soci 101 principles of social organizations › 2017 › 09 › session-77.pdf · college of...

College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education 2014/2015 – 2016/2017

SOCI 101

Principles of Social

Organizations

Session 7 – CULTURE

Lecturer: Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, UG Contact Information: [email protected]

Session Overview

Overview

This session deals with culture, its definition and importance, the attributes and components of culture, cultural unity and diversity and the importance of culture to individuals and society are discussed.

Goals and Objectives

At the end of the session, the student will be able to:

• define culture

• identify the attributes and components of culture

Dr. Dan-Bright S. Dzorgbo, Sociology Dept. UG Slide 2

Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Topic One : What is Culture

• Topic Two : Attributes of culture

• Topic Three: Components of culture


Reading List

• Ballantine, J. and K. A. Roberts (2007) Our Social World: Introduction to Sociology, Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press.

• Berger P. L. (1963) Invitation to Sociology, New York: Anchor Books. • Dzorgbo D-B. S. (2013) Sociological Theory: Classical Ideas and their

Application in the African Context, Accra: Woeli Publishing Services • Giddens, A. (2004) Sociology: Introductory Readings, Cambridge: Polity

Press • Haralambos M. (1995) Sociology: Themes and Perspectives, London:

Collins Educational. • Robertson, Ian (1987) Sociology: The Basic Concepts, New York: Worth

Publishers. • Schaefer R. (2004) Sociology, New York: McGraw-Hill. • Turner, J. H. (2006) Sociology New Jersey: Pearson • Robertson, Ian (1987) Sociology: The Basic Concepts, New York: Worth

Publishers.


Topic One:

What is Culture

• There are many definitions of culture as there are sociologists.

• Culture is a social heritage of a group, it is the total way of life of the group,

• Culture is the man-made aspect of nature

• Classic definition by the British anthropologists E. B Tylor: “that complex whole which includes Knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs and all other capabilities and habits required by man as a member of a society” (1871:1)

• Culture provides a framework of beliefs, thoughts, ideas and tools and other human creations that enable societies or groups to cope with their environments, produce for their material existence and organize their societies


Topic Two: Attributes of Culture

Attributes of Culture

• Culture is learned and not biologically transmitted

• Culture is shared by all members of the society

• Culture is dynamic and not static, that is, culture changes

• Culture is specific to societies and groups in the sense that every society has its own culture and there are cultural differences


Topic Two: Attributes of Culture (Cont’d)

• Cultural has elements that are interrelated and constitute a complex whole.

• Culture is created (nobody is born with culture) and transmitted from generation to generation and thus it is historically derived


Topic Three: Elements of Culture

• Material culture: This refers to the tangible or the physical aspects of culture. For example: tools, clothes, buildings, furniture, food types, computers, automobiles, etc.

• Nom-Material Culture refers to the intangible aspects of culture. For example: knowledge, beliefs, morals, values, language, etc.


Topic Three: Components of Culture

• Norms: are social rules that specify appropriate and inappropriate behavior in a given situation.

• Values: are broad ideas regarding what is desirable, correct and good that societal members are to cherish and uphold


Topic Three: Components of Culture (cont’d)

• When social rules or norms are violated they must be upheld or defended

by society through punishment

• Folkways: are norms have to do with the customary ways and ordinary conventions by which we carry out our daily activities. Their violations does not threaten the groups survival so the sanctions are mild.

• Mores: are norms that embody the moral views and principles of a group. Violating them threatens the group’s existence and survival hence punishment for their violation is severe

• Laws: are norms are formalized or written down. They are social rules that

are enforced by specialized state institutions with the backing of political power and authority



• Symbols: are gestures, signs, objects, signals, and words—help people understand the world.

• Symbols provide clues to understanding experiences.

• They convey recognizable meanings that are shared by members in given societies


• Language: This is socially structured system of sound patterned (words and sentences) with specified meanings.

• Language contains symbols




Cultural Diversity:

Variations in the symbolic/moral systems underlying different human societies. Related to pluralism (diversity within a society)

Cultural Universals: are cultural patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies. For example, the family institution is a cultural universal; also other beliefs, values, practices, etc. that common to all human societies



Ethnocentrism:

The belief and feeling that one's own culture is preferable and superior to others. Or Judging other people’s people ways of life as inferior and thus creating stereotypes, stigmatization and negative attitudes

Cultural Relativism:

The belief that we should judge all cultures on their own terms and that cultures differ and are relative to socities.

Cultural relativism seeks to counteract ethnocentrism



Subculture: It exists when a group within the broader society has a culture that distinguishes it from the broader culture of society, but without rejecting this broader culture e.g. Youth culture,

Counterculture : It exists when a group within the broader society has a culture that goes contrary to the broader culture of society.


Conclusion

In this session we have examined:

• The meaning of culture is

• The attributes of culture

• The components of culture


soci 101 principles of social organizations › 2017 › 09 › session-77.pdf · college of...

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