sociology 3-4

soc

what is culture?

Culture is the entire way of life for a group of people

\-includes things such as language, standards of beauty, hand gestures, styles of dress, food, and music

is culture learned?

\-yes it is learned

it is passed from one generation to the next through communication- NOT genetics.

what is ethnocentrism ?

it occurs when people use their own culture as a standard to evaluate another group or individual, leading to the view, that cultures other than their own are abnormal.

what is cultural relativism?

the process of understanding other cultures on their own terms, rather than judging according to one’s own culture.

what is the most significant component of culture?

Language

What does the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis say?

Language structures thought and that ways of looking at the world are embedded in language

what are values ?

values are shared beliefs about what a group considers worthwhile or desirable?

what are norms?

norms are the rules regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable and appropriate within a culture

what are the two types of norms?

formal and informal

what is a folkway?

a loosely enforced norm that involves common customs, practices, or procedures that ensure smooth social interaction and acceptance

what is a more?

A norm that carries moral significance, is closely related to the core values of a group, and often involves severe repercussions for violators.

What is a taboo?

a norm engrained so deeply that even thinking about violating it evokes strong feelings of disgust, horror, or, revulsion for most people.

what are sanctions?

Sanctions are positive or negative reactions to the ways that people follow or disobey norms, including rewards for conformity and punishments for norm violators.

what is a positive sanction?

a smile or nod or thumbs up gesture (in the right culture); giving candy to child who performs a chore.

What is negative sanction?

parking ticket, a head shake, a frown

what are the three types of culture?

\-the dominant culture

\-a subculture

\-a counterculture

what is dominant culture?

refers to the values, norms, and practices of the group within society that is most powerful in terms of wealth, prestige, status, and influence.

what is a subculture?

Is a group within society that is differentiated by its distinctive values, norms, and lifestyle.

What is a counterculture?

a group within a society that openly rejects, and may actively oppose, society’s values and norms