chapter 3 culture. culture the sum of: socially transmitted practicessocially transmitted practices...

Chapter 3Chapter 3

CultureCulture

CultureCultureThe sum of:The sum of:

•socially transmitted practicessocially transmitted practices•LanguagesLanguages•SymbolsSymbols•BeliefsBeliefs•ValuesValues•IdeologiesIdeologies•material objects material objects

that people create to deal with real-life that people create to deal with real-life problems.problems. CulturesCultures enableenable peoplepeople to to adaptadapt to,to, && thrivethrive in,in, their environmentstheir environments

Types of CultureTypes of Culture High CultureHigh Culture – – culture culture

consumed mainly by upper consumed mainly by upper classes (opera, ballet, art, fine classes (opera, ballet, art, fine literature)literature)

Popular or Mass CulturePopular or Mass Culture

– – culture consumed by all culture consumed by all classesclasses

SocietySociety Composed of people who Composed of people who

interact, usually in a defined interact, usually in a defined territory, and share a cultureterritory, and share a culture

The Origins & Components of CultureThe Origins & Components of Culture

Why did humans survive? Why did humans survive? • The first humans 100,000 years ago The first humans 100,000 years ago

lived in harsh conditionslived in harsh conditions• They had poor physical endowments They had poor physical endowments

(slow runners and weaker fighters than (slow runners and weaker fighters than many other animalsmany other animals

• Yet they survivedYet they survived• The survival of humans was possible The survival of humans was possible

largely because they had sophisticated largely because they had sophisticated brains that enabled them to create brains that enabled them to create cultural survival kitscultural survival kits

The Origins & Components of CultureThe Origins & Components of Culture

What were these cultural What were these cultural survival kits?survival kits?

• Three Main ToolsThree Main Tools1)1) AbstractionAbstraction

2)2) CooperationCooperation

3)3) ProductionProduction

Culture: Culture: Origins & ComponentsOrigins & Components1)1) Abstraction Abstraction – the human – the human

capacity to create general capacity to create general ideas, or ways of thinking that ideas, or ways of thinking that are not linked to particular are not linked to particular instancesinstances• For example: For example: SymbolsSymbols

Anything that carries a particular Anything that carries a particular meaning, including the components of meaning, including the components of language, mathematical notations, & language, mathematical notations, & signs. signs.

Symbols allow us to classify Symbols allow us to classify experience & generalize from it.experience & generalize from it.

Culture: Culture: Origins & ComponentsOrigins & Components

2)2)CooperationCooperation – the human – the human capacity to create a complex capacity to create a complex social lifesocial life•This is accomplished by This is accomplished by

establishing establishing Norms & ValuesNorms & Values Norms are generally accepted ways Norms are generally accepted ways

of doing thingsof doing things

Values are ideas about what is right Values are ideas about what is right and wrongand wrong


Norms achieved by CooperationNorms achieved by Cooperation•The human capacity to create a The human capacity to create a complex social lifecomplex social life Raise children & build schools, we Raise children & build schools, we are cooperating to advance human are cooperating to advance human racerace

Create communities & industries, we Create communities & industries, we are cooperating by pooling resources are cooperating by pooling resources and encouraging people to acquire and encouraging people to acquire specialized skillsspecialized skills

Culture:Culture: Origins & ComponentsOrigins & Components

3)3) ProductionProduction – making and using – making and using tools and techniques that tools and techniques that improve our ability to take what improve our ability to take what we want from naturewe want from nature

• Such tools & techniques are called Such tools & techniques are called Material CultureMaterial Culture

• Only humans are sufficiently Only humans are sufficiently intelligent and dexterous to make intelligent and dexterous to make tools and use them to produce tools and use them to produce everything from food to computerseverything from food to computers


See Concept Summary 3.1, p.66See Concept Summary 3.1, p.66


Social Control – the sum of sanctions in Social Control – the sum of sanctions in society by means of which conformity society by means of which conformity to cultural guidelines is ensured.to cultural guidelines is ensured.• SanctionsSanctions: rewards and punishments to : rewards and punishments to

ensure conformity to cultural guidelinesensure conformity to cultural guidelines


Types of Sanctions:Types of Sanctions:

• TaboosTaboos: strong social norms : strong social norms (incest, murder)(incest, murder)

• MoresMores: core norms most people : core norms most people believe essential for survival of believe essential for survival of group or societygroup or society

• FolkwaysFolkways: very mild norms and : very mild norms and evokes least severe punishmentevokes least severe punishment

Culture & BiologyCulture & Biology

Evolution of Human BehaviorEvolution of Human Behavior• Human brain structure and genes Human brain structure and genes

account not just for physical account not just for physical characteristics but also for specific characteristics but also for specific behaviors and social practicesbehaviors and social practices

• Charles DarwinCharles Darwin

• First identify a universal human traitFirst identify a universal human trait

• Next explain why this behavior increases Next explain why this behavior increases survivalsurvival

Culture and LanguageCulture and Language Language is a system of symbols Language is a system of symbols

strung together to communicate strung together to communicate thoughtthought

With language we can share With language we can share understandings, pass experience understandings, pass experience and knowledge from one and knowledge from one generation to the next, and make generation to the next, and make plans for the future.plans for the future.

Language allows culture to Language allows culture to developdevelop

Culture and LanguageCulture and Language Is Language Innate or Learned?Is Language Innate or Learned?

•The Innate Argument:The Innate Argument: Steven Pinker Steven Pinker

•““people know how to talk in more people know how to talk in more or less the sense that spiders or less the sense that spiders know how to spin webs.” know how to spin webs.”

•Language is an “instinct”.Language is an “instinct”.•Language is not so much learned Language is not so much learned

as it is grown.as it is grown.

Culture and LanguageCulture and Language

Is Language Innate or Learned?Is Language Innate or Learned?•The Innate Argument:The Innate Argument:

Specific Language Impairment Specific Language Impairment (SLI)(SLI)•Mutation of gene FOXP2 associatedMutation of gene FOXP2 associated•Children with SLI find it hard to Children with SLI find it hard to articulate words and make variety articulate words and make variety of grammatical errors when they of grammatical errors when they speak speak


Is Language Innate or Is Language Innate or Learned?Learned?•The Learned Argument:The Learned Argument:

From sociological viewpoint From sociological viewpoint there is nothing problematic there is nothing problematic abut the argument that we are abut the argument that we are biologically prewired to biologically prewired to acquire language and create acquire language and create grammatical speechgrammatical speech


•The Learned Argument:The Learned Argument: However, young children However, young children

go through periods of go through periods of rapid development, and rapid development, and if they do not interact if they do not interact symbolically with others during symbolically with others during these critical periods, their these critical periods, their language skills remain language skills remain permanently impairedpermanently impaired


• The Learned Argument:The Learned Argument:This suggests that our biological This suggests that our biological potential must be unlocked by potential must be unlocked by the social environment to be fully the social environment to be fully realized.realized.

Language must be learnedLanguage must be learned

Culture and LanguageCulture and Language Is Language Innate or Is Language Innate or Learned?Learned?• The Learned Argument:The Learned Argument:

The environment is in fact such The environment is in fact such a powerful influence on a powerful influence on language acquisition that even a language acquisition that even a mutated FOOXP2 gene does not mutated FOOXP2 gene does not seal linguistic fate. Up to half of seal linguistic fate. Up to half of children with SLI recover fully children with SLI recover fully with intensive language therapywith intensive language therapy


Is Language Innate or Is Language Innate or Learned?Learned?• Conclusion:Conclusion:

All language is learned, though All language is learned, though our potential for learning and our potential for learning and the structure of what we can the structure of what we can learn is rooted in biologylearn is rooted in biology


What is the relationship What is the relationship between our use of language, between our use of language, the way we think, and our the way we think, and our social environment?social environment?• Sapir-Whorf ThesisSapir-Whorf Thesis

Speech patterns are Speech patterns are interpretations of experienceinterpretations of experience


Sapir-Whorf ThesisSapir-Whorf Thesis

2 Conceptualization

(thought)

Verbalization 3

(language)

1 Experience

Culture and EthnocentrismCulture and Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism is the Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge other tendency to judge other cultures exclusively by the cultures exclusively by the standards of your own standards of your own culture.culture.

The Two Faces of Culture:The Two Faces of Culture:

FreedomFreedom

AndAnd

ConstraintConstraint

The Two Faces of Culture:The Two Faces of Culture:Freedom and ConstraintFreedom and Constraint

Freedom:Freedom:•People do not accept People do not accept

culture passivelyculture passively•We are not empty vessels into which We are not empty vessels into which

society pours a defined assortment of society pours a defined assortment of beliefs, symbols, and values.beliefs, symbols, and values.

•People actively produce and interpret People actively produce and interpret culture, therefore we are at liberty to culture, therefore we are at liberty to choose how culture influences us.choose how culture influences us.


Freedom:Freedom:•Part of the reason we are Part of the reason we are

increasingly able to choose how increasingly able to choose how culture influences us is that a culture influences us is that a greater diversity of culture is greater diversity of culture is available from which to choose. available from which to choose.

•Cultural diversification of America Cultural diversification of America and Multiculturalismand Multiculturalism

•The Rights RevolutionThe Rights Revolution•GlobalizationGlobalization


Constraint:Constraint:•Values: Although people in much Values: Although people in much

of the world are freer than ever of the world are freer than ever to choose their values, powerful to choose their values, powerful social forces still constrain their social forces still constrain their choices.choices.


Constraint:Constraint:•Two value dimensionsTwo value dimensions

Values are not randomly distributed Values are not randomly distributed across populations and people are across populations and people are not free to choose whatever values not free to choose whatever values they want. Instead, values cluster they want. Instead, values cluster along identifiable dimensionsalong identifiable dimensions

Values cluster in the way they do Values cluster in the way they do because they are influenced by because they are influenced by powerful social forces, one powerful social forces, one economic, the other religiouseconomic, the other religious


Constraint:Constraint:•Two value dimensionsTwo value dimensions

Traditional/ModernTraditional/Modern

Materialist/PostmaterialistMaterialist/Postmaterialist


Traditional ValuesTraditional Values Modern ValuesModern Values

God is importantGod is important God NOT importantGod NOT important

Abortion never Abortion never justifiablejustifiable

Abortion IS justifiableAbortion IS justifiable

Obedience & Obedience & Religious FaithReligious Faith

Independence & Independence & DeterminationDetermination

Strong national prideStrong national pride Weak national prideWeak national pride

More respect for More respect for authorityauthority

Less respect for Less respect for authorityauthority


Materialist ValuesMaterialist Values PostmaterialistPostmaterialist

Economic & Physical Economic & Physical SecuritySecurity

Self-Expression & Self-Expression & Quality of LifeQuality of Life

Describe themselves Describe themselves as not very happyas not very happy

Describe themselves Describe themselves as VERY happyas VERY happy

Never have, & never Never have, & never will, sign a petitionwill, sign a petition

Have signed, and Have signed, and would again, a petitionwould again, a petition

Do not trust peopleDo not trust people Do trust peopleDo trust people

Homosexuality NEVER Homosexuality NEVER justifiablejustifiable

Homosexuality IS Homosexuality IS justifiablejustifiable


Constraint:Constraint:•Regulation of TimeRegulation of Time

700 years ago Germans imposed 700 years ago Germans imposed town clocks on workerstown clocks on workers

Today we have so internalized this Today we have so internalized this and made it part of our culture that and made it part of our culture that we wear watches on our wristswe wear watches on our wrists

A rational means (work clock) leads A rational means (work clock) leads to an irrational end (hectic life)to an irrational end (hectic life)


Constraint and ConsumerismConstraint and Consumerism To define ourselves in terms of the To define ourselves in terms of the

goods we purchasegoods we purchase Advertising is widespread, most Advertising is widespread, most

people unquestioningly accept it as people unquestioningly accept it as part of their lives, and many people part of their lives, and many people have become ads (wearing outward have become ads (wearing outward labels)labels)

Advertisers teach us to associate Advertisers teach us to associate labels with different kinds of peoplelabels with different kinds of people

Advertising becomes us and once we Advertising becomes us and once we incorporate into us, it becomes our incorporate into us, it becomes our cultureculture


Constraint and breaking free?Constraint and breaking free? Countercultures oppose Countercultures oppose

dominant values and seek to dominant values and seek to replace themreplace them

•HippiesHippies•EnvironmentalistsEnvironmentalists


Constraint and breaking free?Constraint and breaking free? CounterculturesCountercultures

• System of social control, of rewards System of social control, of rewards and punishments, keeps and punishments, keeps countercultures from disrupting social countercultures from disrupting social orderorder

• The system transforms deviations The system transforms deviations from mainstream culture into means from mainstream culture into means of making money and by enticing of making money and by enticing rebels to become entrepreneursrebels to become entrepreneurs

Ozzy OsbourneOzzy Osbourne Hip HopHip Hop

Extra CreditExtra Credit

http://www.coedu.usf.edu/http://www.coedu.usf.edu/culture/Activity.htmculture/Activity.htm

Class Culture ActivityClass Culture Activity

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/eduhttp://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/educators/culture.htmlcators/culture.html

Or find a magazine article on culture. Or find a magazine article on culture.

Read on-line or hardcopy article and Read on-line or hardcopy article and write a brief reaction (3-5 sentences) – write a brief reaction (3-5 sentences) – bring to class Friday for a quiz gradebring to class Friday for a quiz grade

chapter 3 culture. culture the sum of: socially transmitted practicessocially transmitted practices...

Documents

mass culture culture

origins componentsabstraction

origins componentsproduction

origins componentsnorms

origins componentssocial

origins componentscooperation

cooperationthe human

components of language