Download Material Culture

Think of and write down four words that didn’t exist
20 years ago
Think of two words and write down two words that
didn’t exist 5 years ago
• Speakers of different languages think about
the world in quite different ways.
• This view is sometimes called the WhorfSapir hypothesis, after the linguists who made
it famous - that we know the world only in
terms of our language.
• Language then determines our cultural reality.
What is the English Translation for
these words?
• Tartle
Scottish – The act of hesitating while introducing
someone because you’ve forgotten their name
• Prozvonit
Czech – This word means to call a mobile phone
and let it ring once so that the other person will
call back, saving the first caller money.
• Kyoikumama
Japanese – “A mother who relentlessly pushes
her children toward academic achievement”
• Iktsuarpok
Inuit – “To go outside to check if anyone is
coming.”
• Mamihlapinatapei
Yagan (indigenous language of Tierra del Fuego)
– “the wordless, yet meaningful look shared by
two people who both desire to initiate
something but are both reluctant to start”
Do Now: What do these words mean?
• Schadenfreude
German – Quite famous for its meaning that
somehow other languages neglected to
recognize, this refers to the feeling of pleasure
derived by seeing another’s misfortune. I guess
“America’s Funniest Moments of
Schadenfreude” just didn’t have the same ring
to it.
• L’appel du vide
French – “The call of the void” is this French
expression’s literal translation, but more
significantly it’s used to describe the instinctive
urge to jump from high
Do Now:
• What was one belief you had that changed?
• What is one belief you have that hasn’t
changed?
• If you were to choose one word to sum up
your value system…what would it be?
Values and Beliefs
• Values are defined as the standards by which
people assess desirability, goodness, and
beauty; they are broad principles
• Beliefs - specific statements that people hold
to be true. Beliefs are learned through
socialization and help shape how we perceive
our surroundings and how our personality
develops.
Material and Nonmaterial Culture
• Sociologists describe two interrelated aspects
of human culture: the physical objects of the
culture (Material Culture) and the ideas
associated with these objects. (Non-material
Culture).
Homes, neighborhoods, cities, schools,
churches, synagogues, temples,
mosques, offices, factories and plants,
tools, means of production, colleges,
cars, boots, purses, phones, clothes,
furniture, goods and products, stores,
and so forth.
• When considering non-material culture,
sociologists refer to several processes that a
culture uses to shape its members' thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors.
• Four of the most important of these are
symbols, language, values, and norms.
• Norms vary in their degree of importance.
Mores distinguish between right and wrong
• Folkways distinguish between right and rude.
Norms, Folkways, Mores, Taboos & Laws
• Norms are defined as rules
that guide behavior.
• Proscriptive Norms:
mandate what we should
not do
• Prescriptive Norms:
stating what we should do.
They can change over time,
as illustrated by norms
regarding sexual behavior.
What is Ideal Culture?
• Values and norms are not descriptions of
actual behavior but rather reflect how we
believe members of a culture should behave.
• Give an example of this…for example, smoking
is unhealthy and leads to health problems.
Nobody should smoke.
Social Control
• Rewards conformity and punishes
deviance.
• Deviance: deviating from the norm
• Through socialization we
internalize cultural norms and
impose constraints on our own
behavior.
• The "breaking" of an internalized
norm results in guilt and shame.
• On the Index Card,
list something you
did that you would
consider abnormal
• On the Index Card,
list something you
did that was illegal.
• (no names =
anonymous)
What is Deviance?
• In sociology, deviance is simply any
violation of society’s norms.
• Odd, different or unacceptable behavior
• Deviance can range from something minor,
such as a traffic violation, to something
major, such as murder.
• Deviance can be positive like helping an
elderly person across the street.
What is Deviance?
• Deviance is differing from the norm
• It is relative to time and
place because what is considered
deviant in one social context may be
non-deviant in another (e.g., fighting
during a hockey game vs. fighting in a
nursing home).
• Killing another human is considered
wrong except when governments
permit it during warfare or selfdefense.
• Age: A five-year-old can cry in a
supermarket without being
considered deviant, but an older
child or an adult = not deviant
• Location: A person speaking
loudly during a church service =
deviant. Person speaking loudly
at a party = not deviant
• Social status: A famous actor can
skip to the front of a long line of
people waiting to get into a
popular club = not deviant, but a
non-famous person = deviant.
Deviance is relative to place
Asian
United States
Canada
United States
United States
Avoiding eye
contact is
considered
polite
The O.K. signal
expresses
approval
Thumbs upused for hitch
hiking, or
approving of
something
Someone may
whistle when
happy.
Whistling can
express
approval, as in
cheering at a
public event.
United States
Japan
United States
Nigeria
Europe
When saying
hello or talking
to someone it
is impolite to
not look
directly at the
person.
Using your
middle finger is
The O.K. signal
very offensive. This is a rude
means that you
Used in place
gesture in
are asking for
of
Nigeria.
money.
inappropriate
language.
Whistling may
be a sign of
disapproval at
public events.
• The Whorf-Sapir hypothesis states that we know the world
only in terms of our language.
• Values are defined as the standards by which people assess
desirability, goodness, and beauty; they are broad principles
• Beliefs - specific statements that people hold to be true.
• Culture is defined as the values, beliefs, behavior, and
material objects that constitute a people's way of life.
Material Culture is the objects we use and Non-material
Culture is the values we give them. Mores distinguish
between right and wrong
• Folkways distinguish between right and rude
• Proscriptive Norms: mandate what we should not do
• Prescriptive Norms: stating what we should do.
• Deviance: not conforming to the “norm”. Relative to time and
place.
• Ideal Culture: The way things SHOULD be...not how they are.
Are you a member of these
groups?
Boy Scouts
Girl Scouts
Athletic Team
Volunteer Organization
Hobby Enthusiast Group
Political Group
Ethnic/Religious Group
What are Subcultures?
• Subcultures are groups within a group whose values
and behavior are distinctly differently from the
dominant culture.
• Different way of looking at life, but still compatible
with the main culture
• Occupations, (police, fire, corrections, medical),
Social interests, (Boy Scouts, hunters, fraternities),
Religions,(Catholics, Muslims, Jehovah Witnesses),
Politics, (gun rights, pro-life, environmentalists.
Ethnicities,(Irish, Native American, Latino)
Subcultures
Subcultures
What are Countercultures?
• Countercultures include groups of people
whose values and norms are in opposition to
the dominant culture.
• Challenge the dominant culture – often
confrontational. Some are negative:
• Satanists, Skinheads, Hell’s Angels, KKK
• Some are positive: Hippies contributed civil
rights, environmental reforms while being
criticized by the dominant culture by their
“deviant” appearance.
Countercultures
What is a Cult
• They are subject to isolation from friends, relatives and the
mainstream culture and their access to information is
severely controlled
• Studies performed by those who believe that some religious
groups do practice mind control have identified a number of
key steps in coercive persuasion
• People are put in physical or emotionally distressing
situations;
• Their problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which
is repeatedly emphasized;
• They receive what seems to be unconditional love,
acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader or group;
• They get a new identity based on the group;
• Subcultures are groups within a group whose values
and behavior are distinctly differently from the
dominant culture.
• Different way of looking at life, but still compatible
with the main culture – often part of regular life
• Countercultures include groups of people whose
values and norms are in opposition to the dominant
culture. Challenge the dominant culture – often
confrontational. Some are negative a few are
positive.
• Cults are organizations that are camouflaged as
legitimate groups but slowly isolate members by
coercion.
Can you think of any counter
cultures you’ve come in contact
with?