Chapter 3: Culture
symbolic interactionalism
Values and norms are social constructions that may var over time and in different contexts; meaning is created, maintained and changed through ongoing social interaction. (eg. religions beliefs and rituals)
Structural Functionalism
Values and norms are widely shared and agreed upon; they contribute to social stability by reinforcing common bonds and constraining individual behavior. (eg. religion)
conflict theory
Values and norms tend to represent and protect the interests of the most powerful groups in society.
cultural diffusion
a more developed culture spreads to a less developed nation
multiculturalism
a policy that involves honoring the diverse racial, ethnic, national, and linguistic backgrounds of various individuals and groups
moral holiday
a specified time period during which some norm violations are allowed (eg. nudity in a strip club)
mores
carry a greater moral significance and are more closely related to the core values of a cultural group (eg. theft, rape, murder)
cultural leveling
cultures that were once distinct become increasingly similar to one another
cultural relativism
seeing each different culture as different; not better or worse, nor right or wrong, but on its own terms
signs
symbols that stand for or convey an idea
hegemony (dominance)
term developed by Antonio Gramsci to describe the cultural aspects of social control
culture wars
the clashes that arise as a result of conflicting viewpoints
culture
the entire way of life of a group of people; the human equivalent of instinct in animals
sapir-whorf hypothesis
the idea that language structures thought
cultural imperialism
the imposition of one culture's beliefs and practices on another culture through media and consumer products
taboos
the most powerful norm
ideal culture
the norms and values that members of a society believe should be observed in principle ("all men are created equal")
real culture
the patterns of behavior that actually exist
dominant culture
the values, norms, and practices of the group within society that is most powerful
gestures
the ways in which people use their bodies to communicate without words
sanctions
they include rewards for conformity and punishments for violations
ethnocentrism
we think of our culture as being the "normal" one
folkways
when people do not conform, they are though of as peculiar or eccentric but not necessarily dangerous