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The Nature of Culture What is this thing called culture, anyway? E. B. Tylor (1871) gave us the most famous definition: “Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society" (Tylor 1871). The author of your text offers these definitions: “The values, beliefs, and perceptions of the world shared by members of a society, that they use to interpret experience and generate behavior, and that are reflected in their behavior” (Haviland, 2003). “A society’s shared and socially transmitted ideas, values, and perceptions—which are used to make sense of experience and generate behavior and which are reflected in behavior.” (Haviland, 2005). The Nature of Culture Traditionally, a word of many uses…”high”culture, “low” culture, agriculture, cultivate, cult…”way of life” However, a more modern source, the American Heritage English Dictionary, gives a primary definition of culture which is substantially different than earlier primary definitions: "The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought." The Nature of Culture Biological basis - computational theory of mind Steven Pinker; John Tooby Mind is largely a function of brain with special areas associated with special functions i.e. Wernike’s and Broca’s areas. These areas evolved over millennia of adaptation as food foragers. “Mental templates” formed on a palimpsest, not a tabula rasa. The Nature of Culture Word of many uses… “high” culture, “low” culture, agriculture, cultivate, cult… “way of life” CULTURE/culture CULTURE - way of life of human beings - ethnology culture - way of life of a specific group of human beings - ethnography MAINLY learned The Nature of Culture Socialization - the processes involved in acquisition of ability to function as a member of society…does not involve symboling. Enculturation - the processes involved in acquisition of culture…requires symboling. Ethnocentrism - a central feature of enculturation. The Nature of Culture MAINLY learned Before birth….beginning of socialization. Shortly after birth begins process of differentiation. Within three weeks recognizes significant others. By six months beginning symbolic learning/language sounds. Beginning of enculturation………. The Nature of Culture Early Development: Prenatal period Fetal Phase The fetal phase of prenatal development lasts from nine weeks after fertilization to birth. During this period each of the organ systems continues to grow and mature, and the overall size of the fetus increases dramatically. The proportions change; as the arms and legs grow, the head no longer seems so much out of proportion to the rest of the body. During the first weeks of the fetal phase the sex organs begin to take shape. The Nature of Culture Early Development: Neonatal period (Neonate or newborn) The period of life immediately after birth The average North American newborn weighs about 7 pounds Neurons and grow measures rapidly….dendrites about 20 inches show an estimated 500% increase in density within the cortex from birth until age 2 in normal children. The Nature of Culture Moro (Startle) / Babinski's reflex or extensor plantar reflex is a test for dysfunction Neonatal Infancy reflex: Draws corticospinal tract. up legs, archs back when startled. reflex: Neonate responds stimulation by sucking. The Rooting test consists of stroking the outside soletofrom heel to toe with a pointed object. The normal response is a bunching downward (flexor) Babinski reflex: Baby spreads toes when foot tickled. movement of all the toes. In infants under 2 years of age and people with dysfunction in the corticospinal tract, this causes an upward (extensor) movement of the big toe. Vision: Baby can see up to about 12 inches away. Cognitive ability: Can imitate mother’s facial expressions. The Nature of Culture • Infancy: From 2 weeks to 24 months. – Physical Development • • 2 months: Raise head and chest off floor. 6 months: Sit unaided. – Cognitive Development • Infant actively involved with environment • Picks up objects and put them in mouth. • Realizes that objects still exist even when they are not in sight. (Object Permanence) The Nature of Culture • Emotional & Social Development – – 2 months: Smiling at caregiver. 6 - 9 months: Shyness, fear. • Visual Cliff (Gibson & Walk, 1960) – Development of fear of heights. Emotional bond between infant and caretaker. Separation Anxiety Apprehension when child is separated from caretaker. Begins around 6 months. The Nature of Culture • Cognitive Development • • – Egocentric (self-centered thought) Animism (attributes volition to inanimate objects) Transductive reasoning • Logical errors regarding cause-and-effect. – Because two things co-occur, one must cause the other. • Emotional & Social Development – Change in peer relationships • • • Solitary play Parallel play Cooperative play The Nature of Culture MAINLY learned SR conditioning 'An observable, measurable and relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of experience'. Classical conditioning (Ivan Pavlov (Nobel Prize, 1904 Medicine and Physiology); John Watson, Behaviorism. 1924 ) Imprinting (Prägung, in the original German) is defined as follows:…a Prägung (Imprinting) - Konrad Lorenz Associationism (Law of rapid Effect …Edward Thorndyke, Animal Intelligence 1911) relatively learning process that takeswith place during a short, (Shared Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1973 sensitive period and in early youth. It has a prominent-sensitive phase Karl von Frisch Niko Tinbergen) Operant conditioning ( B.F. Skinner About Behaviorism. 1974 ) and a stable, often irreversible effect. Symbolic learning (Cognitivism , Constructivism) Based on ability to create and manipulate symbolic systems…the neurological basis of CULTURE that had been attained by about 100,000 years B.P. How Cultures Are Studied Participant Observation Important Dichotomies Culture Shock Emic/Etic Method Comparative Inside/Outside Overt/Covert Real/Ideal How Cultures Are Studied Culture Change acculturation functional prerequisites culture loss cultural evolution cultural diffusion subculture A Major Aspect of Culture Change in Texas Through Mid Century Figure 3.1 Legal immigrants admitted to the U.S. by region of birth. Percent of Texas Population by Age Group and Ethnicity, 2000 Pe rce nt 80.0 72.6 67.1 66.4 63.5 60.2 60.0 57.2 53.0 47.8 44.0 39.5 40.0 45.0 45.0 41.6 41.3 40.5 38.4 38.0 44.4 43.1 38.6 35.3 30.5 26.7 24.2 22.4 20.6 20.3 20.0 16.7 0.0 s < 5 ar ye 5 to 9 s ar e y 10 to 14 a ye 15 rs to rs 19 a ye 20 to rs 24 a ye 25 to rs 29 a ye 30 to rs 34 a ye 35 to Anglo 39 a ye 40 rs to rs 44 a ye 45 to His panic rs 49 a ye 50 to 54 a ye 55 rs to rs 59 a ye 60 to rs rs 64 a ye 65 + a ye Percent of Texas Population by Age Group and Ethnicity, 2040* Pe rce nt 80.0 69.9 70.0 67.8 66.5 66.8 66.0 65.5 66.4 64.3 62.6 60.6 60.0 56.7 55.2 52.3 50.0 39.8 40.0 37.1 30.0 20.3 19.9 19.3 17.7 20.0 19.8 19.3 s ar ye ye 20.6 20.5 19.4 27.2 26.5 25.3 21.9 10.0 0.0 rs < 5 a ye 5 to s 9 ar ye 10 to 14 ye ar 15 s to 19 ye ar 20 s to 24 25 to 29 s ar 30 to 34 ye s ar 35 to 39 Anglo * Proje ctions are s how n for the 1.0 s ce nario ye ar 40 s to 44 ye s ar 45 to rs 49 His panic a ye 50 to rs 54 a ye 55 to 59 ye s ar 60 to 64 ye ar s s 65 ar + ye Projected Proportion of Population by Race/Ethnicity in Texas, 2000-2040* Percent 70.0 59.1 60.0 53.1 53.1 50.0 46.4 45.2 39.2 40.0 37.5 32.0 30.5 30.0 24.2 20.0 11.6 11.1 10.0 10.2 9.1 5.9 4.5 3.3 7.3 7.9 0.0 2000 2010 2020 2030 Year Anglo Black Hispanic Other 2040 8.8 Projected Percent of Net Change Attributable to Each Race/Ethnicity Group in Texas for 2000-2040* Black 5.3% Hispanic 78.2% Anglo 3.9% Other 12.6% Global Warming • We are in a significant warming interval. • Human activity continues to be an important factor…perhaps the most important single factor. • There are already signs of cultural stress related to change in the environment. • Will we be able to change our systems of adaptation (cultures) fast enough to avoid major calamities?