The Power of Society: Culture (MacIonis 13th edition)

A set of QUESTION_AND_ANSWER flashcards covering core concepts from the Culture chapter in MacIonis' 13th edition (The Power of Society). Topics include definitions of culture, language, norms, values, cultural change, and major sociological theories as they relate to culture.

What is culture?

Ways of thinking, acting, and material objects that form a person’s way of life (material and nonmaterial culture).

What are the two kinds of culture?

Material culture and nonmaterial (cultural) culture.

What is culture shock?

Personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life; may occur in domestic or foreign travel.

What is cultural relativism?

Involves a more accurate understanding of cultures.

How many languages exist globally and what is a concern about them?

Almost 7,000 languages exist; many are becoming extinct due to globalization.

What is a symbol in culture?

Anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture; meanings vary across cultures.

What does the Sapir-Whorf thesis propose?

People perceive the world through the cultural lens of language.

What is the current view on language and reality?

Language does not determine reality; people can imagine new ideas before naming them.

What is language?

A system of symbols that allows people to communicate; cultural transmission passes culture to the next generation.

What are values?

Culturally defined standards that guide social living.

What are beliefs?

Specific ideas that people hold to be true.

What are norms?

Rules and expectations by which a society guides member behaviors; mores (great moral significance) and folkways (routine interaction).

What is ideal culture vs real culture?

Ideal culture is how things should be; Real culture is how things actually occur; patterns only approximate expectations.

How does technology shape culture?

Technology reflects underlying cultural values and determines cultural ideas and emerging artifacts (Lenski’s theory of sociocultural evolution).

What are the four levels of sociocultural evolution?

Hunting and gathering; Horticulture and pastoralism; Agrarian and industrial; Postindustrial information technology.

What are artifacts?

Physical objects created by a culture that reflect its underlying values.

What is the difference between high culture and popular culture?

High culture refers to patterns associated with a society’s elite; popular culture refers to patterns widespread among the population.

What is a subculture?

Culture patterns that set apart some segment of a society’s population.

What is multiculturalism?

A perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions.

What are Eurocentrism and Afrocentrism?

Eurocentrism centers on European culture; Afrocentrism emphasizes African or African diaspora perspectives.

What does Language Diversity across the United States illustrate?

Language use varies by region; some communities speak languages other than English at home (e.g., Zapata County, Texas with high Spanish use).

What are Williams' key values of U.S. culture?

Equal opportunity; achievement and success; material comfort; activity and work; practicality and efficiency; progress; science; democracy and free enterprise; freedom; racism and group superiority.

What is cultural lag?

A gap where changes in one part of a culture (often technology) outpace changes in beliefs and values.

What are invention, discovery, and diffusion as causes of cultural change?

Invention creates new stuff; discovery recognizes new uses; diffusion spreads cultural elements between societies.

What are the flows and limitations of a potential global culture?

Flows of goods, information, and people; limitations include uneven flows, affordability, and differing meanings attached to material goods.

What does Structural-Functional Theory say about culture?

Culture is a system to meet human needs; cultural patterns are rooted in a society’s core values and there are cultural universals.

What does Social-Conflict Theory say about culture?

Cultural traits benefit some members at the expense of others; highlights inequality and critiques that it may understate integration.

What is Sociobiology?

A macro-level theory suggesting human biology influences culture through natural selection; controversial and critiques note limited evidence and potential for racism or sexism.

How do culture and freedom relate?

Culture can act as a constraint by shaping perception and behavior, but it can also offer opportunities and avenues for freedom as cultures change.