Sociology Chapter 2

the cyberpunk movement, anarchists, organized crime families, and the hippie movement are examples of

countercultures

work

discipline, dedication, and hard work are signs of virtue

what are some examples of mores?

dishonesty, fraud, murder

personal achievement

doing well at school and at work is important. gaining wealth and prestige is a sign of success

the tendancy to view one's own culture and group as superior is called

ethnocentrism

efficiency and practicality

every problem can be solved through efficiency an practicality. getting things done well in the shortest time is very important

equality and democracy

everyone should have an equal chance at success and the right to participate freely in government

culture universals

feature of society common to all cultures

traditional customs, tales, sayings, dances, and art forms preserved among a people are known as

folklore

individualism

hard work, initiative, and individual effort are the keys to personal achievement

progress and material comfort

history is marked by ongoing progress, and this progress improves people's lives

morality and humanitarianism

judgements should be based on a sense of right and wrong. this sense of morality also involves helping the less fortunate

how do material culture and nonmaterial culture differ?

material culture are physical objects that people create and use (ex. automobiles, books) whereas non-material culture are abstract human creations (ex. beliefs, family patterns)

______, or extreme self-centeredness

narcissim

folkways

norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral significance attached to them

freedom

personal freedoms, such as freedom of religion, speech, and the press, are central to the American way of life

_______ is a commitment to the full development of one's personality, talents, and potential

self-fulfillment

values

shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable

norms

shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations

how do sociologist distinguish between society and culture?

society consists of people and culture consists of the material and non-material products that people create

sociologists today recognize age, gender, ethnic, religious, political, geographic, social-class, and occupational

subcultures

cultural relativism

the belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards rather than by applying the standards of another culture

cultural leveling

the process in which cultures become more and more alike

cultural diffusion

the spreading of culture traits-ideas and beliefs as well as material objects-from one society to another

cultural lag

the time between changes, when ideas and beliefs are adapting to new material conditions

laws

written rules of conduct enacted and enforced by the government

culture

all the shared products of human groups