CULTUREDEFINITION OF CULTUREThe web of ways of living, behaviors, beliefs, values, customs, aesthetic standards, social institutions and styles of communication which a group of people have developed to maintain its survival in a particular physical and human environment. Its pervasive binding force belongs to a group of people who identify themselves as Us. Culture is a non-evaluative term, neither good nor bad

CONCEPT OF CULTURECulture is learned behavior Each child goes through a process of enculturation when they grow up in a culture. Children learn by observing the behaviors of people in their surroundings, including the recognition of symbols specific to that culture. Examples of cultural symbolsCulture is shared Culture is an attribute not of individuals per se but of individuals as members of groups. Culture is transmitted by society. Enculturation unifies people by providing us with common experiences.Culture is symbolic Symbols can either be verbal (linguistic) or nonverbal (object, written symbol). Culture and Nature: Differences in How we meet the call Culture defines what people eat, how food is prepared, and when and how food is eaten. Waste elimination is culturally prescribed. Sexual activities are also dictated by culture (with who, how, where, and when).Culture is all-encompassing and integrated Culture envelopes each of us, and touches every aspect of our lives. Culture is systematic and integrated (it is not a random phenomenon). Cultures teach us to share certain core values that help shape the personality of the individuals within a culture.Cultures are dynamic: rules are made to be broken Humans are creative animals and always do not strictly follow the dictates of their culture. There is individual interpretation of each aspect of culture that is in part due to family and personal history. Real vs. Ideal culture.Culture can be both adaptive and maladaptive Modern technology has provided for the adaptation of humans to every part of the globe, as ancient technologies provided successful to environments on a smaller scale. Short-term vs. long-term adaptive strategies.Levels of culture National: learned behavioral patterns, beliefs, values, and institutions shared by the citizens of a nation. International: cultural traditions that expand beyond cultural boundaries. Subculture: different traditions practiced by groups set within a larger culture. Frequently regionally based.

What makes cultures change? Diffusion: borrowing of traits between cultures. Acculturation: exchange of cultural features that result from long-term exposure between cultures. Independent invention: Developing to solution to problems by individual cultures. Example: agriculture.COMPONENT OF CULTURECustoms and traditions Rules of Behavior are enforced ideas of right and wrong. They can be customs, traditions, rules, or written laws.Religion Answers for basic questions about the meaning of life. Supports values that groups of people feel are important. Religion is often a source of conflict between cultures. Monotheism is a belief in one god. Polytheism is a belief in many gods. Atheism is a belief in no gods.Language Language is the cornerstone of culture. All cultures have a spoken language. People who speak the same language often share the same Many societies include a large number of people who speak different languages. Each language can have several different dialects.Arts and literature They are the products of the human imagination. They help us pass on the cultures basis beliefs. Examples: art, music, literature, and folk talesForms of government People form governments to provide for their common needs. Definition of government: Person/people who hold power in a society Democracy: people have supreme power, government acts by and with consent. Republic: people choose leaders who represent them.Economize systems How people use limited resources to satisfy their wants and needs. What to produce, how to produce it, and for whom. Traditional Economy: people produce most of what they need to survive (hunting, gathering, farming, herding cattle, make own clothes/tools). Market Economy: buying and selling goods and services.SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF CULTUREInstitutions Aninstitutionis an established and enduring pattern of social relationships. The five traditional institutions are family, religion, politics, economics, and education. but some sociologists argue that other social institutions, such as science and technology, mass media, medicine, sport, and the military, also play important roles in modern society. Many social problems are generated by inadequacies in various institutions. For example, unemployment may be influenced by the educational institution's failure to prepare individuals for the job market and by alterations in the structure of the economic institution.Social Groups Institutions are made up of social groups. Asocial groupis defined as two or more people who have a common identity, interact, and form a social relationship. For example, the family in which you were reared is a social group that is part of the family institution. The religious association to which you may belong is a social group that is part of the religious institution. Social groups may be categorized as primary or secondary.Primary groups, which tend to involve small numbers of individuals, are characterized by intimate and informal interaction. Families and friends are examples of primary groups.Secondary groups, which may involve small or large numbers of individuals, are task-oriented and characterized by impersonal and formal interaction. Examples of secondary groups include employers and their employees and clerks and their customers.Statuses Just as institutions consist of social groups, social groups consist of statuses. Astatusis a position a person occupies within a social group. The statuses we occupy largely define our social identity. The statuses in a family may consist of mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, wife, husband, child, and so on. Statuses may be either ascribed or achieved. Anascribed statusis one that society assigns to an individual on the basis of factors over which the individual has no control. For example, we have no control over the sex, race, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status into which we are born. Similarly, we are assigned the status of "child," "teenager," "adult," or "senior citizen" on the basis of age--something we do not choose or control. Anachieved statusis assigned on the basis of some characteristic or behavior over which the individual has some control. Whether or not you achieve the status of college graduate, spouse, parent, bank president, or prison inmate depends largely on your own efforts, behavior, and choices. One's ascribed statuses may affect the likelihood of achieving other statuses, however. For example, if you are born into a poor socioeconomic status you may find it more difficult to achieve the status of "college graduate" because of the high cost of a college education. Every individual has numerous statuses simultaneously. You may be a student, parent, tutor, volunteer fundraiser, female, and Hispanic. A person'smaster statusis the status that is considered the most significant in a person's social identity. Typically, a person's occupational status is regarded as his or her master status. If you are a full-time student, your master status is likely to be "student."Roles Every status is associated with manyroles, or the set of rights, obligations, and expectations associated with a status. Roles guide our behavior and allow us to predict the behavior of others. As a student, you are expected to attend class, listen and take notes, study for tests, and complete assignments. Because you know what the role of the teacher involves, you can predict that your teacher will lecture, give exams, and assign grades based on your performance on tests. A single status involves more than one role. For example, the status of prison inmate includes one role for interacting with prison guards and another role for interacting with other prison inmates. Similarly, the status of nurse involves different roles for interacting with physicians and with patients.

TYPES OF CULTUREMaterial Culture formed by the physical objects that people create Cars, clothing, books, buildings, computers Archeologists refer to these items as artifactsNon-material Culture abstract human creations (cant touch it) Language, family patterns, work practices, political and economic systems

ELEMENTS OF CULTURESymbols: A symbol is anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture (a flag, a word, a flashing red light, a raised fist, an animal etc). Non-verbal gestures can be very symbolic and diverse.-Diverse meanings can be given to different variations of the same object, for example, the winking of an eye.Language A system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another. Function of language:-Enhances communication (lets make sure were on the same page)-Ensures continuity of culture (story telling)-Identifies societies or groups (group specific words)-Determines how a person is perceived by others (proper grammar vs slang) Example slang Sick Dope Bomb For Schizzle my Snizzle Fo sho Whack My bad Dawg or is it Dog, or is it Dogg (Snoop)Values and Beliefs VALUES are culturally defined standards by which people assess desirability, goodness, and beauty and that serve as broad guidelines for social living. BELIEFS are specific statements that people hold to be true (e.g. The possibility that the US will one day have a female president - based on the shared value of equal opportunity)Norms are the agreed-upon expectations and rules by which a culture guides the behavior of its members in any given situation. Types of norms PROSCRIPTIVE Should nots, prohibited PRESCRIPTIVE Shoulds, prescribed like medicineFolkways Folkwaysare often referred to as "customs." They are standards of behavior that are socially approved but not morally significant. They are norms for everyday behavior that people follow for the sake of tradition or convenience. Breaking a folkway does not usually have serious consequences. Cultural forms of dress or food habits are examples of folkways. In America, if someone belched loudly while eating at the dinner table with other people, he or she would be breaking a folkway. It is culturally appropriate to not belch at the dinner table, however if this folkway is broken, there are no moral or legal consequences.Mores Mores are strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior. Mores are norms based on definitions of right and wrong. Unlike folkways, mores are morally significant. People feel strongly about them and violating them typically results in disapproval. Religious doctrines are an example of mores. For instance, if someone were to attend church in the nude, he or she would offend most people of that culture and would be morally shunned. Also, parents who believe in the more that only married people should live together will disapprove of their daughter living with her boyfriend. They may consider the daughters actions a violation of their moral guidelines.Taboos Ataboois a norm that society holds so strongly that violating it results in extreme disgust. Often times the violator of the taboo is considered unfit to live in that society. For instance, in some Muslim cultures, eating pork is taboo because the pig is considered unclean. At the more extreme end, incest and cannibalism are taboos in most countries.Law Is a formal body of rules enacted by the state and backed by the power of the state. Virtually all Taboos, like child abuse, are enacted into law; some Mores are, but not all. Folkways are never laws. For example, wearing a bikini to church may be offensive, but it is not against the law. Many laws (unlike mores) do not have a moral evaluation connected to them. Not stopping completely at a stop sign is against the law, but you will not be judged immoral for doing it. Definition - A body of rules of conduct of binding legal force and effect, prescribed, recognized, and enforced by a controlling authority.CULTURAL SHOCK Personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life. It is the inability to read meanings in new surroundings.CULTURALS DIVERSITYHigh culture Cultural patterns that distinguish a societys elitePopular culture Cultural patterns that are widespread among societys populationSubculture Cultural patterns set apart some segment of societys population Counterculture Cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society MORALS OF CULTUREEthnocentrism The belief that ones own group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures. The tendency of most people to use their own way of life as a standard for judging others; now also indicates the belief, on the part of most individuals, that their race, culture, society, etc., are superior to all others Ethno-relativism These people have gone from being neutral about difference to being positive. They not only accept cultural differences, but are willing and able to adjust their own behavior to conform to different norms. They are able to empathize with people from different cultures. In many ways, they become what is known as bi cultural or multi-cultural, effortlessly adjusting their behavior to suit the culture of the people they're with, "style switching," in other words. They do not give up their own or birth culture's values and beliefs, but they do integrate aspects of other cultures into it. Group 1 Members: ABAS ABIOG ALAYAN BANDALES BARBOLINO BASCO