Understanding Culture

These flashcards cover fundamental concepts about culture, human behavior, and the learning processes in sociological studies.

Culture

A group’s shared practices, values, and beliefs.

Toolkit

Culture serves as a toolkit that helps humans understand one another and function in society.

Survival in Culture

Humans need culture for survival; social connections promote species protection and stability.

Instinct

An instinct is a species-wide reaction to a situation, but sociologists argue that humans lack instincts, relying instead on culture as a behavior trigger.

Drive

Urges that relate to meeting survival needs such as hunger and thirst.

Reflex

A biological response to a stimulus, such as blinking.

Learning Methods

Humans learn through observation, imitation, interaction, and experience.

Human Learning vs. Other Species

Human learning is characterized by predisposition to exact copying, long-term planning, and cooperation that may not benefit the self.

Culture Wheel

A visual representation that includes elements such as values, food, arts, language, traditions, techniques, and tools within a culture.