Social Movements Exam 1

Barriers to Playing the 4 Roles Effectively - citizen ineffective ways:

----1. native citizen: believes the "official policies" and doesn't realize that the power holders and institutions serve special elite interests at the expense of the majority and the common good OR ----2. super patriot: gives automatic obedience to power holders and the country

Where exactly do SMs fit into this larger sociological concern about social change?

-1. some social change happens without intended to -2. some change results from deliberate efforts to create it ----a. social change from above: from elites ----b. social change from below: from SMs

Snow and Soule describe how SMs are extrainstitutional in 2 ways

-1. the absence of recognized standing or access to it ----SM organizations and leaders aren't in positions of institutionalized power in the society ----their efforts are social change efforts (from below) -2. or because they choose to bypass conventionalized channels of appeal or redness - "deviant" methods rather than conventional ones

Barriers to Playing the 4 Roles Effectively - reformer ineffective ways

-POOs dominator/patriarchal model of organizational structure and leadership -organizational maintenance over movement needs -dominator style undermines movement democracy to disempowers grassroots -POO "realistic politics": promotes minor reforms rather than social changes -POO co - optation: staff identify more with official power holders than with movement grassroots

Problem of Circular Reasoning

-RM theory been critiqued for how it identified rescources

Movement Entrepreneurs

-SM leaders who take the initiative to mobilize people with similar preferences into a mvmt or mvmt organizations

What do we mean by "outside existing authority systems"

-SMs are extrainstitutional "to a greater or lesser degree"

Social actors related to SMs: Antagonists - Countermovements

-SMs whose goals are to stop or neutralize the goal attainment activities of a given movement that seeks change ----example: KKK

Discourse Analysis

-Textual analysis of language and meanings in rhetoric and documents

What do we mean by temporal continuity?

-a SM isnt something that pops in and out of existence quickly -activity that only lasts a day or so is NOT a SM (riot isnt a SM) -no exact time duration but certainly a few months would qualify

(summary) Contemporary approaches are based on:

-a conflict-orientated perspective -an elite perspective on distribution of power -and a view of SMs as generally rational or at least not irrational ----2.resource mobilization (RM) theory (1970s-80s) ----3.political process theory (1980s-early 1990s) ----4.framing perspective (mid 1980s-1990s) ----5.new social movements (NSM) theory (ca. 1990s) ----6.theoretical synthesis (mid 1990s-present_

Group protagonists and potential protagonists: Social Movement Organizations (SMOs)

-a formal organization or other functioning organization that identifies with and promotes the goals of a particular social movement ----same sociological/management theories used to understand government and business organizations also help us understand many aspects of SMOs ----examples: --------SCLC --------SNCC --------KKK

What is a social actor?

-a human actor capable of exercising agency, and may be either an ----individual OR ----group (including organizations as well as less formed groups

Initiator Movements

-a mvmt that comes early in a cycle of protest and demonstrates to others that protest tactics can be used effectively

Cycle of Contention or Protest Cycle

-a period of heightened conflict when a number of SMs are mobilized and engaged in collective action

Cycle of Contention

-a period of heightened conflict when a number of social movements are mobilized and engaged in collective action

Stage 1 of SMs: Normal times

-a problem exists - but for the power holders, its actually a benefit -few activists oppose them

(summary) Earlier perspective was based on:

-a structural functionalist (or "order) perspective -a pluralist perspective on distribution of power -a view of SMs as commonly irrational ----1.classical SM theory (1940s-1960s)

Stage 5 of SMs: Perception of failure

-activists should skip this stage, and many do, but we need to be aware how it poses a danger to a movement

Citizen role, activists:

-advocate and demonstrate a widely held vision of the democratic good society -give the mvmt legitimacy in the eyes of ordinary citizens -enable the mvmt to withstand efforts by power holders to discredit and -reduce the potential for violent attributes and actions within the mvmt

Beneficiary Constituents

-aggrieved persons or groups that stand to benefit from the success of a mvmt

Related Concept: Campaigns

-an episode that occurs in a particular time and place among other efforts occurring in a SM

Actual Policies

-are what the power holders are really doing which are consistent with the societal secrets

Barriers to Playing the 4 Roles Effectively - rebel ineffective ways

-authoritarian, anti authoritarian -anti American, anti authority, anti organization structures and rules -self identifies as militant radical, a lonely voice on societys fringe -any means necessary: disruptive tactics and violence to property and people -tactics without realistic strategy -isolated from grassroots mass base -victim behavior: angry, dogmatic, aggressive and powerless -ideological totalism: holds absolute truth and moral, political superiority -strident, arrogant, egocentric, self needs before mvmt needs -irony of negative label: negative label similar to agent provocateur

Individual protagonists and potential protagonists: Free Riders

-beneficiaries who take no overt action to support a movement even though they might be sympathetic to it ----equal the subset of beneficiaries who occupy 2 outermost bands of entire oval

Movement Feeder Organizations

-can be SMOs or other types of organizations, including organizations outside of the movement -preexisting organizations whose members are sources of movement participants (with or without encouraging participation or intending to do so) -they serve as parts of networks linking the movement to the larger society. the "feeder" phenomenon is also called bloc recruitment of activists

Social change may be reformative - Reform:

-change that fine tunes social order but doesn't fundamentally change it -examples: ----1.almost all new laws ----2.election of new candidates to public office ----3.every other change you can think of in a lifetime

Stage 8 of SMs: Continuing the struggle

-consolidation/institutionalization of gains, spinoff movements, continuing watchdog role to push implementation and guard against backlash -there is no real end, but rather a cycle of related movements over time

Individual protagonists and potential protagonists: Activists

-constituents and adherents who devote considerable time and effort to a movements activities -might take significant risk to support ----equal the subset of adherents who occupy the innermost oval, outlined in red

Individual protagonists and potential protagonists: Beneficiaries

-constituents who are expected to benefit directly if movement accomplishes its goals ----all beneficiaries are constituents of a movement but not all constituents are necessarily beneficiaries ----designated as the subset of constituents who occupy left half of entire oval

Individual protagonists and potential protagonists: Adherents

-constituents who take overt action (demonstrations/meetings) to promote a given movements goals -don't merely have sympathetic attitudes toward that movement but they support it with their behavior ----equal the subset of sympathetic constituents who occupy the entire green outlined oval and all concentric ovals within

Stage 4 of SMs: Take - off

-dramatic events help focus public attention on the problem and "put it on the agenda" -rapid increase in movement participation and public visibility of the movement

Cultural Opportunity Structure

-elements of cultural environments, such as ideologies, that facilitate and constrain collective action

Synthetic Approach - Framing Perspective

-emphasizes the role of mvmts in constructing cultural meanings, as mvmt leaders and organizations frame issues in particular ways to identify injustices, attribute blame, propose solutions, and motivate collective action

Movement Carrier Organizations (MCOs)

-essentially the same thing as SMOs, directly engaged in movement actions such as developing and carrying out strategy, and recruiting participants to make the strategy happen -an MCO that performs a core role in a movement relative to other MCOs is the same as one of Morris' "movement center" organizations - but they may or may not be local movement centers

Discursive Opportunity Structure

-factors, such as cultural context and mass media norms, that shape movement discourse

Political Opportunity

-features of the political environment that influence movement emergence and success, including the extent of openness in the polity, shifts in political alignments, divisions among elites, the availability of influential allies, and repression or facilitation by the state

Power Elite Model

-form of a hierarchical pyramid with powerful elites at the top and the relatively powerless mass at the bottom -professional opposition organizations (POOs) - generally conduct those efforts of the opposition in the halls of government and in corporate suites

Master Frames

-generic types of frames available for use by a number of different SMs

Individual protagonists and potential protagonists: Bystanders

-haven't chosen a side -indifferent -equal subset of constituents who occupy the outermost band on both sides of the figure

People Power Model

-holds that power ultimately resides in the mass populace

Individual protagonists and potential protagonists: Constituents

-individuals who a given movements's organization claim to represent and who typically are a major source of resources and support to that movement ----may be indifferent to the movement or only sympathetic to it OR ----may be actively supportive so they are adherents or activists

Synthetic Approach - Collective action frames

-interpretations of issues and events that inspire and legitimate collective action

What do we mean by organization?

-means there are shared expectations for how they will coordinate their actions and pursue mvmt goals -often includes organizations that have some degree of bureaucracy - e.g., set of written rules, established leaders -may include non-bureaucratic groups - e.g., groups that plan and carry out actions based on routinely expected consensus - members have a more or less equal say

Movement must mobilize resources to make itself go - examples of possible resources include:

-money -information -mechanisms of communication (e.g., telephone access, social media) -supporters/members -the time and work effort of volunteers and paid staff -public image -trust among movement participants, and between participants and key actors outside the movement -weapons

Spinoff Movements

-mvmt that comes late in protest cycle, modeled on earlier mvmts

Group protagonists and potential protagonists: Advocacy Networks

-network: a set of social actors that are linked by such things as communication or coordinated activity advocacy network: network of social actors interacting with each other with the goal of pursuing or preventing a particular kind of social change, and who interact with states, organizations, and other entities outside the advocacy network itself

Stage 3 of SMs: Ripening conditions

-opposition grows more; a significant minority of the public also opposes power holder policies

Stage 2 of SMs: Prove the failure of official institutions

-opposition movement grows; (ideally) activists show that official avenues can't solve the problem

Conscience Constituents

-persons or groups who contribute to mvmts but dont personally benefit from their achievements

Change Agent Role, activists:

-promote citizen based democracy -support the involvement of large numbers of people in the process of addressing a specific social problem -redefine the problem to show how it affects every sector of society -promote a new social and political majority consensus favoring positive solutions -promote democratic principles and human values in an "open system" (system that is organized by citizens themselves, without being controlled by elite power holders in the closed system of an oppressive hierarchy) -develop the majority mvmt -support the development of coalitions -counter the actions of the power holders -move society from reform to social change by promoting a paradigm shift

Rebel Role, activists:

-put issues on societys social agenda through dramatic, nonviolent actions -put issues on the political agenda -show how institutions and official power holders violate public trust by causing and perpetuating critical social problems -force society to face its problems -represent societys democratic and moral vanguard -promote democracy

Social Structure

-ready made slots into which we fit includes: 1. Social institutions: ----economy ----political system ----education ----family ----religion 2. patterns of inequality - class structure, gender, race, ethnicity

Societal Secrets

-reflect the ideology that actually guides the power holders as they carry out the power elite model in which most of the political and economic power and benefits go to the elite minority, white most of the disbenefits are borne by the environment and the majority of the people

What do we mean by social change related goals?

-social change means a persisting change in the social order - i.e., in the: ----social structure ----culture -no SMs try to bring about or prevent change in social structure/culture

Symbolic Interactionalism

-social psychological theory that focuses on the ways in which actors construct meanings through social interaction

Why do we distinguish "structures" and "processes"

-structures are entities or things that exist over time, like organizations or social classes or other groups; in an important sense, they are like nouns ----much scholarship on mobilizing structures revolves specifically around how movement organizations work, often drawing on principles also used to study government and business organizations -processes are changes and developments, like organizations enacting some strategy or governments collecting taxes; they refer to people or groups doing something or to other events happening over time; processes are like verbs ----social movement examples: birth or decline of a movement, changing levels of engagement among activists, communications between SMOs and activists, movement actions against targets

Individual protagonists and potential protagonists: Conscience Constituents

-sympathetic constituents of a movement who are not movement beneficiaries (nearly opposite of free riders) ----most likely to participate in movements whose goals are to expand rights of particular disadvantaged groups and they would be ones who don't belong to the disadvantaged group ----designated as subset of constituents who occupy left half of the entire oval

Local Movement Center

-term used to characterize the diverse dynamics and confrontations of the civil rights movement ----social organization within the community of a subordinate group, which mobilizes, organizes, and coordinates collective action aimed at attaining the common ends of that subordinate group

Stage 7 of SMs: Success

-the "endgame" process, either a dramatic showdown, a quiet showdown (power holders give in on many issues and even claim credit for movement victory), or attrition (a gradual process over years and years

Stage 6 of SMs: Majority public opinion

-the chapter's most developed discussion -majority public support -movement strategy must focus on such matters as public education, continued recruitment, and an ongoing "chess match" with power holders -power holders switch to (less advantageous) plan b, plan c, etc

Mobilizing Structures

-the formal and informal networks, groups, and organizational vehicles that mvmts use to recruit participants and organize collective action campaigns

Social actors related to SMs: Antagonists - Targets

-the individuals, groups, and or institutions that a movement tries to change ----besides individuals, examples of target groups may include: --------governments --------corporations --------universities -primary targets: changing these primary targets' behavior is the SMs ultimate goal -intermediate targets: changing these intermediate targets' behavior is a means to the ultimate end of changing primary targets' behavior

Opportunity Structures

-the phenomena external to a movement which affect that movement's birth, development, success/failure, demise, and other characteristics -concept was originated by Doug McAdam, particularly in his political process and the development of black insurgency, he referred to them as "political" opportunity structures -concept is best understood as the entire social environment or context of a movement - broader than merely "political" -opportunity structures include constraints (i.e. negative opportunities) as well as opportunities that are beneficial to a movement -i.e., "opportunity structures" is a shorthand expression for "opportunities and constraints in a movement's social context or environment"

Societal Myths

-the slogans, beliefs, and values - such as freedom, free market, democracy, and private enterprise - that the power holders use to justify their self serving polices and programs

Resources

-the tangible and intangible assets available to SM organizations and other actors

Political Process Theory

-theoretical approach focusing on the interactions of SM actors with the state and the role of political opportunities in the mobilization and outcomes of SMs

New Social Movement Theory

-theoretical approach focusing on the new types of SMs emerging in "postindustrial" or "advanced capitalist" society, thought to differ in structure, type of constituents, and ideology from older mvmts

Collective Behavior Theory

-theoretical approach to social movements that focuses on the grievances

Relative Deprivation Theory

-theory that collective behavior is most likely when conditions start to improve and expectations rise, but the rate of improvement doesn't match expectations and people feel deprived relative to others

Social Movement Theoretical Synthesis: today a multifaceted, combined approach tends to dominate - s "synthesis"

-there are still identifiably distinct camps -(a major one: political process theory, albeit giving attention to a broader range of factors than it did in the 1980s but in general, U.S. and European sociologists and political scientists studying SMs developed a theoretical synthesis - or when not fully a synthesis, a loose theoretical alliance - from the different theoretical strands that emerged during the 1970s - 1990s period

Movement Midwives

-these are often organizations partly or fully based in institutional means of struggle (POOs) or other non - SMO nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); but they may be SMOs -provide key resources to emerging movement carrier organizations (MCOs): initial organization and guidance of MCOs, office space and facilities, funds (salaries for staff, etc)

Official Policies

-those that are the power holders publicly proclaim they are implementing ----they are consistent with the high sounding values of the societal myths

Barriers to Playing the 4 Roles Effectively - change agent ineffective ways

-too utopian promotes visions of perfectionist alternatives in isolation from practical political and social action -promotes only minor reforms -movement leadership and organizations based on patriarchy and control rather than participatory democracy -tunnel vision: advocated single issue -ignores personal issues and needs of activists -unconnected to social and political social change and paradigm shift

Reformer Role, activists:

-transmit movement analyses and goals to power holder institutions and individuals -perform parliamentary and legal efforts - lobbying, referenda, lawsuits; -work to create and expand new laws and policies -act as watchdogs to ensure the new laws and policies are actually funded and carried out -mobilized movement opposition to conservative backlash efforts -nurture and support grassroots activists

Eyes on the prize

-trying to open up Mississippi => Freedom Summer -1st wave of recruiters: ----Goodwin (black) and 2 others (white) went ----went to investigate church that was burned down and their car was stopped, they disappeared that night after being released from jail ----this made summer volunteers more determined to fight harder -60,000 signed up for the Mississippi freedom democratic party despite fears ----summer volunteers provided legal and medical service -schools during day used to teach and schools during night used politically and to sign people up to vote -wouldn't let the Goodwin be buried with the other 2 boys even though the families requested it -they got white people from all over the U.S. to go to Mississippi for Freedom Summer bc their strategy was that it would get the attention of other whites around the country and if something happened to a white person there would actually be news of it (unfortunately wouldn't be news if it were a black person)

Social change may be revolutionary - Revolution

-upheaval to social order involving change in what segments of society have how much power -examples: ----American civil war (slaves freed) ----Nicaraguan and Iranian revolutions 1979 ----Tunisian "arab spring" revolution of 2010 - 2011

Mass Society Theory

-views collective behavior as an extreme response to social isolation ----a "mass society" is one in which there a few secondary or intermediate groups, such as religious groups or community organizations, to bind people together and keep them attached to the mainstream society

Key Points from Morris Reading

-watch for phrases like central argument -tripartite system of domination ----economic oppression, political oppression, segregation ----segregation wasn't just separation, but labeling as inferior -indigenous perspective on SMs emphasizes local mvmt groups -movement centers ----social organizations in a community of a subordinate group, which mobilizes, organizes and coordinates collective action -bureaucratic vs. mass oriented tactics (larger strategy) ----contrast the NAACP in particular to mvmt centers that developed in southern cities analyzed in the reading -other organizations and events ----1954 Brown vs. Board ----NAACP ----White citizens council

Assess how good a theory is

-well defined concepts -logical consistency -"researchablility" - "testability/falsifiability of its claims -avoidance of circular reasoning (a major threat to falsifiability, since it can make a theory untestable by defining its key claims as true -empirical (real world) support for theory's claims

Mobilizing structures and processes

-what is the "mobilization" aspect of "mobilizing structures and processes"? ----mobilization is what happens when a movement (a) gathers resources and (b) uses them so that the movement can enact its strategies and tactics against its targets -opportunity structures are external to a movement and mobilization is essentially internal to movements -concern with mobilization originated in resource mobilization theory (RM), the dominant social movements perspective in the 1970s. 2 of its major proponents were John McCarthy and Mayer Zald

Morris Key Points: Sites

1. Baton Rouge 1953 mvmt center: United Defense league (UDL) Leader: Jemison 2. Montgomery 1955-56 mvmt center: Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) Leader: MLK Jr 3. Tallahassee 1956 mvmt center: Inter Civic Council (ICC) Leader: Steele 4. Birmingham 1956 mvmt center: Alabama center Alabama Christian mvmt for Human Rights (ACMHR) Leader: Shuttlesworth

Classical SM theory: the dominant approach

1. existed in both social psychological and structural functionalist variations 2. accounted for the emergence of SMs as a result of some type of grievance leading to frustration, leading to SM participation 3. tended to emphasize SMs as irrational, deviant behavior 4. consistent with pluralist model of power distribution in U.S.

Advocacy Networks: major types of social actors that constitute them

1.SMOs themselves 2.various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that are relatively institutionalized in the society: ----1. Non governmental research and advocacy organizations that aren't SMOs ----2. Religious groups, labor unions, consumer organizations, etc, other than research and advocacy organization above ----3. Foundations (can be important as funding sources) 3.influential individuals, such as intellectuals 4.media 5.parts of government

Key arguments Morris Makes - Chapter 3 - Montgomery (MIA), Tallahassee (ICC), Birmingham (ACMHR) bus boycotts and other actions

1.concept of local movement center, an "organization of organizations" 2.schisms in black community blocked effective action, and leaders sought a unifying organizational structure; newcomers could more easily lead it 3.MIA/ICC/ACMHR differed from NAAACP: (1) decision - making, (2) reliance on charismatic leadership, mass emotionalism/enthusiasm, (3) disruptive tactics by masses. led to filling gap in southern black leadership in CR movement. centralized but not bureaucratic organization 4."the modern civil rights movement...grew directly out of the bus boycotts" 5.entire white business community hurt by the Montgomery and Tallahassee actions (i.e. a weak point in white power structure)

History of SM theory: Resource Mobilization (RM) Theory: the dominant approach

1.created a paradigm shift away from classical SM theory - a dramatic break 2.major proponents included Mayer Zald, John McCarthy 3.emphasis on organizations mobilizing resources as explanations for SMs 4.deemphasis on individuals and social psychological approaches 5.extreme deemphasis on "unhappiness" as cause of SMs (its always present - its a constant, so it doesn't why SMs occur sometimes but not others, which is a variable) 6.presents SMs as rational efforts to bring about or prevent social change

Why 1950s and 60s were ripe for civil rights movement

1.decline of common interests between northern industrialists and southern planters with the decline in economic significance of cotton 2.great migration (south to north) and expanded impact of black vote 3.cold war 4.some action by federal gov e.g.=> desegregation of troops 1.many Americans were more prosperous and more likely to go to college expanding middle class 2.more blacks in college provided important pool of activists 3.Tv spread to lots of households, spreading dramatic images of movement regression to public once movement started These are all examples of opportunity structures

Distinguish these 5 factors in the SM theoretical synthesis by whether they relate to:

1.internal movement phenomena or 2.movements' larger social environments or 3.movements' interactions with those external environments

Centrality of movement centers

1.local movement centers are key to understand early civil rights movement advances 2.critique of previous research that was mostly conducted from collective behavior approach, or assumed subordinate groups generally lack organizational resources and skills

Framing Processes Theory: a dominant approach

1.major proponents: David Snow, Robert Benford, others 2.emphasis on how movements and their leaders put their case to the public and how people then react to these communicated ideas, perhaps joining the mvmt 3.returned to move emphasis on social psychology and individuals (like classical SM theory), while it gave less (but still some) emphasis to organizational and social structural factors

Political Process Theory: a dominant approach

1.major proponents: Doug McAdam, Charles Tilly, Sidney Tarrow, others 2.emphasized the political conditions in the larger society that shape SMs - opportunities (i.e., political environment) that give SMs advantages or disadvantages 3.tended to incorporate RM theory

New Social Movements (NSM) Theory: a dominant approach

1.major proponents: e.g., Alberto Mellucci, Bert Klandermans, Hank Johnston, Enriquw Larana, tended to emerge from European SM theory 2.emphasizes movements' social construction of grievances and identities 3.includes a social psychological emphasis 4.emphasizes movements based on recently - congealed collective identities of their adherens (e.g., around the environment) as opposed to the "old" movements such as communist or labor movements, that were based on class/economic interests

Contemporary SM theory combination of 5 factors to make sense of mvmts

1.mobilizing structures and processes (comes from RM theory focus) 2.political opportunity structures (from political process theory) 3.framing processes (from framing theory) 4.collective identity (from new social movement theory) 5.strategy and tactics and their use (also called repertoires of contention) (particularly emphasized by McAdam at al "contentious politics approach)

Local Montgomery Bus Boycott Organizations

1.movement carrier organizations (MCOs) ----Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) ----some movement midwife organizations were involved as MCOs, but MIA took the lead in the movement center 2.movement midwives ----local NAACP chapter ----women's political council ----black churches (e.g., served as meeting places 3.movement feeder organizations ----black churches

Current Social Movement Paradigm: 5 theoretical factors that account for how movements work

1.opportunity structures 2.mobilization (mobilizing structures and processes 3.strategy and tactics 4.framing processes 5.collective identity

Key arguments Morris Makes - Chapter 2 - Baton Rouge Bus Boycott

1.segregated city bus system was an economically vulnerable target for the movement 2.movements are products of organizing efforts and preexisting institutions 3.earlier efforts in BR were with NAACP, but UDL was organization of organization that guided mass (i.e. many activists) church - based direction action 4.first sign that racial segregation could be beaten by mass action; news spread through national ministerial networks 5.state governments attacked, shut down NAACP, leaving a movement vacuum filled by mass organizations 6.bureaucratic vs. mass - oriented tactics: the character of bureaucratic organizations like NACCp obstruct their mobilizing a mass movement

Key arguments Morris Makes - Chapter 3 - Montgomery (MIA)

1.the myth and reality of Rosa Parks; had long and integral involvement in movement organizations and community 2.boycott plan developed by E.D. Nixon (leader in multiple organizations) and Women's Political Council's Jo Ann Robinson and other members; Rosa Parks' action strategically chosen as a focus 3.MIA was formed by Nixon, WPC, other leaders; local NACP out of the picture because of slow bureaucratic procedures; charismatic MLK chosen to lead after MIA formed 4.black ministers' network relied on to mobilize and organize participants; "it is the presence of preexisting networks and groups that allows a movement to emerge 5.Montgomery's contributions to future of civil rights movement 1.SMO characteristics and operations were emulated 2.MLK as a key national leader (charisma, education, family ties to church hierarchy); learned leadership skills and role of resources under father's wing 3.nonviolent methods 4.demonstrated success

Resource Mobilization Theory

A theoretical approach focusing on the resources, organization, and opportunities needed for social movement mobilization and collective action

Social Movement Definition

HAS ALL 5: 1. have change related goals 2. are collective enterprises, not individual 3. act outside existing institutional arrangements 4. have some degree of organization 5. have some degree of temporal continuity

Culture

way of life of a people includes: 1.symbols (language most important symbol) 2.values 3.norms 4.roles 5.beliefs 6.technology 7.collective identity, sense of who we are