7 Elements of Culture

1. 7 Elements of Culture

2. What is Culture? • The ways of life & knowledge of a grp of ppl • According to Ralph Linton: • The knowledge, attitudes, & behavior patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a society • Culture • is passed on by parents, grandparents, teachers, etc • & affects the way we think, what we believe (religiously & morally), what we eat, what we wear, how we behave, how our society behaves

3. #1= Social Organization • The way a culture divides its society into smaller structures/ groups • Sociology= the study of the development, organization, & functioning of society • What is the most important social unit? • Family • Family patterns • Nuclear family- wife, husb, kids. • Typical to industrialized societies • Extended family- Several generations in one household. Parents, kids, grandparents, aunts, uncles. Usually in developing nations. • Patriarchal- family where the oldest male makes the decisions • Matriarchal- family where the oldest female makes all the decisions

4. Kinship= concept that everyone is related to someone • There are rules (ie uncles can’t marry nieces) • Clan= ppl w/in an ethnic grp who claim to be descended from a common ancestor • Social Classes= rank ppl according to status in society • Can be based on $, occupation, heredity, education, etc • Social mobility= chance to move up and down the social ladder.

5. #2- Customs & Traditions • Rules of behavior (enforced by social pressures or by written laws) • ways of doing everyday things • Basic moral values • Language • Linguistics= the study of languages • Language families- most langs have root in same source. Largest major language family is the Indo-European Language • Clothes • Foods • Education • Occupation

6. #3- Arts & Literature • Products of human imagination teach us about cultural values. Can encourage pride or criticize. • Includes: • Painting • Sculpture • music • Drawing • Theatre • Literature • architecture

7. #4- Religion • Helps ppl answer the basic questions about the meaning of life; supports the values of a culture; can shape morals & ethics of a grp of ppl • Monotheism- belief/worship of 1 god • Polytheism- belief/worship of more than 1 god • Animism- belief that everything in nature has a spirit • The 5 Major World Religions: • Hinduism • Buddhism • Christianity • Judaism • Islam

8. #5- Language • Cornerstone of Culture • Culture passed through language • All cultures have language • Language reflects a culture’s identity • Some countries have mixed languages

9. #6- Forms of Government • Gov’t is designed to provide for ppl’s common needs- keeping order in society & protecting it from outside threats • Refers to the person(s) who holds pwr and to society’s laws & institutions. • Types of Gov’t: • Democracy- the ppl have supreme pwr. Gov’t acts by & w/ their consent • Republic- ppl choose the leaders who will represent them • Dictatorship- a ruler (or grp acting as 1) holds pwr by force. Often uses military to stay in office.

10. #7- Economic Systems • How ppl use limited resources to satisfy their wants & needs • 3 questions: • What goods & services should we produce? • How should we produce them? • For whom should we produce them? • Traditional economy- ppl prod most of what they need to survive. Hunting/gathering or farming/herding societies. • Market economy- indivs answer the econ questions by buying & selling goods & services • Command economy- gov’t controls what goods are prod, how they are prod & what they cost. Indivs have little econ pwr • Mixed economy- indivs make some decisions & gov’t makes others