Intro to Sociology (Ch.3)

Culture

is the entire way of life of a group of people.

Culture shock

A sense of disorientation that occurs when entering a radically new social/cultural environment.

Ethnocentrism

the principle of using one’s own culture as a means or standard by which to evaluate another group or individual, leading to the view that cultures other than one’s own are abnormal or inferior.

Cultural relativism

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

Material culture

the objects associated with a cultural group, such as tools, machines, utensils, buildings, and artwork; any physical object to which we give social meaning.

Nonmaterial culture

the ideas associated with a cultural group, including ways of thinking (beliefs, values, and assumptions) and ways of behaving (norms, interactions, and communication).

Signs

symbols that stand for or convey an idea

Gestures

the ways in which people use their bodies to communicate without words; actions that have symbolic meaning.

Language

a system of communication using vocal sounds, gestures, or written symbols; the basis of nonmaterial culture and the primary means through which we communicate with one another and perpetuate our culture.

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

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

Values

ideas about what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or worthy in a particular group; they express what the group cherishes and honors.

Norms

rules or guidelines regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable and appropriate within a particular culture; these typically emanate from the group’s values.

Laws

rules or guidelines regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable and appropriate within a particular culture; these typically emanate from the group’s values.

Folkways

loosely enforced norms involving common customs, practices, or procedures that ensure smooth social interaction and acceptance.

Mores

norms that carry great moral significance, are closely related to the core values of a cultural group, and often involve severe repercussions for violators.

Taboo

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

Moral Holiday

a specified time period during which some norm violations are allowed.

Sanctions

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

Social control

the formal and informal mechanisms used to elicit conformity to values and norms and thus promote social cohesion.

Multiculturalism

a policy that values diverse racial, ethnic, national, and linguistic ackgrounds and so encourages the retention of cultural differences within the larger society.

Dominant culture

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

Hegemony

term developed by Antonio Gramsci to describe the cultural aspects of social control, whereby the ideas of the dominant group are accepted by all.

Subculture

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

Counterculture

a group within society that openly rejects or actively opposes society’s values and norms.

Culture wars

clashes within mainstream society over the values and norms that should be upheld.

Ideal culture

the norms, values, and patterns of behavior that members of a society believe should be observed in principle.

Real culture

the norms, values, and patterns of behavior that actually exist within a society (which may or may not correspond to the society’s ideals).

Technology

material artifacts and the knowledge and techniques required to use them.

Cultural diffusion

the dissemination of material and nonmaterial culture (tools and technology, beliefs and behavior) from one group to another.

Cultural imperialism

the imposition of one culture’s beliefs and practices on another culture through media and consumer products rather than by military force.

Cultural leveling

the process by which cultures that were once unique and distinct become increasingly similar.

The Korean Wave

South Korean cultural exports, including the music of K-pop band BTS as well as movies and TV shows such as Squid Game, have been remarkably popular with U.S. audiences in recent years.