Social Groups, Language, and Religion

1. Social Groups, Language, and Religion Chapter 4, Section 2

2. How Society is Organized • Every culture has a social structure • A way or organizing people into smaller groups • Each smaller group has particular tasks • Work together to get food • Protect the community • Raise children • Social structure helps people work together to meet the basic needs of individuals, families, and communities

3. Kinds of Families • Different cultures have different definitions for “family” • Nuclear family  a mother, father, and their children • Common pattern in industrial nations such as the USA, Great Britain, and Germany • Adults work outside of the home • Usually have money to buy what they need • Depend on the work of machines

4. Kinds of Families • Extended family  several generations • Parents and their children, with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives who live close by • Older people are very respected • Pass on traditions • As rural people move to cities, nuclear families are becoming more common.

5. Nuclear Family Extended Family

6. Kinds of Families • Cultures also differ when deciding who is in charge of families • Patriarchal families  men make most family decisions • African and Native American cultures  matriarchal • Women have more authority than patriarchies • Today, men and women have started to share family power and responsibility

7. Patriarchal Family Matriarchal Family

8. Social Classes • Social classes  rank people in a culture • A person’s status may come from such things as wealth, land, ancestors, or education • Today, people can improve their status • Get a good education • Make more money • Marry someone of a higher class

9. Language • All cultures have language • Every culture is based on language  lets people communicate everything they need to share in their culture • A culture’s language reflects the things that its people think are important

10. Language • “snow” – English vs. Inuits of North America • English = several adjectives for the white stuff that falls in some places in winter • Inuits = where they live, snow covers the ground for a good part of the year, making snow n important part of their environment than it is to people of other cultures; created words to meet their needs

11. Language • In some countries, people speak different languages • Culturally different in some ways from other people in their country • May celebrate different festivals, wear different clothes, or have different customs

12. Ways of Believing • Values and Religion • Religion helps people understand the world • Can provide comfort and hope for people facing difficult times • Helps answer questions about the meaning and purpose of life • Helps define values that people believe are important • Religion guides people in values, standards of accepted behavior.

13. Ways of Believing • Religious beliefs vary. • Christianity and Judaism = one god • Other religions worship more than one god • All religions have prayers and rituals • Every religion celebrates important places and times.