Culture The beliefs values norms of behavior symbols and material objects shared by a particular people Culture is also the social process through which meaning is constructed and disseminated ID: 1047711
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1. Culture
2. The Foundation of Social Life!CultureThe beliefs, values, norms of behavior, symbols, and material objects shared by a particular peopleCulture is also the social process through which meaning is constructed and disseminated
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4. Meme:unit of cultural information spread by imitation. ... The term meme (from the Greek mimema, meaning “imitated”) was introduced in 1976 by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his work The Selfish Gene.Source: Britannica
5. Elements of CultureNormsCulturally defined standards or rules of conductTaboos – things you just don’t do, e.g. cannibalism, incest Mores – high moral consequences, e.g. murder, armed robberyFolkways – considerable leeway, e.g. farting in class, picking your noseSanctionsrewards or punishments for violating norms
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7. Elements of CultureValuesStandard of judgment by which people decide on desirable goals and outcomesStandards of judgment or desirabilityLike what?Examples: people might value health, privacy, freedom, education, success, hard work, personal property, money, youth, solidarity, etc.
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9. Elements of CultureSymbolsSomething used to represent or stand for something else
10. Elements of CultureLanguageWritten or spoken system of symbols that conveys meaningLanguage is the most powerful system of symbols through which social reality is constructed and maintainedE.g. “Layoff” or “workforce reduction”E.g. “Collateral damage” or “dead civilians”
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13. Power and CultureAssigning meaning to symbols is often contentious and contested
14. Power and CultureInfluence over culture increases power to define social reality
15. The Significance of CultureHumans need culture to surviveCulture guides human behaviorCulture gives meaning to our lives
16. Culture is LearnedLearned behavior is not instinctual “Greed” is not human natureWe are, for the most part, not instinctual creatures; we are cultural creaturesSpecifics of culture change, but culture itself is constant
17. Our entire base of knowledge is a cultural artifact
18. “ABOVE AND BEYOND” OPPORTUNITY!Identify a FOLKWAY and violate it. Write a brief essay providing a sociological analysis being sure to:Identify the specific norm you violatedDescribe the reactions of the people around youExplain how you felt while you were violating the normDiscuss what this experiment taught you about socialization and social control