Download Ch 2 s. 2

Sociology Ch. 2 S. 2:
Cultural Variation
Obj: describe cultural ___________________ and explain why they exist; explain what the
terms _________________ and cultural ______________ mean; identify factors that account
for variations among and within cultures.
Suppose you take a trip to ___________. Japanese friends invite you to dinner. They tell you
that they will be dining in traditional Japanese style. Would you know what to expect?
______________ can differ widely. To get an idea of how diverse world cultures are, you
might consider languages. If you count only the languages that have more than 2 million
speakers, there are more than 220 different ________________ in the world today.
If you include all the ____________ languages, the number is enormous. In addition, because
there may be dialects of the same basic language, even people who speak the ___________
language may have difficulty understanding one another. In the English language, for
example, British English, American English, Canadian English, and Australian English are just
a few of the possible ____________________.
What Do We Have in Common?
You may be wondering how cultures can be so ___________ when all humans have the
same basic ____________. The answer is that humans have the ability to meet their needs in
a vast _______________ of ways.
Only biological makeup and the physical environment limit this ability. Nevertheless, some
needs are so __________ that all societies must develop certain features to ensure their
fulfillment. These features, __________ to all cultures, are called cultural
___________________.
In the 1940s anthropologist George _____________ examined hundreds of different cultures
in an attempt to determine what general ___________ are common to all cultures. Murdock
used his research to compile a list of more than 65 cultural universals. Among these
universals are body _________________, cooking, dancing, family, feasting, forms of
greeting, funeral ceremonies, gift giving, housing, language, medicine, music, myths and
folklore, religion, sports, and tool making.
Murdock also found that although ________________ may dictate the need for cultural
universals, the specific nature of these traits can vary widely. One factor that gives rise to
families is the need to care for young children. He argued that in all cultures, the
_______________ of the family is the same. The family ensures that new members will be
added to society and cared for until old enough to fend for themselves. In addition, the family
introduces __________________ to the components of their culture.
The _______________ of a family, however, varies from culture to culture. In most of the
Western world, a family consists of one or both parents and their children. In the case of
three-generation families, grandparents may be introduced in the definition.
In some parts of the world a family may include a man, his _______________ wives, and
their children. While the _________________ of family may be different, Murdock argued that
the existence and purpose of families compose a cultural universal.
Variation Among Societies
In the 1930s anthropologist Margaret ___________ conducted a now-classic study of cultural
variation. Her purpose in the study was to determine whether differences in basic
__________________ – their fundamental emotional disposition of a person – result mainly
from inherited characteristics or from cultural _____________________.
To find out, she made first-hand ________________ of the shared, learned behaviors of
several small societies in New Guinea. The desire for an in-depth understanding of cultural
variation led Mead to live among the people of New Guinea and to __________________ in
their ___________.
Two of the societies that Mead examined were the Arapesh and the Mundugumor. Both
groups lived in the northern part of what today is Papua New Guinea. Listen, and make
comparisons between the two cultures.
Comparing the Two Societies:
What ___________ might account for the vast cultural __________________ between
these two societies? At the time of Mead’s study, the Arapesh lived in the mountains while the
Mundugumor lived in a river valley. The A’s planted gardens while the M’s were primarily food
gatherers. For the A’s, food was usually __________. The M’s, on the other hand, had an
abundance of food, and life was relatively easy.
Based on her research, Mead concluded that _________________ is mainly the result of
culture rather than ___________. She noted that differences in temperament were much
greater between the two societies than between males and females in the same society.
Among the Arapesh, men and women alike were gentle and cooperatives. Similarly, among
the Mundugumor, everyone was hostile and competitive. In recent years, Mead’s research
methods and observations have been _____________. Nonetheless, her study vividly
illustrates the wide variance among cultures.
Studying Variation
The study of variations in cultures presents ____________ for social scientists. Cultural
variations are what make different societies ___________ to study. However, social scientists
must be careful to remain critical of ____________ in their observations and conclusions.
Ethnocentrism
It is not unusual for people to have a _____________ response to cultural traits that differ
drastically from their own. This tendency to view one’s own culture and group as superior is
called __________________. People in all societies are, at times, ethnocentric. The belief
that the characteristics of one’s group or society are right and good helps to build group
_________.
At times, belief of the _______________ of a society results from _______________
advances that make one group see others as inferior. However, when ethnocentrism
becomes extreme in this way, culture can ___________. By limiting the pool of acceptable
members, groups and societies run the risk of excluding new influences that might prove
beneficial.
Even anthropologists and sociologists _________ with ethnocentrism. Napoleon Chagnon’s
first impression of the Yanomamo was filtered through the _____________ of his own culture.
Everything about the Yanomamo culture contradicted Chagnon’s expectations of how people
should look and act. Chagnon admits that when he began to study the Yanomamo of
Venezuela and Brazil, their appearance and behavior initially ____________ him.
Cultural Relativism
Social scientists attempt to keep an _________ mind toward cultural variations. To do so
many adopt an attitude of cultural ______________, which is the belief that cultures should
be judged by their own standards rather than by applying the standards of another culture. In
other words, researchers who practice cultural relativism attempt to understand cultural
practices from the points of view of the _____________ of the society being studied.
Variation Within Societies
Cultural _____________ exist not only among societies but also ____________ societies.
Among the major sources of variation within a society are the unique cultural practices of
various ___________.
As an American, you share a ___________ culture with all other Americans. American culture
is a collection of traits, complexes, and patterns that, by and large, are __________ from
those of their societies. In addition to these broad cultural features some groups in society
share values, norms, and behaviors that are not shared by the entire ______________. The
unique cultural characteristics of these groups form a subculture.
Criminologist Edwin _________________ developed the idea of subcultures in the 1920s,
through his work on crime and ________________ delinquency. In addition to __________
subcultures, sociologists today recognize age, gender, ethnic, religious, political, geographic,
social-class, and occupational subcultures.
Most subcultures do not ___________ all of the values and practices of the larger society. For
example, residents of San Francisco’s Chinatown have many broad American cultural traits,
such as going to public schools, playing with toys, and working at similar jobs. The culture of
the Chinatown residents also includes the Chinese _______________ and specific foods and
_______________ that are not shared by most Americans. Chinese New Year is one such
cultural celebration.
The residents of Little Havana in Miami and the Navajo of the Southwest also have their own
language and other cultural traits that are not shared by the larger American society.
Subcultures have also developed around _______ groups. Youth subcultures have existed in
the US throughout the 1900s. Characteristics of these _____________ cultures have included
owning fast cars, listening to rock or hip-hop music, and wearing certain ___________.
Most subcultures do not present a ____________ to society. ____________ society is
dependent on various subcultures – such as the military, the police, lawyers, physicians,
teachers, and religious leaders – to provide many important functions. Furthermore,
subcultures, particularly those based on race and ethnicity, add diversity and may make
society more open to ____________.
In some instances, however, sub cultural practices are consciously intended to challenge the
values of the larger society. Sometimes a group rejects the ___________ values, norms, and
new set of cultural patterns. Sociologists call the resulting subculture a _______________.
The cyberpunk movement, anarchists, organized crime families, and the _________
movement of the 1960s are examples of countercultures in the US. For example, some
organized crime families reject social norms such as obeying laws.
As is true in the case of cultural variation among societies, cultural variation within a
_________ may give rise to ethnocentric feelings. Sociologists try to maintain the same
____________ of cultural ________________ when studying subcultures and
countercultures.