Concepts of Culture - Culture & Identity

What are Norms and Values?

Norms:

• Socially accepted behaviours.

Values:

• Beliefs about what is right, wrong or important.

What are the material and non-material aspects of culture?

Material:

• Objects and physical things that members of a culture own or recognise as part of their culture.

Non-Material:

• intangible things that members of a culture have in common such as values and language.

What do Structural Theorists see about society?

Structural theorists see society as the main factor shaping human behaviour

What is culture?

Culture is a system that works to maintain social order and maintain society itself

What does Emile Durkheim say about culture?

believed that society and culture were more important than the individual and that social order was the natural outcome of social institutions

What do Functionalists say about culture?

• Culture facilitates social order

• Social institutions transmit culture to preserve and reproduce social order

• Social order is the harmonious running of society, with everyone playing their part and contributing in their own way.

• Organic and mechanical solidarity are the specialised division of labour

What do Marxists say about culture?

• Culture facilitates social order

• Social institutions transmit culture to reproduce and legitimate social order

• Social order is the status quo or hierarchy in which the minority, elite social class oppresses all others.

• False consciousness and capitalist ideology

What do Feminists say about culture?

• Its patriarchal

• Systems, institutions, and many cultural elements are created by men for the benefit of men.

• Society transmits patriarchal culture to us all, to preserve and reproduce patriarchy.

• This is being challenged and weakening.

What do Symbolic Interactionists say about culture?

• They stress that culture is produced from the bottom-up at least as much as from the top-down.

• Culture is not just a product of shared norms and values or the beliefs of the ruling class, but is also produced by individuals as they interact.

What has Globalisation led to?

Globalisation has led to the erosion of national and local cultures and the emergence of a global culture

What has helped the word become increasingly interconnected?

International tourism, the internet, and international division of labour have made the world economically interconnected and interdependent

What has advanced to help increase globalisation?

Advances in multimedia technology have seen cultures across the world become increasingly similar

What has Media based industries helped with?

Media-based culture industries operate in a global marketplace, breaking down cultural distance between countries

What has the American Food Industry helped with?

The American food industry has become global, promoting a global standardised culture and weakening local cultures

How do Companies help with global culture?

Companies like McDonald's, Starbucks, and Nike use transnational media to promote their products on a global stage

How have Computer games help with global culture?

Computer/video games are a global phenomenon

What is Folk Culture?

authentic and actively created by people themselves, involving active participation and involvement

How is Folk Culture created?

created by local communities and rooted in everyday experiences, customs, and beliefs of ordinary people

What are some examples of Folk Culture?

traditional music, songs, storytelling, and dances passed down through generations and associated with pre-industrial societies

Why is mass culture often criticised?

often criticised for diverting people from useful activities, driving down cultural standards, and having harmful effects on mass audiences.

What do Frank & Queenie say about mass culture?

see mass culture as processed, packaged, trivial, and inferior to high culture

What happens to people if they consume mass culture?

Consumers are lulled into an uncritical, undemanding passivity and mindless social conformity, making them less likely to challenge dominant ideas and interests

What did Marcuse say about mass culture?

Consumption of media-generated mass culture undermines people's ability to think critically about the world and promotes social repression

What did Stranati say about mass culture?

rejects the view of mass or popular culture as harmful and sees it as having value and worthy of study

What did Livingstone say about mass culture?

There is a wide diversity and choice within popular culture, which people select from and critically respond to. TV soap operas have been shown to encourage controversial social issues, such as racism, homophobia, and drug abuse.

What do people say about high culture?

High culture is superior to other forms of culture and refers to aspects of culture with lasting artistic or literary value.

Who consumes high culture?

It is aimed at small, intellectual elite groups of the upper-class and middle-class who are interested in new ideas, critical discussion and analysis, and good taste.

Where is high culture normally found?

High culture products are often found in special places like art galleries, museums, concert halls, and theatres and include serious news programmes, classical music, literature, and visual art.