Society and Culture: Perspective of Anthro & Socio

Society as a Concept

An ideal type depicting the form, process, and dynamics of social reality, aiding social scientists in exploring social phenomena.

Society as a Facticity

A formally defined group of people living in the same territory, relatively independent of outsiders, and sharing a common culture.

Tripartite Powers of Society

(PKE)

all powerful
all knowing
everywhere

Structural Functionalism

A theory viewing society as a system of interdependent parts, each performing functions to maintain stability.

Conflict Theory

A perspective emphasizing the role of conflict in producing new social relations and dynamism.

Symbolic Interactionism and meaning-making

A theory focusing on meaning-making and interpretations of symbols in social interactions.

Rules

Guides for roles and interactions, providing order in society, with both visible (written) and invisible (unwritten) forms.

Culture as a Concept

(according to E.B Taylor) A complex whole including knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, and customs, transmitted through social learning. Central concept of anthropology

Mass Culture

Mass-produced and mass-mediated consumer culture emerging in the 20th century.

Cultural Universals

Common elements across all cultures, such as language, family systems, and religion.

Multiculturalism

Coexistence and mutual respect between different cultures sharing the same territory.

Material Culture

Tangible cultural artifacts like clothing (e.g., Japanese Kimono).

Non-material Culture

Intangible aspects like gestures, language, values, and beliefs.

Language

A system of symbols used for communication.

Beliefs

Ideas held to be true, whether scientific or nonscientific.

Symbols

Objects or gestures conveying specific meanings (e.g., national flags).

Norms

Expected behaviors, categorized into folkways, taboos, mores, and laws.

Folkways

Unwritten customs learned through socialization.

Taboos

Behaviors considered offensive or socially inappropriate.

Mores

Moral norms linked to ethical or religious standards.

Laws

Norms codified as legal or illegal by governing bodies.

Enculturation

Learning one's own culture through socialization and education.

Acculturation

Adapting to a new culture while retaining aspects of the original.

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures by the standards of one's own.

Xenocentrism

Believing another culture is superior to one's own.

Cultural Relativism

Evaluating cultural practices within their own context, promoting appreciation and understanding.

Society and Culture Relationship

Society is an organized group of individuals; culture is their learned responses, with neither able to exist without the other.

all-powerful

controls social machinery

all-knowing

holds collective knowledge

everywhere

pervasive influence

Tripartite of powers

are more evident in its affects on our daily and routine actions and behavior

two types of culture

Material Culture (tangible)
Non-material culture (intangible)