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)