Chapter 3 on Culture
Chapter 3 introduces us to CULTURE - culture - all of the learned, social customs, knowledge, material, and behavior that is based on generation to generation. Society - a large number of people living in the same area relatively independent of people outside their area and participating in a common culture. (Most commonly neighborhoods around New Orleans are grouped together by cultures.) A Society is the largest form of human group. Language is a critical element of culture that sets humans apart from other species.
Ethnocentrism - the tendency to assume that one's own culture and way of life represent the norm or are superior to others. Cultural relativism - viewing people's behavior and beliefs from the perspective of their own culture; the opposite of ethnocentrism. (Wouldn't it be nice if most people could take the time to see the world through everyone else's lenses for just a while?)
Language - established standards of behavior maintained by society. Sapir-Whorf hypothesis - language is culturally determined and serves to influence our mode of thought. Communication - verbal, nonverbal, gestures, facial expressions, visual images, symbols (gestures, objects, and words that form the basis of human communication).
Norms - established standards of behavior maintained by society. formal norms - (laws, rules, regulations, procedures) - generally are written down and specify certain behaviors through laws and regulations. Informal norms - (not written down) - generally understood, but not precisely written. Norms are classified into mores and folkways. Mores - are norms deemed necessary to the welfare of society and demand obedience. Folkways - play a role in shaping behavior, without strict sanctions attached. Sanctions - penalties and rewards for conduct concerning a social norm. (Sanction can be formal positive - as a bonus, medal, diploma, OR informal like a smile, compliment, cheers; or it can be formal negative - like a demotion, fire from a job, jail OR informal like humiliation, bullying, frown.) People do not follow norms, whether formal or informal, in all situations. In some cases, they can evade a norm because they know it is weakly enforced. For example, It is illegal for U.S. teenagers to drink alcoholic beverages, yet drinking by minors is common throughout the nation. In fact, teenage alcoholism is a serious social problem.) Values - collective conceptions of what is considered good, desirable, and proper, or what is considered bad, undesirable, and improper in culture. All members of a society do not uniformly share values. Angry political debates and billboards promoting conflicting causes tell us that much. Values influence behavior and serve as criteria for evaluating the actions of others. Values, norms, and sanctions of a culture of often directly related.
AFTER READING CHAPTER 3, PLEASE DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING: NAME ONE CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT DISCOVERY AND ONE CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT INVENTION THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN YOUR LIFETIME. EXPLAIN HOW THESE INNOVATIONS HAVE AFFECTED THE CULTURE TO WHICH YOU BELONG.