intro to sociology ch 3

Define culture and discuss how culture is understood within the three major theoretical perspectives.

culture, or the symbols, language, norms, beliefs, values, and artifacts (material objects) that are part of a society. Functionalists see culture as a system that works to keep society stable and functioning smoothly. Conflict theorists see culture as a tool used by those in power to maintain their dominance. Symbolic interactionists focus on how individuals create and interpret culture through everyday interactions.

Distinguish between and provide examples of the different parts of culture, including the following: beliefs, values and norms (including both folkways, laws and mores).

Beliefs are ideas or convictions that people hold to be true, and are typically rooted in science, mythology, folklore or religion (i.e., belief in evolutionary theory from science or belief in the creation myth from religion). values involve judgments of what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable. The American value that wealth is good and desirable. norms, or standards and expectations for behaving. Norms of drunken behavior influence how we behave when we drink too much. Folkways-standards of behavior that regulate daily activity but that are considered less important than mores. laws, refer to the standards of behavior considered the most important in any society. Mores- standards of behavior considered the most important in any society, typically reflected in moral standards.

Identify the sources and provide examples of cultural change. Understand how cultural lag results from changes in a culture.

According to Ogburn, societies and their cultures change due to discoveries, inventions or the diffusion of one these across societal boundaries. As most of you may know, discoveries occur when something completely new is observed or found. A famous example of this is the discovery that microscopic pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, can lead to disease. This discovery ultimately resulted in improved food safety, revolutionized healthcare, extended life expectancy and created a multitude of other cultural changes across the globe. Whatever the cause of social change, one potential outcome is cultural lag, or behavioral norms that have not yet adapted to new technological innovations.

Discuss and provide examples of the different types of cultural groups, including the following: subculture, counterculture and dominant culture.

A subculture refers to a group that shares the central values and beliefs of the larger culture but still retains certain values, beliefs, and norms that make it distinct from the larger culture. A good example of a U.S. subculture is the Amish, who live primarily in central Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio and shun electricity and other modern conveniences, including cars, tractors, and telephones. A counterculture is a group whose values and beliefs directly oppose those of the larger culture and even reject it. Perhaps the most discussed example of a counterculture is the so-called youth counterculture of the 1960s, often referred to as the hippies but also comprising many other young people who did not fit the “tuned out” image of the hippies and instead were politically engaged against U.S. government policy in Vietnam and elsewhere. The case of the Amish dramatically illustrates the persistence of an old-fashioned subculture and its uneasy fit with the larger, dominant culture.

Explain the possible outcomes that occur when people from diverse cultures interact, including the following: culture shock, ethnocentrism and cultural relativism.

Culture shock is the uncomfortable or bewildered feeling we might have when immersed in a new culture. Ethnocentrism, the opposite view, refers to the tendency to judge another culture by the standards of our own and to the belief that our own culture is indeed superior to another culture. Cultural relativism refers to the belief that we should not judge any culture as superior or inferior to another culture.