Culture and Socialization(Or how we know what we know)

Culture and SocializationWhat is culture?Development of cultureCultural variationLanguage and cultureNorms and valuesGlobal culture warsCulture and dominant ideologiesCulture and socializationSocialization and the selfAgents of socializationAging and socialization

Culture and SocializationCulture: totality of learned socially transmitted

customs, knowledge, objects, and behaviorCulture includes language, values, norms, customs,

artifacts, and even groups of peopleSocialization: process by which people learn basic

societal attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, and valuesSociety: large number of people who live in the

same territory, who are relatively independent of the people outside of that area, and who participate in a common cultureCommon culture emphasizes day-to-day interaction

Cultural UniversalsAll societies develop common practices and

beliefsThese are adaptations to meet essential

human needsInnovationDiffusionWhat are some examples of cultural

universals?Ethnocentrism: tendency to assume one’s

own culture and way of life represent the norm or are superior to all others

Cultural RelativismEvaluation of a people’s behavior from the

perspective of that cultureTries to employ a type of value-neutral approach in

scientific studyRequires a serious effort to be unbiased

Innovation: process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture

Discovery: making known or sharing the existence of some aspect of reality

Invention: results when existing cultural items are combined into something new

Development of Global CultureGlobalization: worldwide integration of government

policies, banking systems, cultures, social movements, and financial systems through trade and the exchange of ideas

Diffusion: process by which a cultural item spreads from group to groupExplorationConquestMissionary workMass mediaTourismInternet

Development of Global CultureMcDonaldization: process through which

the principles of the fast-food industry dominant certain sectors of society

Material culture: physical or technological aspects of our daily lives

Nonmaterial culture: ways of using material objects

Culture lag: period of maladjustment when nonmaterial culture struggles to adapt to material conditions

Cultural VariationEach culture considers its own customs, rules, norms, and

values as “natural”Cultures adapt to meet specific sets of circumstancesSubcultures: segments of society that share distinct

patterns of customs, rules, and traditions that differ from the larger society Argot: specialized language that is developed that allows

insiders to understand words with special meaningsCounterculture: when a subculture deliberately opposes

or rejects aspects of the larger cultureCulture shock: feeling of disorientation, uncertainty, or

being out of place when immersed in an unfamiliar culture

Culture and LanguageLanguage: abstract system of word

meanings and symbols for all aspects of cultureIncludes speech, written language, numerals,

gestures, and nonverbal communicationWhat we know is bounded by language

We need to know and understand a symbol to be able to express it

Miscommunication

Norms and ValuesNorms: establish the rules and standards of

behavior in a societyFormal norms: written down; specific punishmentsInformal norms: generally understood but not

recordedMores: norms determined as highly necessary for

societyFolkways: norms of everyday behaviorSanctions: the penalties and rewards for conduct

concerning social norms Sanctions are a form of social control

Norms and ValuesNorms are collective expressions of what is

good, bad, desirable, or undesirable in a society

Influence people’s conceptions of themselvesInfluence people’s behaviorCriteria for evaluating othersMay change over time or situationally

Culture WarsCulture war: polarization of society over

controversial elements of cultureNational: abortion, health care,

pensions/social security, debt, gun control, sexual expression, religious expression

Global: wars, nuclear programs, global economy, colonization

Culture and Dominant IdeologiesDominant ideology: set of beliefs and

practices that help maintain powerful interestsSocialEconomicPolitical

“If you work hard enough, you can succeed in life”

Perspectives on Culture (pg. 55)

Culture and SocializationNature vs. Nurture

Today’s scientists believe the two interactSociobiology: systematic study of the

biological basis for human behaviorBegan with Charles DarwinSociobiologists apply Darwin’s principle of

natural selection to the study of human behavior

Isolation: interaction of heredity and environment shape developmentEmphasize early socialization of children

Socialization and the SelfSelf: distinct identity that sets us apart from others

Constantly changingDevelops throughout your life

Looking-glass selfMead’s stages of the self:

Preparatory stage: children imitate people around themPlay stage: become more aware of social relationships and

role taking occurs Role taking: the process of mentally assuming another’s perspective

and responding from that point of viewGame stage: children about 8-9 consider several actual tasks

and relationships simultaneously Generalized Other: attitudes, viewpoints, and expectations of society

as a whole that a child takes into account

Mead and GoffmanMead:

The self begins as a privileged/central point in a person’s world

As a person matures, the self begins to change and reflect greater concern for the reactions of others

Significant others: individuals most important in the development of the self

Goffman: Impression management

Agents of SocializationFamily

Gender roles: expectation regarding proper behavior, attitudes, and activities for men and women

SchoolPeer groups

Harassment and supportMass media and technologyWorkplaceReligionState

Aging and SocializationRites of passage: means of dramatizing and recognizing

changes in a person’s statusLife course approach: looking closely at the factors that

influence people throughout their livesAnticipatory socialization: person “rehearses” future

occupations and social relationshipsResocialization: discarding former behavior patterns and

accepting new ones as you transitionTotal institution: regulates all aspects of a person’s life

under a single authorityDegradation ceremony: ritual where the individual

becomes secondary and invisible in an overbearing social environment