Ch. 2: Culture (Lecture)

Summary

This chapter explores the concept of culture, its components, and its influence on human behavior. It covers material and nonmaterial culture, cultural relativism, and the role of symbols like language and gestures. The script delves into subcultures and countercultures, highlighting their differences, and discusses core U.S. values and cultural contradictions. It emphasizes the importance of technology in shaping culture and the phenomena of cultural lag and cultural leveling, where cultures become increasingly similar due to rapid diffusion. Sociologists argue that while genes influence behavior, culture plays a more significant role in shaping human actions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Culture shapes our orientation to life and includes components like language, values, norms, and material objects.
• 😀 Cultural relativism is the practice of understanding and appreciating cultures on their own terms without judging them against one's own culture.
• 😀 Subcultures are groups within a larger culture with distinct values but do not oppose the mainstream culture, while countercultures actively challenge dominant cultural norms.
• 😀 Material culture consists of tangible objects like art, tools, and clothing, while nonmaterial culture encompasses beliefs, values, and behaviors.
• 😀 Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view one's own culture as superior, while cultural relativism encourages understanding other cultures without comparison.
• 😀 The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that language shapes our thoughts and perceptions, not just expresses them.
• 😀 Values and norms guide behavior within cultures, and sanctions (both positive and negative) regulate adherence to these norms.
• 😀 Folkways are norms not strictly enforced, while mores are essential to a culture's core values and must be adhered to; taboos are deeply ingrained norms that evoke strong revulsion.
• 😀 U.S. society has core values such as individualism, success, freedom, and democracy, but value contradictions (e.g., equality vs. sexism) often create cultural tensions.
• 😀 Technological advancements lead to cultural diffusion and leveling, where cultures become more similar, but this process can also result in the loss of cultural diversity.

Q & A

What is the concept of culture in sociology?

Culture in sociology refers to the language, beliefs, values, norms, and material objects that are passed from one generation to the next within a society. It provides the framework through which people understand and participate in the world around them.

What is the difference between material and nonmaterial culture?

Material culture includes tangible objects such as art, buildings, clothing, and tools. Nonmaterial culture, on the other hand, involves intangible aspects such as beliefs, values, behaviors, and the shared ways of thinking within a society.

How does culture influence our orientation to life?

Culture provides a taken-for-granted orientation to life by defining what is considered normal or natural within a group. It influences how individuals perceive and evaluate the world around them, shaping their actions and moral judgments.

What is cultural relativism, and why is it important?

Cultural relativism is the practice of understanding a culture on its own terms, without judging it by the standards of another culture. It is important because it challenges ethnocentric perspectives and promotes appreciation for cultural diversity.

What are the components of symbolic culture?

The components of symbolic culture include gestures, language, values, norms, sanctions, folkways, mores, and taboos. These symbols help people communicate and interact within a society, each carrying specific meanings unique to that culture.

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that language not only expresses but also shapes our thinking and perception. It posits that the language we are taught influences how we view the world, highlighting the connection between language and thought.

What is the difference between subcultures and countercultures?

Subcultures are groups within a larger society whose values and behaviors are distinct but do not oppose the dominant culture. Countercultures, however, reject or challenge the dominant cultural norms and values.

What are some core values in U.S. society?

Some core values in U.S. society, as identified by sociologist Robin Williams, include achievement and success, individualism, hard work, efficiency, material comfort, freedom, democracy, equality, and group superiority. These values often shape the social fabric and drive individual and societal behaviors.

What is cultural lag, and how does it affect society?

Cultural lag refers to the period during which nonmaterial culture (such as values and norms) struggles to adapt to changes in material culture (such as technology). This gap can lead to social disorientation and challenges in adjusting to new technologies or practices.

How does technology contribute to cultural leveling?

Technology, especially in trade, travel, and communication, accelerates cultural diffusion, making different cultures more similar to one another. This phenomenon, known as cultural leveling, reduces the diversity of cultural practices as societies adopt aspects from other cultures.