SOC100 - Culture, Media, and Technology

culture

the way that non-material objects (thoughts, action, language) come together with natural objects to form a

material culture

physical and tangible objects that reflect and define a way of life (tools, weapons)

non-material culture

non-physical/tangible objects that reflect and define a way of life (beliefs, behaviors)

symbols

anything that carries a specific meaning that is recognized by people who share a culture, ONE component of non-material culture

values

cultural standards that people use to decide what’s good/bad or right/wrong, SECOND component of non-material culture

norms

the rules and expectations that guide behavior within a society, THIRD component of non-material culture

folkways

unwritten, informal rules and expectations that guide behavior, ONE type of norm

mores

rooted in morality, more codified/formalized like informal laws, SECOND type of norm

taboos

norms that are crucial to a society’s moral center involving negative behavior, THIRD type of norm

post-modernism

term applied to the arts that is skeptical of ‘objective’ universal explanations of society and culture

objective

empirically true

subjective

differs from person to person, feelings/emotions

hyperreality

the inability to separate reality from its representation, distorts reality into a fake reality (grieving over princess diana despite never knowing her)

ubiquity of culture

culture cannot exist without people

obstinance of culture

culture cannot be controlled, people can’t influence it, independent from everyone

cultural transmission

the process by which culture is passed down from one generation to the next through socialization

socialization

lifelong process of an individual learning the expected norms and customs of a group/society through social interaction

primary socialization

parents passing their knowledge, beliefs, and values to their kids

path dependency

the past can influence the future

sex positivity movement

people should have the space to embody, explore, and learn about their sexuality and gender without judgement or shame

cultural lag

the notion that culture takes time to catch up with innovation, and social problems/conflicts are caused by this lag

pop culture

cultural behaviors/ideas that are popular with the majority of people in a society

mainstream culture

cultural patterns that are broadly in line with a society’s cultural ideals and values

sub-culture

cultural patterns that set apart a segment of a society’s population

counter-culture

push back on mainstream and/or pop culture in an attempt to change/challenge how a society operates

secondary socialization

understanding the world through self findings/media/pop culture, you own choice of what to follow

cultural displacement

people moving to different places and no longer feel accepted by prior culture or new one

cultural diffusion

social process resulting in the transfer of beliefs, values, and social activites

liquid modernity

technological developments and increased cultural diffusion make culture in an increasingly constant state of flux and change with no ability to impose order/stability

feedback loop

a system that feeds itself

protestant reformation promoted literacy

ONE reason mass media grew in the western world

expansion of democracy promoted involvement/interest in politics

SECOND reason mass media grew in the western world

capitalist industralization led to the expansion of media as a source of profit

THIRD reason mass media grew in the western world

Coordinate/share info

ONE function of media

act as Agents of socialization

SECOND function of media

engage in Social control through ensuring conformity

THIRD function of media

provide Entertainment

FOURTH function of media

narcotization

a situation in which people become so overwhelmed by the amount of info they receive that they become numb

media broadcasts beliefs, values, and ideas

ONE reason media disproportionately favors the rich

ownership is highly concentrated in hands of small number of people which increases their profit

SECOND reason media disproportionately favors the rich

hegemony

social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group

cultural imperalism

when the society’s media exert overwhelming and unilateral influence over another society’s culture

tribalism

state/tendency to gather and reinforce ideas belonging to a group = strong sense of loyalty

polarization

only using one source, minimizing the opportunity to encounter info that does not fit with their worldview