Sociology Chapter 3

Beliefs

Ideas or convictions people think are true.

Countercultures

Groups that reject and oppose mainstream cultural patterns.

Cultural Universals

Traits or patterns found in all societies worldwide.

Culture

Shared beliefs, values, and behaviors in a group.

Culture Lag

Delay between new material things and society accepting related ideas.

Diffusion

Spread of cultural traits from one group to another.

Discoveries

Finding something new based on what already exists.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture by your own culture’s standards.

Folkways

Everyday behaviors considered normal in a culture.

Formal Norms

Written and official rules.

Globalization

Connecting worldwide economies and cultures.

High Culture

Cultural traits of a society’s elite or upper class.

Ideal Culture

The values and standards a society wants to follow.

Informal Norms

Casual, common behaviors most people follow.

Innovations

New ideas or objects introduced to culture.

Inventions

Combining existing things to create something new.

Language

A system of symbols used to communicate.

Mores

Strongly held moral rules of a group.

Norms

Rules (visible and invisible) guiding how people behave.

Popular Culture

Common, widespread cultural patterns.

Real Culture

How culture actually exists in everyday life.

Sanctions

Rewards or punishments for behavior.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

How language shapes our view of the world.

Social Control

Ways to encourage people to follow cultural rules.

Society

People living together who share a culture.

Subcultures

Smaller groups within society with their own distinct culture.

Symbols

Objects or gestures with shared cultural meaning.

Values

Ideas about what is good and important in a culture.