Transcript The Meaning of Culture:

Culture and Society
Chapter Opener
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company
A woman looks at a dish of worms during the
Taipei Chinese Food Festival in Taiwan.
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company
Members of a 1960s commune pose together for
a group portrait
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company
Harajuku girls stroll down a street in Tokyo, Japan
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
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Globalization and Everyday Life
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company
Globalization and Everyday Life
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company
Papua New Guinean men in traditional clothing and
face paint at the Sing- Sing Annual Cultural show.
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
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Spinach Pierogi
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Bocce
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Cologne Cathedral, built in the Middle Ages, stands at the
center of Cologne, Germany, and towers over the city,
symbolizing the central role Christianity played in
medieval European life.
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
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Over 90 percent of the people who live in industrial
societies live in cities or towns.
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Women waiting in line for food in Calcutta, India
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
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Using the Internet to connect with the world around
them is common among young people across cultures.
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Multicultural knowledge
How many of the following words or phrases can you identify?
The United States is a melting pot, where many cultures live
side- by- side. Americans often share in the cuisines, music,
holiday traditions, and even language of cultures that are very
different from their own family heritages. Yet even within a single
ethnic or religious subculture, further subcultures exist, such as
generational subcultures— where people born in the 1990s
experience culture in very different ways than their parents or
grandparents. Find out the answers on the next slides.
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1. bhangra
9. ushanka
2. bocce
3. acupuncture
4. futon
5. tah deeg
6. pierogi
7. jumping the broom
8. chuppah
10. sarape
11. djembe
12. sitar
13. LP
14. kaffeeklatsch
15. getting pinned
Answers
1.
2.
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9.
bhangra: A type of music and dance that originated in the Punjab region of India,
especially among Sikhs. American music fans may recognize bhangra melodies and
rhythms from hip- hop artists including Beyonce and Beenie Man.
bocce: Bocce is a sport similar to bowling, although it takes place outside— usually
on one’s lawn or on a court made of stones or shells. The sport originated in Italy,
and literally means “bowls.”
acupuncture: A form of Chinese medicine that has grown in popularity in the United
States over the past decade. It involves inserting fine needles into specific points on
the body to relieve pain.
futon: A thick mattress with a cloth cover, used for sleeping. Although futons are
common in college dorm rooms, they originated as beds in Japan.
tah deeg: A much- sought- after delicacy in Persian cooking; it is the crispy layer of
browned rice at the bottom of a pan of cooked rice.
pierogi: A boiled dumpling of unleavened dough stuffed with ingredients such as
potatos or cheese. Pierogis can be found at American grocery stores, but originally
are from eastern European nations such as Poland.
jumping the broom: A common custom at African American wedding ceremonies.
The bride and groom end their ceremony by jumping together or separately over a
broom that is lying in front of the altar.
chuppah: A canopy traditionally used in Jewish weddings. It symbolizes the home the
couple will build together.
ushanka: A fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied under the chin to protect the ears
from the cold. The ushanka originates from Russia.
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Answers
10. sarape: A colorful shawl or poncho worn in Mexico.
11. djembe: A large drum from West Africa. Djembe literally means “everyone gather
together.” American popular musicians Ben Harper, Paul Simon, and the Grateful
Dead have added the djembe to their percussion lines.
11. sitar: A long- necked stringed instrument that is plucked. It is used primarily in
music from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Sitar music was widely introduced to
the Western world when Ravi Shankar performed with the Beatles in the 1960s.
12. LP: a long- playing record, also known as a 33 1/3 rpm vinyl record. In the 1960s
through the mid 1980s, this is how most people listened to recorded music. The LP
has since given way to CDs and downloaded music stored in iPods.
13. kaffeeklatsch: An informal gathering of friends to drink coffee and chat, like on the
television show Friends. This is a German word, although the idea is very familiar to
Americans.
14. getting pinned. In the 1940s and 1950s, when a dating couple decided they wanted to
be “exclusive,” the boy would present the girl with a “pin”— typically earned for his
athletic or academic achievements.
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The Meaning of Culture:
The Key to Human Diversity
Does this picture offend you?
If so, then you may be guilty of
Ethnocentrism!
People who are ethnocentric apply
their own values in judging the
behavior and beliefs of other people
raised in other cultures.
Ethnocentrism contributes to social
solidarity and a sense of value and
community.
However, it also fuels conflict.
Culture is learned behavior
Each child goes
through a process of
enculturation when
they grow up in a
culture.
Children learn by
observing the
behaviors of people in
their surroundings,
including the
recognition of
symbols specific to
that culture.
Examples of cultural symbols
Culture is shared
Culture is an attribute not of
individuals per se but of individuals as
members of groups.
Culture is transmitted by society.
Enculturation unifies people by
providing us with common
experiences.
Culture is symbolic
Symbols can either
be verbal
(linguistic) or
nonverbal (object,
written symbol).
Culture and Nature: Differences in
How we meet the call
Culture defines what
people eat, how food
is prepared, and when
and how food is eaten.
Waste elimination is
culturally prescribed.
Sexual activities are
also dictated by
culture (with who,
how, where, and
when).
Culture is all-encompassing and
integrated
Culture envelopes each of us, and
touches every aspect of our lives.
Culture is systematic and integrated
(it is not a random phenomenon).
Cultures teach us to share certain
core values that helps shape the
personality of the individuals within a
culture.
Cultures are dynamic: rules are
made to be broken
Humans are creative animals and
always do not strictly follow the
dictates of their culture.
There is individual interpretation of
each aspect of culture that is in part
due to family and personal history.
Real vs. Ideal culture.
Culture can be both adaptive and
maladaptive
Modern technology
has provided for the
adaptation of humans
to every part of the
globe, as ancient
technologies provided
successful to
environments on a
smaller scale.
Short-term vs. longterm adaptive
strategies.
Levels of culture
National: learned behavioral patterns,
beliefs, values, and institutions shared
by the citizens of a nation.
International: cultural traditions that
expand beyond cultural boundaries.
Subculture: different traditions
practiced by groups set within a larger
culture. Frequently regionally based.
Ethnocentrism, Cultural Relativism,
and Human Rights
The “human rights”
movement suggests
that there is a realm of
justice and morality
that supercedes the
practices of many
cultures.
Examples: female
genital mutilation in
the Middle East; male
circumcision at birth in
the United States.
Universality, Generality, and
Particularity
Universal: found in all cultures.
Examples: Exogamy and incest
taboo.
Generality: found in many cultures, but
not all. Example: nuclear family.
Particularities: found only in some
cultures. Example: head hunting.
What makes cultures change?
Diffusion: borrowing of traits
between cultures.
Acculturation: exchange of cultural
features that results from long-term
exposure between cultures.
Independent invention: Developing
to solution to problems by individual
cultures. Example: agriculture.
One World Culture? Globalization
in the 21st Century
Cultures are increasingly coming in
contact as a result of improved trade
relations, better communication, and
easier travel.
Multinational corporations and
business “outsourcing” to the Third
World are becoming more
commonplace.
Globalization and culture
There is virtually no escape from
globalization today as a result of
technology.
Television, the “global economy,”
multinational corporations (MNCs),
and international non-governmental
organizations (INGOs), along with ecommunication, have changed the
face of culture the world over, leading
to increased interdependence.
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Map 2.1 The Exploding Internet, 2008
Essentials Of Sociology, 3rd Edition
Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company
Response to globalization
Not everyone is happy with
globalization.
There has been a rise of nationalism,
tribalism, and other forms of protest that
is largely a rejection of Western culture
(often seen as Americanization).
Part of the response has also been an
emphasis on the importance of local
culture.
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