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General sociology week 3 - Culture (Characteristics of culture…
General sociology week 3 - Culture
Characteristics of culture
Is a social consturct
Is outside of our core identity but is connected to ojurselves
We are born into it, shaped by it consciously and unconciously and pass it on
Determines how we experience life and the way wer approach reality
Is all about the process of meaning making
Not recognized or felt until compared with other cultures
CIVILIZATIONS
highest possible cultural grouping of peoples
refers to longer periods of time
Linked to major religioons, geographic areas, rise -> prosperity -> decay
Vague and generalizing
can refer to specific cultural ideal
5 components of culture
Symbols
tangible and intangible matters that have one or more meanings and are recognised by people who share the same culture
Are continuously used and deployed (hence updated, may create chagnes in meanings over time)
Gives meaning to lives (links meaning to objects, experiences, etc)
Language
system of symbols that allow people to communicate with each other
Takes the form of speech and writing
Allows for the transmission and reproduction of knowledge
Main source of cultural reproduction and passing on culture
important part source of social reproduction, inclusion and exluscion
Language shapes the way we think
Values and beliefs
Values: shared belief of what is good and what is bad. what should be pursued and what should be avoided
Beliefs: commonly shred beliefs on what is fact (think of belief in God)
Core moral positions formulated by societies
Groups that have different cultures also have different value systems
Ronald Inglehart researched values on a global scale :warning:
Traditional vs secular societies
Survival vs self expression
Norms
What is normal, how does a normal person behave?
Rules of conduct (some universal, some cultural dependent)
Division of two categories
Customs
Mores
behaviors associated with morality (e.g. adultery)
strictly monitored and punished
Folkways
usual way of acting (e.g. greeting someone on the street)
Less strongly punished
Concerned with daily life
Legal norms or legal rules
Very black and white
Written rules
much stricter
Punishment if rules are broken
Crucial
Are not always universal
Material culture
Cultures include material objects/artifacts because they have meaning (e.g. clothing, souvenirs, etc.)
Most eye-catching aspects of cultures
often reflect a culture's values or beliefs
A rich source of information regarding culture and history
Cultural diversity
Study of culture implies recognition of differences and diversity
Different ways/contexts to talk about culture, cultural differences and cultural diversity :warning:
Cultural change
catalysts
discoveries
inventions
diffusion
Not all elements of a culture always change at the same time (cultural lag)
e.g. technology may exceed our morals, ethics or politics
:!:
Ethnocentrism
: judging other cultures based on the standards of one's own culture
#
Can lead to misunderstandings and conflict
is inevitable because one's own culture feel correct and obvious
Stronger in closed communities (e.g countrysides with few strangers)
:!:
Cultural relativism
: judging another culture based on the standards specific to that culture
Requires reflexivity and empathy
When is this appropiate to use (e.g. in the case of child labour and human trafficking)?
Globalization
There is contact between different cultures more than ever
Global economy
Global communication
Global migration
increase in cultural hybridization
Inequality of access to goods, services and information
Glocalisation
Interpreting globalized culture through one's own culture