society, culture, and cultural change chapter 4 this multimedia product and its contents are...

Society, Culture, Society, Culture, andand

Cultural ChangeCultural ChangeChapter 4Chapter 4

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Copyright © 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved

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Importance of CultureImportance of Culture All human experience intertwined with All human experience intertwined with

social environmentsocial environment Culture: total pattern of human behavior Culture: total pattern of human behavior

and its productsand its products Thought, speech, action, artifactsThought, speech, action, artifacts Shared language, norms and valuesShared language, norms and values


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Elements of CultureElements of Culture Culture creates human beings and human Culture creates human beings and human

societiessocieties Evolves through timeEvolves through time

Cultural evolution: gradual, accumulative Cultural evolution: gradual, accumulative processprocess

Reflective of all individualsReflective of all individuals SocializationSocialization: process that shapes : process that shapes

individuals to become members of societyindividuals to become members of society


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MulticulturalismMulticulturalism All individuals in culture are not exactly All individuals in culture are not exactly

alikealike United States is multicultural United States is multicultural

Blend of overlapping culturesBlend of overlapping cultures Subculture similarities hold us togetherSubculture similarities hold us together U.S. culture is a composite of subculturesU.S. culture is a composite of subcultures Challenge is finding correct mixChallenge is finding correct mix


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The Nature of a SocietyThe Nature of a Society Group of individuals living as members of Group of individuals living as members of

a communitya community Characteristics shaped by generationsCharacteristics shaped by generations Society: group must be bound by shared Society: group must be bound by shared

relationships, and be organizedrelationships, and be organized Not all groups are societiesNot all groups are societies


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Theories of Social ChangeTheories of Social Change Ideal golden ageIdeal golden age (in distant past) (in distant past)

Greek philosophersGreek philosophers Yielded to silver, bronze, iron agesYielded to silver, bronze, iron ages

Doctrine of inevitable progressDoctrine of inevitable progress World getting better and betterWorld getting better and better Popular in modern U.S. and EuropePopular in modern U.S. and Europe

Cyclical changeCyclical change Normal cycles of growth, climax and decline Normal cycles of growth, climax and decline


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Factors Causing Cultural ChangeFactors Causing Cultural Change

Technological developmentTechnological development Cultural diffusionCultural diffusion Ideas and ideologiesIdeas and ideologies Collective actionCollective action Geography and climateGeography and climate

©Neil Mey/Dreamstime.com


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Factors Stabilizing CultureFactors Stabilizing Culture Stability of social normsStability of social norms

Humans conservative about changeHumans conservative about change HabitHabit Value attachmentValue attachment

Mores have strong values attachmentMores have strong values attachment Vested interest: status that relies on status Vested interest: status that relies on status

quo (so resist change)quo (so resist change)


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Social Change and Social ProblemsSocial Change and Social Problems Social problems:Social problems:

Wide recognition of adverse affectsWide recognition of adverse affects Belief that condition Belief that condition cancan and and shouldshould change change

Large modern societies experience more Large modern societies experience more complex social problemscomplex social problems

Seldom a simple or complete solutionSeldom a simple or complete solution


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Cultural Lag TheoryCultural Lag Theory Ogburn: Ogburn: cultural lagcultural lag source of social source of social

disorganizationdisorganization Culture is pattern of interrelated elementsCulture is pattern of interrelated elements Change in one area creates strain in anotherChange in one area creates strain in another Adjustments cause Adjustments cause laglag in which tension in which tension

persistspersists Technological change sets pace of change Technological change sets pace of change

in modern industrial societiesin modern industrial societies


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Limitations of Cultural Lag TheoryLimitations of Cultural Lag Theory Material culture changes do not always Material culture changes do not always

precede nonmaterial changesprecede nonmaterial changes Difficult to reach agreement on changes Difficult to reach agreement on changes

neededneeded Making adjustments complex, and often Making adjustments complex, and often

impossibleimpossible


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Cultural ContrastsCultural Contrasts Social problems can exist Social problems can exist withinwithin and and

betweenbetween societies societies Cultural relativism: Cultural relativism: all cultures of the world all cultures of the world

are equally validare equally valid Examine cultures in their contextExamine cultures in their context Must be judged relative to cultureMust be judged relative to culture’’s value s value

systemsystem Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by

oneone’’s own value systems own value system


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Cultural Regions of the WorldCultural Regions of the World

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