Sociology Chapter 5

Cultural omnivore

A cultural elite that demonstrates high status through a broad range of cultural consumption and knowledge, including low-status culture

Cultural universal

A cultural trait common to all humans

Counterculture

A group whose ideas, attitudes and behaviors are in direct conflict with mainstream culture

Value

A judgment about what is intrinsically important or meaningful. When it comes to research, values held by sociologists shape their views of and perspectives on the questions they ask

Taste

A persons cultural preferences

Ethnography

A qualitative research method for studying the way of life of a group of people by close observation of them over a relatively long period of time

Subculture

A relatively small group of people whose affiliation is based on shared beliefs, preferences, and practices that distinguish them from the mainstream or larger social group to which they also belong

Public sphere

A social space physical, virtual and theoretical where private citizens can come together as a public body to discuss and express opinions about matters of general interest

Counterpublic

Alternative public organizations created by disadvantaged social groups

Networked public

An online public sphere

Culture war

Disagreements about the proper role of family and religious values in society

Tool kit

The view that culture is a set of symbolic skills, devices or strategies that people learn through a particular environment they live in and choose from when they consider actions to apply to practical situations in their own lives

Culture industry

The production of popular music, movies, books, television, social media, and other types of mass culture products

Group style

The set of norms and practices that distinguishes one group from another

National culture

The set of shared cultural practices and beliefs within a give nation-state

Digital divide

The social, economic, and cultural gap between those with effective access to information technology and those without access

Cultural capital

The type and level of education and cultural knowledge possessed by an individual. Signifies ones high status in the eyes of others

Norm

A basic rule of society that helps us know what is and is not appropriate to do in a situation. Norms evolve over time as social attitudes and expectations change

Language

A comprehensive system of words or symbols representing concepts which is often but not always spoken

Habitus

A concept introduced by Pierre Bourdieu to refer to the diverse ways in which individuals develop intuitive understandings and ingrained habits reflecting their class background and upbringing

Multiculturalism

Beliefs or policies promoting the equal accommodation of different ethnic or cultural groups within a society

Mass communication

Communication within society as a whole, as opposed to between individuals

Global culture

Cultural practices that are common to large parts of the world

Nationalism

The assumption that people are inherently members of a specific nation and that their identities are largely defined by their national membership

Protestant ethic

The belief that hard work and thrift are signs of Gods grace

Symbol

Something that communicates an idea while being distinct from the idea itself

Culture

Systems of belief and knowledge shared by members of a group/society that shape individual and group behavior and attitudes

Framing

The act of presenting crafted forms of speech or writing that try to present a particular side of an issue. Politicians, political activists and social movements engage in framing when trying to persuade other that their way of thinking is correct

Symbolic boundary

The distinctions people make between themselves and other on the basis of taste, socioeconomic status, morality or other differences

Cultural relativism

The idea that cultural meanings and practices must be evaluated in their own social contexts

Ethnocentrism

The inability to understand, accept or reference patterns of behavior or belief different from ones own

Mainstream culture

The most widely shared systems of meaning in a society. Includes most widely consumed products, foods, etc

Class Reproduction

The processes that cause class boundaries and distinctions maintained over time

Journalism

The product and dissemination of information about contemporary affairs of general importance

Hegemony

Widely shared beliefs about what is right or wrong that legitimize and empower societys elites