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What is Culture?
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Culture is the values, beliefs, behavior,
and material objects that together form a
people’s way of life.
Types of Culture
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Non-material culture – intangible
human creations
Material culture – tangible creations of a
society
Shapes what we do
Helps form our personalities
Informs our definition of what is
‘normal ‘
Culture Shock
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Personal disorientation
when experiencing an
unfamiliar way of life.
It is the inability to
read meanings in a
new surroundings.
Components of Culture
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Symbols
Language
Values and Beliefs
Norms
Ideal and Real Culture
What do symbols mean
Components of culture
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Symbols:
A symbol is anything that carries a particular meaning
recognized by people who share a culture (a flag, a
word, a flashing red light, a raised fist, an animal etc).
* non-verbal gestures can be very “symbolic” and diverse.
-Diverse meanings can be given to different variations of the
same object, for example, the winking of an eye.
Language
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Sick
Dope
Bomb
For Schizzle my Snizzle
Fo sho
Whack
My bad
Dawg or is it Dog, or is it Dogg (Snoop)
Give me 5 more words that carry significance in
teenage vernacular.
Components of culture (contd’)
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Language
A system of symbols that allows
people to communicate with one
another.
Function of language:
-Enhances communication (“lets make sure we’re on the same
page”)
-Ensures continuity of culture (story telling)
-Identifies societies or groups (group specific words)
-Determines how a person is perceived by others (proper
grammar vs slang)
Components of culture (contd’)
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Values and Beliefs
-VALUES are culturally defined standards by
which people assess desirability, goodness, and
beauty and that serve as broad guidelines for
social living.
BELIEFS are specific statements that people
hold to be true (e.g. The possibility that the US will
one day have a female president - based on the
shared value of equal opportunity)
Beauty – what are our values in
America
“Peek-a-boo”
Are these beautiful people by America’s standards??
Is this beauty?
American Beauty – what do we value as
beauty today
Components of culture (contd’)
- Norms are the agreed-upon expectations and
rules by which a culture guides the behavior of
its members in any given situation.
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TYPES
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PROSCRIPTIVE
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Should nots, prohibited
PRESCRIPTIVE
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Shoulds, prescribed like medicine
Types of Norms
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There are four basic types of norms that sociologists commonly
refer to: folkways, mores, taboos, and laws.
Folkways, sometimes known as “conventions” or “customs,” are
standards of behavior that are socially approved but not morally
significant.
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For example, belching loudly after eating dinner at someone else's home breaks
an American folkway.
Mores are norms of morality. Breaking mores, like attending
church in the nude, will offend most people of a culture.
Certain behaviors are considered Taboo, meaning a culture
absolutely forbids them, like incest in U.S. culture.
Finally, Laws are a formal body of rules enacted by the state and
backed by the power of the state. Virtually all taboos, like child
abuse, are enacted into law, although not all mores are.
For example, wearing a bikini to church may be offensive, but it
is not against the law.
Folkways
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Folkways are often referred to as "customs."
They are standards of behavior that are socially approved but not
morally significant.
They are norms for everyday behavior that people follow for the
sake of tradition or convenience. Breaking a folkway does not
usually have serious consequences.
Cultural forms of dress or food habits are examples of folkways.
In America, if someone belched loudly while eating at the dinner
table with other people, he or she would be breaking a folkway. It
is culturally appropriate to not belch at the dinner table, however
if this folkway is broken, there are no moral or legal
consequences.
Mores
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Mores are strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior.
Mores are norms based on definitions of right and wrong.
Unlike folkways, mores are morally significant. People feel
strongly about them and violating them typically results in
disapproval.
Religious doctrines are an example of mores. For instance, if
someone were to attend church in the nude, he or she would
offend most people of that culture and would be morally shunned.
Also, parents who believe in the more that only married people
should live together will disapprove of their daughter living with
her boyfriend. They may consider the daughter’s actions a
violation of their moral guidelines.
Taboos
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A taboo is a norm that society holds so strongly that violating it
results in extreme disgust.
Often times the violator of the taboo is considered unfit to live in
that society.
For instance, in some Muslim cultures, eating pork is taboo
because the pig is considered unclean.
At the more extreme end, incest and cannibalism are taboos in
most countries.
LAWS
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Laws are a formal body of rules enacted by the state and backed
by the power of the state.
Virtually all Taboos, like child abuse, are enacted into law, some
Mores are, but not all. Folkways are never laws.
For example, wearing a bikini to church may be offensive, but it
is not against the law.
Many laws (unlike mores) do not have a moral evaluation
connected to them. Not stopping completely at a stop sign is
against the law, but you will not be judged “immoral” for doing it.
Definition - A body of rules of conduct of binding legal force and
effect, prescribed, recognized, and enforced by a controlling
authority.
SOCIAL CONTROL
Various means by which members of society
encourage conformity to norms
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GUILT
 A negative judgment we make about ourselves
i.e. “internal compass”
SHAME
 The painful sense that others disapprove of our
actions
i.e. must value their opinion to feel shame
Cultural Diversity
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High culture
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Popular culture
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Cultural patterns that are widespread among society’s
population
Subculture
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Cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite
Cultural patterns set apart some segment of society’s
population
Counterculture
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Cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely
accepted within a society
High Culture
Museum, art gallery, opera, etc
Pop Culture
The latest trend
Sub Culture
Scooter Club
Old car Club
Gangs
Rave Parties
Counter Culture
CULTURAL CHANGES
-This takes place in 3 ways:
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INVENTION 
creating new cultural elements
Telephone or airplane
 DISCOVERY –
recognizing and understanding something
already in existence
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X-rays or DNA
DIFFUSION –
the spread of cultural traits from one society
to another
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Jazz music or much of the English language
Other Concepts:
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Ethnocentrism
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The practice of judging another culture
by the standards of one’s own culture
Cultural relativism
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The practice of judging a culture by its
own standards