CULTURALDIVERSITY

The Meaning of Culture

Cultural Diversity

Identify as many culture universals as possible.These are features that exist in all societies.

THE MEANING OF CULTURE• Culture- consists of all the

shared products of human groups.

• Material Culture- physical objects that people create.

Examples: automobiles, clothing, books, buildings, computers, etc

• Nonmaterial Culture- abstract human creations

Examples: language, ideas, beliefs, rules, skills, family patterns, economic systems, etc

• Society- a group of mutually interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity.

MEANING OF CULTURE CONT.• Symbol- anything that stand for

something else.• Language- organization of

written or spoken symbols into a standardized system.

• Values- shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable.

• Norms- shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations.

• Law- written rule of conduct that is enacted and enforced by the government

EXAMINING CULTURE• Culture is continually

changing. • Sociologists examine a

culture by breaking it down into levels and studying each level separately.

• New material objects are constantly being introduced, as are new words, expressions, and ideas.

CULTURE TRAITS

• Culture Trait- an individual tool, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need.

• Our use of forks, knives, and spoons when eating is an example.

• The manner in which we greet people is also a culture trait.

CULTURAL COMPLEXES• Culture Complex- a cluster of

interrelated traits• Example: The game of football

-Material traits are football, cleats, helmets, etc.

-Specific acts include kicking, passing, catching, tackling, etc.

-Beliefs related are to be a good sport, certain rules to the game, penalties given for violations, etc.

CULTURE PATTERNS

• Culture Patterns- the combination of a number of culture complexes into an interrelated whole.

• For example, the complexes of sports such as basketball, softball, swimming, tennis, and soccer combine to form American athletics.

CULTURAL VARIATION• The cultures of the

world are very different.

• For example, there are approximately 240 different languages in the world today.

• In addition, the same language may have several variations.-British English, American English, Canadian English, and Australian English.

WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON?

• Cultural Universals- features common to all cultures

• Among these universals are cooking, feasting, tool making, religion, myths, sports, forms of greeting, medicine, dancing, family, housing, music, funeral ceremonies, gift giving, language, etc.

VARIATIONS AMONG SOCIETIES

• In the 1930’s, Margaret Mead conducted a study of cultural variation among several small societies in New Guinea.

The Arapesh

The Mundugumor

Case Study Page 33

Define these key terms in your own words:•Material Culture•Nonmaterial Culture•Language•Culture Universals

DEALING WITH VARIATION

• Variations in cultural practices have both positive and negative consequences.

• Ethnocentrism- the tendency to view one’s own culture and group as superior

• Cultural Relativism- the belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards.

VARIATION WITHIN SOCIETIES

• Subcultures- unique cultural characteristics of societies.

• Counterculture- when a group rejects the values, norms, and practices of the larger society and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns.

San Francisco’s Chinatown share many broad American culture traits but also have their own customs.

Meaning of Culture

Definition of Culture

Components of Culture

Shared Products of Human Groups

Material Culture

NonMaterialCulture

PhysicalObjects

AbstractHuman

Creations

Symbols Language Values Norms

Shared beliefs

about good and bad

Anything that stands

for something

Written and spoken symbols

Shared rules of conduct

Folkways Mores Laws

Common Conventions

Morally Significant

Norms

Written rules of conduct