Sociology: Culture Ch. 5

Cultural Universal

A cultural train common to all humans and societies

Counterculture

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

Value

A judgement about what is intrinsically important or meaningful

Taste

A person's 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

Nationalism

A set of beliefs about the virtues of one's country. Includes the assumption that people are inherently members of a specific nation, and that their identities are in large part defined by their national membership

Public Sphere

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

Counterpublic

Alternative public organizations created by disadvantaged social groups

Networked Public

An online public sphere

Culture Industry

The production for profit of popular music, movies, books, television, social media, and other types of mass-culture products by capitalist enterprises

Group Style

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

National Culture

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

Digital divide

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

Framing

The specifics ways in which ideas and beliefs are presented to other people. Politicians, political activists, and social movements all engage in ________ efforts when they try to persuade others that their way of thinking is correct.

Cultural Capital

The type and level of education and cultural knowledge possessed by an individual

Cultural Omnivore

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

Norm

A basic rule of society that helps us know what is and is not appropriate to do in a situation. Evolves over time as social attitudes and expectations change, although those changes are typically slow

Language

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

Habitus

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

Culture War

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

Multiculturalism

Beliefs o policies promoting the equal accommodation of different ethnic or cultural groups within a society. It is sometimes also used to refer to the benefits of dialogue and interaction between different groups

Mass Communication

Communication within society as a whole through the mass media (television, internet, newspapers, radio) as opposed to between individuals

Global Culture

Cultural practices that are common to large parts of the world

Tool Kit

In the sociology of culture, the view that culture is a set of symbolic skills , devices, or strategies that people learn throughout their lives, and can deploy strategically in different situations. Also supplies a set of ideas to justify a course of action retrospectively

Protestant Ethic

The belief that hard work and thrift are signs of God's grace

Symbol

Something that communicates and idea while distinct from the idea itself

Culture

Systems of belief and knowledge shared by members of a group or society that shape individual and group behavior and attitudes. Includes language, customs, symbols, rituals, and other forms of meaning that are widely shared

Symbolic Boundary

The distinctions people make between themselves and others 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 one's own

Mainstream Culture

The most widely shared systems of meaning in a society. Includes the most widely consumed cultural products (music, literature, films), foods, ways of speaking, and widely shared ideas about normal and appropriate behavior

Class Reproduction

The processes that cause class boundaries and distinctions to be maintained over time

Journalism

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

Hegemony

Widely shared beliefs about what is right or wrong that legitimize and empower a society's elites