Chapter 2--Cultural Diversity and Conformity

5 elements of culture

language, values, norms, technology, and symbols

Culture Shock

A condition of disorientation affecting someone who is suddenly exposed to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes

Society

a group of interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common region and culture and who have a feeling of unity

Counterculture

a group that rejects the values, norms, and practices of the larger society and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns (anarchists, the mafia, punk rockers, hippies, militia groups, etc.)

Subculture

a group with its own unique values, norms, and behaviors that exists within a larger culture (a sub-group within the bigger society: teens, ethnic groups, political parties, social classes, elderly, gender groups, etc.)

Cultural Lag

a situation in which some aspects of the culture change less rapidly, or lag behind, other aspects of the same culture; Happens when social and cultural changes occur at a slower pace than technological changes.

Non-Material Culture

abstract human creations, such as language, ideas, beliefs, rules, skills, family patterns, work practices, and political and economic systems

Material Culture

physical objects created by human groups (buildings, books, tools, clothes, art, etc.)

Values

shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable

Culture

shared products of human groups, which include both physical objects and the beliefs, values, and behaviors shared by the group

Ethnocentrism

the tendency to view one's own culture and group as superior to all other cultures and groups

Laws

written rules of conduct that are enacted and enforced by the government

Difference between "society" and "culture"

"Society" refers to people; "Culture" refers to stuff (material and non-material items) that people create.

Norms

--Behavior expectations --2 Types of Norms: Folkways and Mores

Folkways

--Informal norms or everyday customs --violation doesn't carry significant consequence --Examples: covering mouth when coughing/sneezing; holding doors for elderly; not cutting in line

Mores

--norms that are widely observed & have great moral significance --they have consequences for non-compliance, like prison, divorce, loss of reputation, getting fired, etc. --Examples: respect for the life, body, and property of others; being faithful to your spouse; financial responsibility, being honest and trustworthy, etc.

Cultural Relativism

a belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards (not comparing to others); viewpoint that behavior in one culture should not be judged by the standards of another culture

Cultural Universals

common features that are found in all human cultures (ex: beliefs, family, arts/leisure, government, education, etc.)

Cultural Diffusion

the process of spreading cultural traits from one society to another

Cultural Leveling

the process through which cultures become more and more alike