Culture

1. Have you been outside the U.S.? As you enter, write the names of any countries you have visited or lived in on the board. Use a tally mark if someone has already written it. • Values • Norms • Assignment 3 details Culture “From my own experience, there is no question that the speed with which you are able to achieve your goals is directly related to how clearly and how often you visualize them.” –Charles Givens (best-selling author of financial literacy books)

2. Culture Total way of life shared by members of a community

3. 5 Characteristics of Culture • Islearned • Is taken for granted (“the last thing a fish would notice is water”) • Is symbolic • Isconstantly changing • Effects how we perceive and evaluate the world around us

4. Culture exists on 3 levels  Non-material culture Material culture

5. What culture is NOTThink of a typical “multicultural day” • Just artifacts or material used by a people  • Biological traits such as race

6. Values: shared beliefs about what is important • General guidelines for behavior • Ex: respect for elders • Ideas of what people should give importance to What do you we value in the United States?

7. Values in the U.S. Sociologist Robin Williams identified the following as core values in the U.S. in 1965 • Achievement and success • Individualism • Activity/Work • Efficiency and practicality • Science and technology • Material comfort • Love • Education • Freedom Do we have the same values now?

8. Value contradictions: two different values that can contradict each other Example: material comfort can contradict concern for the environment

9. Value Contradictions. Do some of these values contradict each other? How so? • Healthy Lifestyles • Concern for the Environment • Freedom • Self-fulfillment • Progress • Humanitarianism • Equality • Safety • Achievement and success • Individualism • Activity/Work • Efficiency and practicality • Science and technology • Material comfort • Love • Education • Religion Example: Material comfort and concern for the environment

10. Ideal Culture vs Real Culture: one value that a society feels is important but may not really value Example: education (free public education for K-12, but also lots of budget cuts)

11. Ideal Culture vs Real Culture: one value that a society feels is important but may not really value Example: safety for children

12. Ideal culture vs. Real culture Do we really value what we like to say we value? Discuss in groups of 1-4 1. Pick one value. 2. What are 2 ways we do value this? 3. What are 2 ways we do not? Love Freedom Equality Work/productivity 4 mins Healthy lifestyles Environmental concern Religion • Humanitarianism • (helping others)

13. Value contradictions: two different values that can contradict each other Ideal Culture vs Real Culture: one value that a society feels is important but may not really value

14. Culture shock Disorientation that occurs when entering an unfamiliar culture

15. Culture Shock Disorientation that occurs when entering an unfamiliar culture Have you had experiences with culture shock?

16. Ethnocentrism • Using your own group’s ways of doing things as a measure of what is normal National Geographic-Roper Survey of Geographic Literacy Asked Americans ages 18-24 which is the world’s most spoken language? Mandarin Russian English Arabic

17. Ethnocentrism • Has positive and negative aspects

18. Norms: shared rules of conduct • Outline what is acceptable, appropriate • Guide behavior • Based on values Value: respect for elders Norm: give up your seat on the bus if there is someone elderly standing

19. How do we learn norms? • reinforced by positive and negative sanctions • Sanctions: reactions people get for breaking or following norms

20. 3 Types of Norms: Folkways, Mores (more-ays), Taboo

21. 3 Types of Norms: Folkways, Mores (more-ays), Taboo Being faithful to husband/ wife Husband and wife live in the same home -Open marriages -Multiple wives/husbands

22. 3 types of norms Mark didn’t bring a gift to his friend’s birthday party. Mark violated a ___________________________ Mark exchanged his daughter’s hand in marriage for money. In the United States this is _______________________________. Mark was hitting his dog badly at the park . Mark has violated a _______ folkway taboo mos

23. Subcultures • Culture within larger culture • Have own values, customs etc, • Shares many values of the larger culture Ex: Youth culture, DJ’s, surfers, doctors

24. Counter cultures Culture of society as a whole • Holds values that stand in opposition to those of the dominant culture • Ex: Swingers, gangs, mafia subculture Counter culture

25. Freeganism and dumpster diving View Info More details

26. Quick Write: 1. Do you think Freeganismis a subcultureor counter culture? 2. Why? 3. What are their values? 4. What types of norms might they follow? Subculture: • Culture within larger culture • Has some own values, customs etc, • Shares many values of the parent culture Counter culture: • Holds values that stand in opposition to those of the dominant culture

27. Cultural Assignment #3 Due next class: Read Ch 2: p 33-44. A#3: Bring in a cultural artifact (any item that has meaning to you, not just ethnic culture) prepare to share what it means *Cannot be a picture *Cannot be car keys or cell phone *Must be in class for points SportsReligionPolitical ideologyInterests/hobbiesExperiences Race/ethnicity/nationality LanguageGenderSocio-economic statusAge

28. 3 Types of Norms: Folkways, Mores (more-ays), Taboo Mom and Dad sleep in one room, children in another Parents provide children with a safe place to sleep Dad and teenage daughter sleeping in the same bed

29. Cultural relativism Examining cultures without judging its elements as superior or inferior to ones own way of life Is cultural relativism a good thing? Can it be a bad thing?