Sociology Ch 2- Culture and Society

negative informal sanctions

cold shoulder, exclusion

cultural capital

refers to having the attitudes and knowledge that charcterize the upper social classes , like learning to play golf ( knowledge to succeed in society)

norms

shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act

positive informal sanctions

smiles and hugs

cultural lag

occurs when one part of the culture changes more rapidly than others

negative formal sanction

penalties, fines, and punishment( spanking, prison)

morality

people in the US wish to be regaurded as egalitarian and generous

work

work is a good think in and of itself, over and above the need to earn a living

values central in understanding the US culture

work, acievement and morality

collective memory

a culture's ideas about its own past **Slavery, 9/11

carriers of culture

language, values, norms

mores

Strongly held norms with moral and ethical connotations that may not be violated without serious consequences in a particular culture.

structural functional perspective

accepts culture as a given, and is more interested on how culture shapes us, rather than how culture itself is shaped

ex: violation of a more

adultery

counterculture

are groups having values, intrest, beliefs and lifestyles that are oppsed to those of the larger culture

subcultures

are groups that share in the overall culture but also maintain a distinctive set of values, norms and lifestyles and even language

sanctions

are rewards for conformity and punishments for nonconformity

laws

are rules that are enforced and sanctioned by the authority of goverment

values

are shared ideas about desireable goals

when we focus on these universals, cultural explanations are likely to be supplemented with

biological explanations

positive formal sanctions

bonuses and raises

consequenses of cultural diveristy and change

culture shock and cultural lag

major factors accounting for cultural diversity and change

enviroment, isolation, cultural diffusion,technology and dominant cultural themes

consumerism

is the philosophy that says "buying is good" because "we are what we buy"

society

is the population that shares the same territory and is bound by econimic and political ties

sociobiology

is the study of the biological basis of all forms of human behavior

ethnocentrism

is the tendency to view norms of our own culture as standards against which to judge the practices of other cultures

culture

is the total way of life shared by members of a community

language has 3 distinct relationships to culture

language embodies the culture, as framework, and as a symbol

non material culture

language, ideas, beliefs, rules, skills, etc shared by members of the society (intangible)

material culture

physical objects that the society produces; tools, streets, a cross,. toys (tangible)

most sociologists adhere to that culture is:

problem solving, relative and a social product

negative sanctions

punishment

popular culture

refers to the aspects of culture that are widely accessible and commonly shared by most members of a society, especially those in middle, working and lower classes

high culture

refers to the cultural preferences associated with the upper class

culture shock

refers to the discomfort that arises from exposure to a different culture

sybolic boundaries

refers to the perceived cultural differences that make it difficult for individuals to move from one social group to another ** Glass Ceiling

multiculturalism

relating to or designed for a combination of several cultures

positive sanctions

rewards

language#

the ability to communicate in symbols, oral or in wirting

language

the chief mechanism by which culture is shared among its members

deviance

the difference between actual and normative behavior

globalization of culture

the process in which cultural elements(musical styles, fashion trends and cultural values) spread throughout the globe

acculturation

the process of aquiring the values and social practices of the dominant group and surrounding society

globalization

the process through which ideas, resources, practices and people increasingly operate in a worldwide rather than local framework

achievement

to strive to better yourself and get ahead is a good thing; being content with your present lot is considered lazy

people learn culture as they:

use and modify it

conflict perspective

uses on culture as a social product(we as a society shape our culture)