Sociology Chapter 3

culture

the entire way of life of a group of people that acts as a lens to view the world

Ethnocentrism

Using ones own culture as a means or standard by which to evaluate another group or person

Cultural relativism

Principle of understanding different cultures on their own terms rather than judging according to ones own culture

Material culture

physical things associated to different cultures

non-material culture

Non-physical things that relate to different cultures

signs

symbols that stand for or convey an idea

gestures

the way people use their bodies to communicate without words

values

ideas of what is right or wrong, good or bad. they express what a group values

norms

rules are guidelines about what behaviors are accepted within a specific culture usually based in values

Laws

formal norms that provide an explicit statement about what is permissible or forbidden in a given society

folkway

loosely enforced norms involving common customs, practices, or procedures

mores

norms that carry a great moral significance and are closely related to the shared morals of a group

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 where some norm violations are allowed

Sanctions

positive or negative reactions to the ways people follow or disobeys norms

social control

formal and informal method to elicit conformity to values and norms, and thus promote social cohesion

multiculturalism

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

dominant culture

values, norms, and practices of the group within society that is the most powerful

hegemony

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

counterculture

group within society that openly rejects society’s values or norms

culture wars

clashes in mainstream society over what norms should be upheld

ideal culture

Norms and behaviors that members of society believe should be observed in principle

Real culture

norms and behaviors that actually exist in society

cultural diffusion

Dissemination of material and non-material culture from one group to another