoff. “An organization is an articulation of different parts which perform various functions, it is an active group device for getting something done.” According to Broom and Selznick, “an organization means technical arrangement of parts.” Social organization means social relationship among groups. Individuals and groups interrelated together create social organization. It is the result of social interaction among people. It is the network of social relationship in which individuals and groups participate. All the social institutions are social organizations. Associations, clubs and all other formal groups are organizations. Social systems are also based on’ social organizations. In an organized body; its members get into one another on the basis of roles and status. The interaction among the members sets them into organizations. The mode of such interaction is called social organization. Relationship of Social Organization and Interaction Social organization is the product of social interaction. Interaction among individuals, among groups, among institutions, among classes, among members of a family create social organization. Organization means interrelationship among members or parts which is an interaction. The members of a family become an organized group by interaction among them. Similarly, the sections of a factory have mutual link with one another. The parts of one thing shift from one section to other section till it is completed and then by organization of its parts it is converted into a whole. These sections of factory interact with one another and produce parts of a machine and then these parts organized together make a machine as a complex-whole. It is all due to interaction among sections, groups and individuals. This production is the result of social organization. Relationship of Social Organization and Social System Social system is an ongoing unit developed by the interdependence of its elements. A system assigns different functions to its elements. These elements have mutual relationship, supporting one another. These different functions performed by different parts with the help of one another make the whole a system and this interrelation among its parts is called organization. It means a system is the functioning of his parts. A social system also carries an organization. Relationship of Social Organization, Status and Role The individuals in a social organization perform their activities according to their social positions called status. The activities done in an organization are called roles of the members, even individual performs his roles according to his status. Therefore, status and role are the basis of social participation in an organization. An organized body if formal has its roles and status assigned to its members and offices bearers. The office-bearers like. President, Vice-President, Secretary in an organization have their roles and status defined in the rules and regulations of that body. United Nations Organization (U.N.O) all trade unions and professions associations are the social organizations in which role and status of the participants are defined B. Ethnocentrism Concept of Time Ethnocentrism - is the term anthropologists use to describe the opinion that one’s own way of life is natural or correct. Some would simply call it cultural ignorance. Ethnocentrism means that one may see his/her own culture as the correct way of living. For those who have not experienced other cultures in depth can be said to be ethnocentric if they feel that their lives are the most natural way of living. Some cultures may be similar or overlap in ideas or concepts, however, some people are in a sense, shocked to experience differences they may encounter with individuals culturally different than themselves. In extreme cases, a group of individuals may see another cultures way of life and consider it wrong, because of this, the group may try to convert the other group to their own ways of living. Fearful war and genocide could be the devastating result if a group is unwilling to change their ways of living. Ethnocentrism - means judging other cultures according to the assumptions of one's own culture. Or, as Merriam-Webster, it means "the attitude that one's own group is superior."  Ethnocentric people blithely assume their race, religion, culture, and nation are superior to all others. They impose assumptions and perspective of their own culture upon all other situations they encounter. Ethnocentric people often judge what is different or strange to them to be "bad, dumb, backward, pagan, primitive," etc. Example: An ethnocentric person from the US, who eats with fork and spoon, might deem the Chinese use of chopsticks to be "stupid." Many cultural stereotypes derive from ethnocentrism. We overcome this disability by becoming astute observers and analysts of other cultures--by developing intercultural competencies. As the illustration to the right shows us, much of cultural is submerged or hidden to casual observation--we must probe carefully and thoughtfully to uncover the invisible elements of another culture. A synonym is sociocentrism, substituting one's own society or social for one's culture in making the same claims of superiority. Coping with ethnocentrism, however, does not mean abandoning one's moral standards. We do not become simplistic functionalists who assume that just because a culture engages in a practice, it is right and acceptable. We do not accept the Holocaust because Nazis thought it was a good idea. We don't embrace bigoted views just because someone expresses them. Human rights abuses remain wrong, regardless of the excuses or explanations of the perpetrators. We still apply our critical thinking skills to all historical and cultural evidence. What are some interesting social norms of your country? Examples: In Nigeria 1. They take off their shoes at the door. Most Nigerians walk barefooted in their homes but few Nigerians wear indoor Slippers at home. 2.Pregnant women pin their dresses with a safety pin when going out. It is believed that the safety pin wards evil spirit away and protects the mother and child. 3. Greeting is very important in Nigeria. It's compulsory and necessary to greet your elders. An elderly person can even stop you and caution you if you don't greet them. Some cultures even prostrate to greet elders. Greeting is much valued in Nigeria. In Korea versus America 1. Wearing shoes at home. In Korean houses, there is a clear boundary between clean floor and unclean floor. Clean floor will be your room, living room, kitchen at home, some restaurants with short tables etc. Usually those floors are heated (called ondol) in winter. Not wearing shoes allows you to feel the warm heated floor. It will be very strange if you step on a clean floor with you shoes on. Also, it is strange to walk with barefoot on unclean floor, such as near the entrance of your house, garden, classroom, office, outdoors, restaurants with tall tables. Not even one second. In the US, sometimes people walking without shoes not far from their homes. 2. Greeting strangers. Americans feel normal to say hi and smile at a random person you meet on the street or in a hallway. Koreans don’t do that. When Koreans say hi or bow, it means they know each other. 3. Calling your uncle by his first name. This is related to the age hierarchy culture. If a person is 1 year older than you, you can’t call him just by his first name. It doesn’t matter how close you are. In Australia Completely relaxed. This is a photo of Australians voting. That’s right. Voting. Near a beach, in board shorts and beachwear. Our elections are held only on Saturdays, and something as unimportant (by comparison!) as an election won’t stop people enjoying their day off. Ethnocentrism and the Medical Setting Many Westerners view illness as a chance event or as a result of lifestyle choices, but it is important to realize that this way of thinking is not universal. A view commonly held abroad is that disease results from fate, punishment of sin, sorcery, or other supernatural causes. “The folktales of India, Europe, Africa, and North America all tell of people being blinded for such transgressions as perjury, theft, rape, incest, adultery, abduction, and murder. In some cases, the sin being punished was committed by a distant relative… This belief is evident even today. For example, a highly educated woman of Italian descent stated her firm belief that her young son's visual impairment was caused by the sins of her robber-baron forebears. Occasionally, newly blind clients report the belief that visual impairment is a test by the powers that be that they must pass.” It is easy to see how patients will fail to seek medical treatment if they believe that the cause of their disease is supernatural. Thus, it is helpful to understand the cultural beliefs that surround disease and medicine, as this will facilitate communication and understanding with local patients. While most visitors greatly respect local healthcare providers, there are some who view the healthcare providers through an ethnocentric lens. If the local healthcare providers do not do something identical to what they might remember seeing in the U.S., they incorrectly think that it is inferior. For example, while Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) is considered most appropriate for developing world settings and has equally excellent outcomes to Phacoemulsification cataract surgery, some incorrectly assume that since SICS isn’t done in the U.S., it must be inferior. Therefore, it is critical for visitors to learn to embrace differences, listen and learn from others, and avoid comparing or judging based on what they may be familiar with at home. In addition, decisions and strategies of local doctors should be respected, and not be ridiculed or compared to the familiar. C. Cultural beliefs and practices across different continents Examining your own culture is one of the best ways to understand other people's cultures. Most of us take our upbringing for granted and are unaware that our customs and beliefs may appear strange to others. It's difficult to approach differences with respect if you consider your own way of life to be the default and everyone else's to be a strange variation. What are your beliefs about the world, and about how people should treat each other? Are any of them informed by your own culture and the way you were brought up? What behaviors define you, and would any of them seem odd or unusual to someone with a different culture? For example: do you take your shoes off when you go inside? It’s a simple thing, but it’s a huge marker of culture! In Japan, you would never go inside without swapping your outdoor shoes for slippers, whereas in the United States, many people don’t bother taking their shoes off when they come in. These aren’t always easy questions to answer, but stopping to think about them is so important to understanding your place in the world, which will help you understand other people better, too. Take note of the differences Our differences are what make life so interesting. So, embrace the differences between yourself and your friends from other cultures - but keep in mind that what you find fascinating is just their normal life! The best way to respect people from other cultures is to strike a balance between curiosity and appreciation: ask questions if your friends are open to it, but also learn how to observe and appreciate the differences that make us unique.