Culture
Components of Culture
Norms
Values
Symbols
ideas or rules about how people should behave in particular situations or toward certain other people—what is considered “normal” and appropriate behavior
Include
-what to wear on certain occasions
-what you can say in polite company
-how younger people should treat older people
-whom you can date
-who can own guns
-where and when to wear masks
many are assumed, not written down
we can learn them either consciously and unconsciously and incorporate them into our patterns of daily living
some norms are formalized in writing and made publicly available (country’s laws, systems of medical and business ethics, and the code of academic integrity at your college or university)
vary for segments of the population, imposing different expectations on men and women (ex. children and adults)
may be widely accepted, but also may be debated, challenged, and changed (particularly when norms enforced by a dominant group disadvantage or oppress a minority within the population)
Most people, though not all, accept and follow a culture’s norm
Culture creation and globalization
culture creation
gloablization
fundamental beliefs about what is important, what makes a good life, and what is true, right, and beautiful
reflect shared ultimate standards that should guide people’s behavior as well as goals that people feel are important for themselves, their families, and their community
are not fixed
can be debated and contested
may have varying degrees of influence
are not simply platitudes that express people’s ideals about the good life
are powerful cultural tools for clarifying cultural goals and motivating people to act
When enshrined in law, can become powerful political and economic tools
can be so potent that some people are willing to kill or die for them
something that stands for something else
Mental Maps of Reality
Cultural classifications of what kinds of people and things exist, and the assignment of meaning to those classifications.
are not universal, but within their particular cultural context they convey certain meanings
Much symbolic communication is nonverbal, action-based, and unconscious
change in meaning over time and from culture to culture
are shaped through enculturation, but they are not fixed, can be challenged and redrawn
a culture’s mental maps are drawn from the distinct vantage point of those in power
globalization continues to put pressure on mental maps of reality as people on the planet are drawn into closer contact with the world’s diversity
These are “maps” that humans construct of what kinds of people and what kinds of things exist
we can then dig deeper as required
our brains create shortcuts—maps—to navigate our experiences and organize all the data that come our way
have two important functions
classify reality
assign meaning to what has been classified.
organize the world into categories that help us sort out our experiences and what they mean
is seen everywhere
culture creation
different power dynamics