Lecture 2: Culture

The Canadian Multiculturalism act

Affirms the policy of the government to ensure that every Canadian receives equal treatment by the government which respects diversity

Culture

The knowledge, language, values, objects and customs that are passed from one generation to the next in a group or society

Cultural sociology

The process by which people attach meaning to different things

List the 3 areas Cultural sociology explores

1. Cultural objects and their properties such as meanings and ritual

2. Interactions between individuals and within smaller groups

3. How culture is produced in large organizations and institutions

List 4 reasons why cultural sociologist study what they study

1. It relates to everyone since everyone creates meaning

2. Social group cohesion & complexity of social structure: Comprehending the meanings that individuals share

3. Provides insights into how power and inequality are being upheld

4. Gaining a better knowledge of cultural conflict and understanding societal issues we currently have

finish the sentence with 5 different endings: Culture is __________

1. Learned

2. Shared

3. Transmitted

4. Cumulative

5. Human

Material culture

Physical creations that members of society make and use, share

Non-material Culture

Abstract human creations of society that influence peoples behaviour

Sociological Vocab: Micro

The Individual level

Sociological Vocab: Meso

The level of organizations

EX. University

Sociological Vocab: Macro

Broader systems

EX. Healthcare

Who wrote about cultural repertoires?

Ann Swidler (2001)

Cultural repertoires

Resources unequally distributed within societies

Ex. lingo, inside jokes

Why can cultural repertoires be bad?

It causes conflicts when people don’t have the same cultural repertoire and become separated from the rest

Dynamic nominalism

Phenomenons that exist that aren’t spoken about are eventually taken into concern and named

EX. the terms domestic violence, marital rape are new but the phenomenon has always existed

______ _________ is responsible for the existing danger of exctinct languages

Settler colonialism

Ethnocentrism

People who put their culture on top and judge others

• Gives birth to predjudice and discrimination

Cultural relativism

Disregarding the idea of a super culture

How can cultural relativism be bad?

Incompatible with the idea of universal human rights because some cultures might not align with the universal model