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Society and Culture

Society and Culture. Sociology 111 Fall 2008. At its best… encourage us to rise above “animal instincts” think and act beyond our own well-being consider the larger impact. At its worst… can be oppressive and exploitive especially of groups with less power/resources. Society and Culture.

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Society and Culture

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  1. Society and Culture Sociology 111 Fall 2008

  2. At its best… encourage us to rise above “animal instincts” think and act beyond our own well-being consider the larger impact. At its worst… can be oppressive and exploitive especially of groups with less power/resources. Society and Culture

  3. Society • Group of people who share a similar set of beliefs and behaviors • Composed of the social networks, social institutions, social organizations, and social groups. • Frequently qualified as sharing the same geographic space • Modern technology challenges this

  4. Culture • The beliefs, values, norms, language, and material objects that are passed from one generation to the next • Molds our perceptions of ourselves, other groups, and the world • Provides implicit and explicit rules for our behavior

  5. Refers simply to a “way of life”. It is a shared perspective, but it is not “absolute truth”. Appalachians, Parisians, and Japanese have distinctive and “equal” cultures. Culture

  6. For clarification • Culture does not mean “sophisticated”. • Confusion over term has led to the incorrect statement that human culture began with agriculture. • Corrected statement: Agriculture allowed the development of complex cultures. • Food, birth, and death rituals existed long before ag.

  7. Material culture • Physical objects • often called artifacts • Can tell us about social relations by their use (utility, aesthetics, or both) and prevalence • “Auto-culture”

  8. Material culture

  9. Nonmaterial culture • Ways of thinking and behaving that are common to a particular group • Passed from one generation to the next through imitation and learning • Also known as symbolic culture

  10. Using one’s body to communicate Used in every culture Meanings are culturally determined Universal gestures? A system of symbols infinite number of combinations Abstract thoughts & concrete objects/experiences Words are symbols. Culture attaches a particular meaning Gestures and Language

  11. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis • Isn’t just about naming objects in the environment • Creates ways of thinking and perceiving the world • Imposes a way of thinking about the world • Language is a product and reflection of culture

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