Components of Culture

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Components of Culture
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So how does Heredity affect behavior?

• Culture is not the only influence on behavior-
  genetics do play a role.
• Nature vs. Nurture debate
• According to the latest twins studies it is
  believed that about ½ of a humans personality
  traits are determined by genes.
• However- human reflexes and drives can be
  altered by culture.
• Crying (Native American cultures vs. Jewish and
  Italian cultures)
• Therefore- Culture CHANNELS the expression of
  biological characteristics

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Sociobiology

• this is the study of the biological basis of
  human behavior. It combines Darwins theory of
  natural selection with modern genetics.
• Socio-biologists assumes that the behaviors that
  best help people biologically are transmitted in
  the genetic code.
• the main criticism of this field is the misuse
  of the information to label some groups inferior/
  superior
• And that there is too much variation in human
  groups to be explained solely on biological
  grounds
• Middle ground? A growing number of sociologists
  believe that genetics works with culture to shape
  society
• 1998 study on attraction (men vs. women)

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Language

• Is a complex system of symbols with meaning that
  people use for communication
• Symbols- anything to which groups assign meaning
• Symbols can have multiple meanings that can
  change from culture to culture- examples?
• Language frees humans from the limits of time and
  place
• 3-4 thousand languages exist in the world today
• Most language have between 15-60 distinct sounds
• Non-verbal communication is vital!!!
• micro-expressions

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Sapir- Whorf Hypothesis

• Language guides our reality
• Our perceptions of the world depend (in part) to
  the language we have learned
• This theory is also referred to as the hypothesis
  of linguistic relativity
• What can language tell you about culture?
• Often times the more words for something a
  culture has- the greater the importance (and
  visa-versa)
• Early Christian missionaries frustrated
• no word in Chinese for sin
• Africans and Polynesians had no word to express
  a single/all powerful God
• Inuit (Eskimo) has over 20 words for snow
• The Piraha lack words to express numbers
  greater than 3
• Homework Read the story Cultural Relativism on
  page 80-
• Be ready to discuss it.

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Norms and Values

• Norms- the rules defining appropriate behavior
• Anything can be considered normal- when the norms
  approve of it
• We may not be aware of a norm until it is broken
• THREE TYPES OF NORMS
• 1-Folkways- rules that cover customary ways of
  thinking, feeling, and behaving, but lack moral
  overtones
• People who break them may appear weird or odd,
  but they are not considered immoral/threatening
• Informal sanctions may be applied to those who
  break them.

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Norms and Values continued

• 2- Mores- (based on the word moral) these are
  norms with great moral significance
• Formal sanctions apply to those who break them
  (punishment by an authority figure)
• The most serious form of mores are TABOOS
• These are behaviors that demand swift punishment
  by society and are often seen as unthinkable

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• 3- Laws- are norms that are formally enacted and
  enforced by officials
• Mores are an important source for laws
• Folkways can become mores (smoking- bans)
• Laws can often become outdated (see page 86
  for examples)
• All norms are enforced by using sanctions
• which are penalties or rewards society uses
  to encourage conformity and punish deviance

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Norm Violation Field Observation

• Goal to assess individual reactions to a
  folkway violation
• Guidelines- YOU ARE RESPONCIBLE FOR YOUR OWN
  BEHAVIOR!!!!
• Break a folkway- NOT a rule, law, mores, taboo,
  etc.
• You will fulfill any consequences of your
  behavior (in school, home, wherever)
• Use your brain and have fun
• You may work on a team (up to 4 people) but each
  of you needs to produce your own paper or video
  segment
• You may either write a paper
• 1 page minimum, size 12 font, dspaced
• Or produce a video
• It must be no longer than 5 minutes, quality
  production, not obscene lang./behavior
• ON BOTH ASSESSMENTS YOU MUST
• Introduce yourself
• explain the folkway you are going to break and
  the expected reaction
• Paper- describe how you violated it and the
  reactions you received
• Video- tape yourself breaking the violation
  and record a variety of reactions
• Conclusion
• - Did you get the expected reaction- why/why
  not?
• - who seemed to have the greatest reaction to
  your behavior?
• - In America.are we truly FREE?

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Values are shared ideas of what is socially
desirable

• Identical Values might express themselves do not
  result in identical norms
• Societies values provide the basis for norms
• Sociologist Robin Williams (no its not the
  actor) did a 1970s study on American Values- and
  these are some of them
• Achievement and success
• Activity and Work
• Efficiency and Practicality
• Equality
• Democracy
• Leisure
• Group Superiority
• In the last 30 years values have stayed the
  same but how they express themselves (norms) have
  changed

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Cultural Diversity

• Exists in every culture
• Some diversity is a result of
• social categories- groups that share social
  characteristics such as age,, religion, gender,
  etc
• In large complex cultures you may find
• Subcultures groups that share many elements of
  the mainstream culture but maintain their own
  distinct customs, values, norms, and/or
  lifestyle.
• age, gender, wealth, sexual preference,
  education, occupation, etc.
• Counterculture- reject the conventional wisdom
  and standards of behavior of the majority (tend
  to lash out-illegally) and provide alternatives
  to the mainstream culture.
• Skinheads (Neo-Nazi's), cults, militia groups,
  some civil rights groups) Not always negative

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PROXEMICS

• DEFINITON A cultures comfort zone for
  personal space
• Western Europeans and Americans, a space of 14 to
  16 inches is considered non-intrusive. But those
  from the U.K. might consider a distance of 24
  inches to be more comfortable.
• Koreans and Chinese generally prefer at least 36
  inches of personal space.
• In Middle Eastern countries, a narrower distance
  of 8 to 12 inches is common, widening the
  distance could be perceived as distrustful
  behavior.
• In America- there are 4 zones of communication
• 1- Intimate zone- body contact to 18 inches
  (personal space)
• 2- Personal Zone- 18 inches to 4 feet
• Most personal conversations happen here
• 3- Social Distance- 4 feet to 12 feet
• Guests and co-worker distance
• 4- Public Distance 12 feet and beyond
• Very formal distance (speeches)

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Cultural Universals and Particulars

• Cultural Universals - general traits that exist
  in all cultures throughout time
• Researches have identifies more than 70 traits
  that are universal
• Examples
• Age grading, Athletics, art, Bodily adornment,
  Calendar, Cleanliness training, community
  organization, Cooking, Cooperative labor,
  Cosmology, Courtship, dancing, art, divination,
  division of labor by gender or age, Dream
  interpretation, economy, Education, healing,
  family, feasting, folklore, funeral rites, games,
  gestures, gift giving, government, greetings,
  hair styles, hospitality, holidays, housing,
  hygiene, incest taboos, inheritance rules,
  joking, language, law, luck superstitions, magic,
  marriage, morals, music, political organization,
  population policy, pregnancy usages, property
  rights, puberty customs, religion, religious
  ritual, sexual restrictions, soul concepts,
  social order, status differentiation, surgery,
  technology, tool making, toys, trade,
  traditions, values, and weaning children.
• Cultural Particulars- the ways in which a culture
  expresses universal traits
• Assign Cultural Universal Paper-
  due______________.

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Cultural Universal Paper

• Purpose To compare the cultural particulars
  for cultural universals between the United
  States and another culture.
• Task Pick ONE cultural Universal that you would
  like to research
• You can work with one other person if you would
  like- you can produce ONE paper to hand in make
  sure it is someone who will actually work!
• The Paper
• A- Introduce the paper by explaining which
  cultural universal you chose and which
  cultures you will be comparing
• (USA vs. ?)- 5 points
• B- What is the US particular for the
  universal- 10 points
• C- What is the other culture you have chosen
  and what is their cultural particular for the
  universal- 10 points
• D- Why do you think these cultures express
  their universals in different ways? (opinion)-
  5 points
• E- A Bibliography of at least 2 sources- 5
  points
• Grammar/spelling- 5 points
• Total 40 points
• Length- 2 page minimum- size 12 font/ dspaced/
  I inch margins
• Try to choose a non- European/ non- modern
  culture to compare it to!
• Do NOT chose religion unless you check with me
  (I do not want your Global paper!)

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Sociological Approaches to Culture

• Functionalists-
• Culture is a practical response to the
  environment Cultural Ecology (i.e.- the
  veneration of the cow in India)
• Cultural Integration- most cultural practices
  fit together to makes society function better
  (i.e.- automobile-dating changes- teen pregnancy)
• Conflict-
• Cultural is highly complex with many strains and
  contradictions that reflect groups interests and
  needs
• Due to their wealth, power, and resource groups
  at the top have disproportionate influence over
  the cultural identity
• Symbolic Interactionists-
• Focuses on how individuals and groups use symbols
  to define and interpret their reality- Culture
  is a symbolic world