Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the concepts of culture, society, anthropology, sociology, political science, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, socialisation, enculturation, acculturation, and social roles.

Culture

The cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people during generations through individual and group striving.

Material Culture

Tangible human creations such as tools, clothing, and food.

Non-Material Culture

Intangible human concepts such as norms, laws, and language.

Anthropology

The study of human beings and their ancestors, focusing on the physical, social, and cultural development and behavior of human beings since their appearance on Earth.

Physical Anthropology

A field of anthropology that studies humans as biological organisms by tracing evolutionary development.

Cultural Anthropology

A field of anthropology that investigates the contrasting ways groups of humans think, feel, and behave.

Biological Anthropology (Archaeology)

A field of anthropology composed mostly of archaeologists trying to recover information about human cultures using material remains.

Linguistic Anthropology

A field of anthropology that studies the nature and nuances of languages and communication systems.

Society

A structured system of social relationships, positions, and institutions connecting a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions and sharing work.

Sociology

The systematic study of human relationships, interaction, and human society, derived from the Latin word socius (companion) and Greek word logos (to study).

Social Interactions

Daily behaviors and exchanges that occur between people.

Social Institutions

Stable systems within society, such as Family, Education, and Religion, that shape human behavior and opportunities.

Politics

The theory, art, and practice of government that institutes norms and values that are deliberately legitimised within a specific territory, focusing on state affairs and decision-making.

Political Science

The systematic study that examines the structures, processes, and outcomes of political systems, derived from the Greek word polis (city-state) and Latin word scire (to know).

Reasons People Live in a Society

The three survival reasons outlined by Ariola (2012): Survival, Gregariousness, and Specialisation.

Ideas (Component of Culture)

Thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and rules, such as aversion to incest, the Holy Spirit, and food-sharing desires among relatives, as categorized by John Honigmann (1959).

Activities (Component of Culture)

What people do as opposed to what they believe or feel, such as punishing incestuous behavior, religious sacrifice, and celebrating holidays, as categorized by John Honigmann (1959).

Artifacts (Component of Culture)

Man-made products of ideas and activities, such as an altar for sacrifice or a pot for feast meat, as categorized by John Honigmann (1959).

Characteristics of Culture

Attributes defining culture as shared, social, gratifying and idealistic, continuous/cumulative/adaptive, transmitted through language, and learned through enculturation/socialisation.

Ethnocentrism

The regard that one's own culture and society is the center of everything and seen as the most efficient or superior compared to others.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of assessing and understanding a culture by its own local standards and context rather than viewing it through the lens of one's own culture.

Socialisation

The social process beginning in childhood by which individuals acquire the knowledge, language, values, skills, and habits of a society.

Enculturation

A focused subset of socialisation that specifically refers to the process of learning and internalising one's own cultural or ethnic heritage, traditions, beliefs, and practices.

Acculturation

A process occurring when people belonging to different cultures come into contact and adopt traits of a new culture into their lives.

Goals of Socialisation

The three goals identified by Jensen Arnett: Self-regulation, Role Preparation, and Cultivation of sources of meaning and value.

Family (Agent of Socialisation)

The principal socialiser of younger members that teaches socially acceptable behavior, emotional ties, and core internalised values.

School (Agent of Socialisation)

An agent that molds beliefs, values, and attitudes, equips students with practical skills, and serves latent functions like teaching citizenship and national pride.

Mass Media (Agent of Socialisation)

Non-proximate agents of socialisation (such as TV, newspapers, radio, and internet) that distribute information to a wide audience and shape worldviews.

Religion (Agent of Socialisation)

An agent that influences personal views, legitimises social practices, creates social solidarity, and provides spiritual growth.

Government (Agent of Socialisation)

The ultimate source of authority that regulates citizen behavior through laws, rewards, and sanctions while promoting general welfare.

Status

A social position that a person holds within society, which can be ascribed or achieved.

Ascribed Status

A social position given or assigned to a person.

Achieved Status

A social position accomplished or earned by a person.

Role

The behavior expected of someone who holds a particular social status.

Role Set

A number of roles attached to a single social status.

Role Strain

Tension or stress that occurs when conflicting roles are associated with a single social status.

Role Conflict

Conflict that happens when roles connected to two or more different statuses clash.