The Meaning of Culture
Body ritual among the Nacirema
* Ceremonies and rituals * Shrines devoted to the avoidance of disease * "Magical potions", Medicine men
Folkways
Focus on common customs of everyday life
The meaning of culture
- Values, beliefs, behavior and material objects shared by a group - What we think, how we act, what we own - Includes shared products of human groups
How do cultural traits, cultural complexes, and cultural patterns differ?
A culture trait is an individual tool, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need, such as using a specific greeting when meeting someone. Individual culture traits combine to form the next level—culture complexes. A culture complex is a cluster of interrelated traits. The game of football is a culture complex that involves a variety of traits. Culture complexes combine to form larger levels called culture patterns. A culture pattern is the combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole. For example, the separate complexes of baseball, basketball, and other sports combine to form the American athletic pattern.
Culture trait
A culture trait is an individual tool, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need.
Nonmaterial culture
A nonmaterial culture refers to abstract human creations - Ideas/belief systems
What is technology and why is it one of the basic components of all cultures?
A society's culture consists of not only physical objects but also the rules for using those objects. Sociologists sometimes refer to this combination of objects and rules as technology.
Nonmaterial culture example:
Abstract human creations such as language, ideas, beliefs, rules, skills, family patterns, work practices, and political and economic systems.
Symbols
Anything that carries meaning recognized by people who share a culture
Technology
Combination of objects and rules
Culture complexes
Culture complexes are clusters/groups of interrelated culture traits.
Culture patterns
Culture patterns are a combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole.
Culture
Culture refers to shared products of human groups, including both physical objects and the beliefs, values, and behaviors shared by the group.
What is a culture complex?
Individual culture traits combine to form the next level—culture complexes. A culture complex is a cluster of interrelated traits.
Material culture
Material culture refers to physical objects created by human groups. Sociologists and anthropologists use the term artifacts to refer to the physical objects of material culture. - Physical objects
Material culture example:
Physical objects that people create and use such as books, buildings, clothing, computers and cooking
Values
Shared beliefs about what is good/bad, right/wrong, desirable/undesirable
Norms
Shared rules of conduct; expectations
What are laws?
Societies have established punishments for violating mores in order to protect the social well-being. These serious mores are formalized as laws. Laws are the written rules of conduct enacted and enforced by the government. Most laws enforce mores essential to social stability, such as those against murder and rape. Laws, however, may also enforce less severe folkways, such as not parking in spaces reserved for drivers with disabilities.
Society
Society refers to a group of mutually interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and have a feeling of unity.
Mores
Strong moral significance
List three examples of material culture.
Students' responses might include automobiles, books, buildings, clothing, computers, or cooking utensils.
What are culture traits?
The culture trait is the simplest level of culture. A culture trait is an individual tool, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need. For example, using knives, forks, and spoons when eating is a culture trait.
What are the three levels of cultural complexity that sociologists use to study different cultures? For example, if we look the concept of greetings in American culture, the first level would be the actual greetings, like saying "Hi" to a good friend. The second level would be to look at all of the greetings as components of a bigger idea, and the third level would be the whole concept of applying those greetings in different settings, the big picture of the original tool, act, or belief.
The features of a culture can be divided into three levels of complexity: traits, complexes, and patterns.
What is the difference between material culture and nonmaterial culture?
The physical objects that people create and use form a group's material culture, such as automobiles and computers. Abstract human creations form a group's nonmaterial culture, such as beliefs, rules, and family patterns.
How is the use of symbols related to culture?
The use of symbols is the very basis of human culture. It is through symbols that we create our culture and communicate it to group members and future generations. Although specific examples vary from culture to culture, all cultures communicate symbolically.
What are the basic components that all cultures have?
These components are technology, symbols, language, values, and norms.
Laws
Written laws of conduct enforced by the government
Language
Written or spoken symbols organized into a communication system
