Introduction to Culture: Flashcards
Country-wide rules vs. individual freedom
Enforce a countrywide rule vs. a country that promotes personal choice; the speaker emphasizes these ideas are at odds, highlighting a tension between universal mandates and values like personal freedom.
In a country that promotes individual choice, mandating a policy (e.g., everyone must do this) clashes with the value of letting people have space for opinions and personal concerns.
The contrast is framed as a cultural divide: when a country is openly uniform (as in some interpretations of communism—“all for one and one for all”), there is less space for dissenting views; in the American context, people expect to express discomfort or critique (e.g., concerns about masks, comfort, aesthetics of masks).
The speaker notes that Americans “have opinions,” and this openness contributes to cultural divides. This reflects a broader point about how different political-cultural systems handle dissent and discussion.
Multiculturalism and national identity
Multiculturalism is defined as a policy that values diverse racial, ethnic, national, and linguistic backgrounds and encourages retaining cultural differences within the larger society.
Contrasts with the melting pot metaphor: traditional view of assimilation where everyone “melts” into a single identity.
Multiculturalism aligns more with the salad bowl metaphor: individuals retain distinct identities (e.g., tomatoes, lettuce, carrots) while contributing to a unified dish. Each component remains identifiable yet contributes to a common culture.
Real-world implication: America consists of a variety of cultural groups (Italian, Jamaican, Native American, etc.) contributing to a larger national culture.
Dominant culture and cultural influence
Dominant culture: the values, norms, and practices of the group with the most power (wealth, prestige, status, influence).
Cultural hegemony: term from Antonio Gramsci describing how the ideas of the dominant group are accepted by society, shaping norms and beliefs.
In the U.S., the dominant group is often described using the acronym WASP: White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.
WASP stands for White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant; historically connected to England and English-speaking white populations from Europe.
The term highlights how a particular group’s culture has shaped social norms, wealth distribution, and legitimacy of power.
Noted complication: whiteness as a global category has expanded and changed over time (e.g., Catholic white Americans like Kennedy faced prejudice; whiteness in non-U.S. contexts differs—e.g., white Italian Catholics in Italy).
Subcultures and countercultures:
Subculture: a group within society with distinctive values, norms, lifestyle, ethnicity, age, or interests that do not oppose the dominant culture.
Counterculture: a group within society that openly rejects or opposes dominant values and norms; often more anti-establishment and activist.
Examples of subcultures: skaters, kawaii/pop-cultural communities, other interest-based groups.
Examples that illustrate countercultures: Hippies (1960s–70s anti-war movement), the Ku Klux Klan (extremist counterculture).
Activism and culture wars:
Culture wars often involve subcultures pushing for inclusion or redefinition within the dominant culture.
Pride (LGBTQ+ activism) can be seen as a subculture striving for recognition within dominant cultural norms; marriage equality movement can be framed as a culture-war issue.
Debates around Roe v. Wade and other civil rights topics are framed as struggles to align societal values with evolving rights.
Theoretical frameworks and the concept of hegemony
The three big sociological theories (as introduced from Chapter 1):
Structural Functionalism (Durkheim) – one of the foundational perspectives.
Conflict Theory (Karl Marx) – focuses on power, inequality, and social change; the bourgeoisie as the dominant class.
Symbolic Interactionism (George Herbert Mead) – focuses on day-to-day interactions and the construction of meaning.
Hegemony and dominance:
Hegemony is discussed from a conflict perspective, illustrating how the dominant group’s ideas become common sense.
In America, the dominant group has historically been described as WASP, shaping wealth, prestige, and influence.
The dominant culture consists of white, English-speaking, Protestant (historically) populations rooted in European origins; the definition of who fits that category has evolved and is contested.
Subcultures vs countercultures revisited:
Subcultures stay aligned with the dominant culture but focus on specific interests or identities.
Countercultures actively challenge the dominant culture and seek social change, often through activism and culture-war rhetoric.
Ideal culture vs. real culture
Ideal culture: the norms, values, and patterns of behavior that members of society claim to uphold (the aspirational version).
Real culture: the actual practices and behaviors observed, which may diverge from those ideals.
U.S. historical tensions illustrating the gap:
Slavery, Western expansion, oppression of women, discrimination against ethnic minorities, and the fight for LGBTQ rights.
The gap between the ideal (liberties and rights) and real-world practices (injustices and exclusions).
The pursuit of happiness vs. property:
The founding ideal centers on personal freedom and autonomy and the right to pursue happiness; this later evolved from the earlier phrasing focused on the pursuit of property.
Cultural change and progress
Change is usually slow and incremental, driven by activism and gradual shifts in norms and policy (e.g., civil rights milestones, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights).
However, rapid and dramatic changes can occur (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic):
A sudden disruption led to immediate shifts (e.g., mask mandates and dramatic changes in work life within days).
Personal experiences (like not having a mask) highlight how quickly norms can shift under crisis.
Ongoing civil rights movements: rights for marginalized groups continue to drive cultural change, with ongoing debates over topics like affirmative action and equality under the law.
The path of cultural change: progress is often framed as social advancement, though some changes may later be understood as more complex or contested in hindsight.
Real-world relevance and connections
The material connects to current events and ongoing debates about rights, inclusion, and the role of government in personal choice.
It highlights how cultural identities (dominant culture, subcultures, and countercultures) interact with political systems and policies to shape social outcomes.
It emphasizes the importance of understanding both ideal and real culture when analyzing social problems and policy decisions.