Chapter 3 Culture

1. Chapter 3 Culture The values, beliefs, behavior, and material objects that, together, form a people’s way of life

2. Cultural relativism-pgs 35-39 • Little is known of the beginnings of the Nacirema, although tradition says that they came from the East. According to Nacirema mythology, their nation was originated by a culture hero, Notgnihsaw who is otherwise known for two great feats of strength - the throwing of a piece of wampum across the river Pa-To-Mac and the chopping down of a fruit bearing tree in which the Spirit of Truth lives.

3. How do we perceive their culture? *they seem very odd*their beliefs don’t make sense*odd and grotesque*weird* strange*behavior is shocking*harmful to themselves*extreme beliefs*no good can come from time consuming and deadly rituals*stupid* unusual* compulsive* ritualistic Rituals of the Nacirema?

4. Nacirema

5. Nacirema?

6. Nacirema?

7. Ethnocentrism and cultural relativity • Our culture is the basis for our reality and necessary for us to be emotionally attached to our way of life • Can lead to ETHNOCENTRISM: • “The tendency to judge another’s culture as inferior in terms of one’s own norms and values”

8. Ethnocentrism in language • Language is culturally biased • China is “The Far East” • East of what? • They call themselves “The Central Kingdom” And historically considered other cultures as barbaric

9. Ethnocentrism and food • “Our” cuisine is right and smells good • “Theirs” is inferior an smells bad. • “Ours” is what we are familiar with • Food preferences easily become prejudices • Food has become basis of ethnic slurs • “Krauts” • “Beaners”

10. Why this?

11. And not this?

12. Ethnocentrism and travel • As we examine this toilet as well as other cultural components we must remember to be culturally relative. In other words, try not to be ethnocentric, but in stead understand each culture from its own perspective. In the case of the Japanese toilet, not only does it look and function differently from ours, but it also represents fundamentally different non-material culture. The Japanese are very germ conscious and they try hard not to spread germs. They also do not have a lot of furniture - they do not sit on furniture in their houses, why would they in a bathroom? And finally, they are used to sitting and squatting in positions difficult for westerners.

13. Here is my new bathroom. As you can see, it is right off of the kitchen. Very efficient because the plumbing can be all in one place, but not very pleasant. I've gotten used to it now. As you can see, the bathroom is so small that there is no room for the sink inside, so it's outside, in the kitchen, right next to the washing machine.Yes, this is the entire bathroom. You can kind of see the showerhead on the left. It isn't separated from the toilet, which is a squatty potty as you can see. The result is that the entire bathroom floor gets wet anytime anyone showers. (I have rubber flip flops outside the door for showering and for using the toilet if the floor is wet.)The only thing omitted is a tiny bit of the bathroom on the right side, which is full of assorted plastic tubs. I have no idea what they're for, but they complete the trashy appearance of the whole thing. :) You can't stand underneath the shower-head, you have to hold it, which is inconvenient. I hear that most people just fill up one of the aforementioned tubs and use that to rinse instead of the shower-head, kind of like you do when you're washing a young child's hair. Interesting.

14. the bed isn't a mattress. It's a "dilam", which is very common here. Basically, it's like a futon but not as firm or heavy. So kind of like a giant flat cushion. However, see my little stuffed animals on the bed? I use them as pillows/body supports in places where the bed sags, and it all works out great since I barely move when I'm asleep :) This is my new dining room/kitchen/laundry room. Quite space-efficient, no? I'm allowed to cook here, which is great because many families who rent rooms don't allow you to cook, but I haven't yet, except for making noodles once last week to make with my instant curry.

16. Cultural Relativism • Is the alternative to Ethnocentrism • Cultural relativism: “The practice of evaluating a culture by it’s own standards • It involves understanding unfamiliar values and norms and suspending cultural standards we have known all our lives

17. So what do we mean by “Values and Norms” Values, Norms and Sanctions- pgs46-55 Values Socially shared ideas about what is right Norms the set of rules and understandings that control the behavior of individuals and groups. They derive from and support values

18. American values • Equal opportunity • People in the United States endorse not equality of condition but equality of opportunity. This means that society should provide everyone with the chance to get ahead according to individual talents and efforts.

19. American values • Achievement and Success • Our way of life encourages competition so that each person’s rewards should reflect personal merit. Moreover, success confers worthiness on a person—the mantle of being “a winner Material comfort Success in the United States generally means making money and enjoying what it will buy. Although people say “money won’t buy happiness” most pursue wealth all the same.

20. American Values • Activity and Work • Popular U.S heroes, from fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones to golf champion Tiger Woods, are “doers” who get the job done. Our culture values action over reflection and controlling events over passively accepting one’s fate

21. American values • Practicality and efficiency • People in the United States value the practical over the theoretical, or “doing” over “Dreaming”. Activity has value to the extent that it earns money. “Major in something that will help you get a job” parents say to their children

22. American Values • Progress • We are an optimistic people who, despite waves of nostalgia, believe that the present is better than the past. We celebrate progress equating the “very latest” with the “very best” Science We look to science and advanced technology to solve problems and improve our lives. We believe we are rational people, which probably explains our cultural tendency (especially among men) to devalue emotion and intuition as sources of knowledge

23. American Values • Democracy and Free Enterprise • Members of our society recognize individual rights that should not be overridden by government. We believe that a just political system is based on free elections in which adults select their leaders and on an economy that responds to the choices of individual consumers

24. American Values • Freedom • Our cultural value of freedom means that we place a higher value on individual initiative than on collective conformity. Although we know that everyone has responsibilities to others, we believe that people should be free to pursue their own personal goals with minimal interference from government.

25. American Values • Racism and group superiority • Despite strong notions about individualism and freedom, most people in the United States still evaluate individuals according to gender, race, ethnicity, and social class. In general, U.S. culture values males above females, whites above people of color, people with northwest European backgrounds above those whose ancestors came from other lands, and rich above poor. Although we like to describe ourselves as a nation of equals, there is little doubt that some of us rate as “more equal than others”

26. Values • There are differences in how people interpret them and the extent to which they adhere to them • The smaller the society, the greater the consensus • Diverse societies generate conflict

27. Conflicting values 55-56 • Individualism: it is to everyone’s benefit to value individual accomplishment • Or • Excessive individualism creates too great a gap, which leads to suffering and crime.

28. Conflicting values over the distribution of wealth and power

29. Conflicting values

30. What about “family” values?(supreme court decisions)

31. Deliberating in a Democracy1-Rules for Deliberation • Read the material carefully. • Focus on the deliberation questions. • Listen carefully to what others are saying. • Check for understanding. • Analyze what others say. • Speak and encourage others to speak. • Refer to the reading to support your ideas. • Use relevant background knowledge, including life experiences, in a logical way. • Use your heart and mind to express ideas and opinions. • Remain engaged and respectful when controversy arises. • Focus on ideas, not personalities.

32. 2 • Read the article carefully and underline facts and ideas you think are important and/or interesting

33. 3 • Grouping and Reading Discussion • Groups of 4 or 5. • Share important facts and interesting ideas with each other to develop a common understanding of the article. Record these facts and ideas on Handout 2

34. 4 • Deliberation Question • Should our democracy extend government support for higher education to immigrants who-as young people-entered the country illegally? • Should our democracy permit physicians to assist in a patient’s suicide?

35. 5 • Divide into 2 teams • Each team is responsible for selecting the most compelling reasons for your position • A-Reread and find the most compelling reason to support the question • B-Reread and find the most compelling reason to oppose the deliberation question. • Each person in group should come up with one reason

36. 6 • Each team will present the most compelling reasons to support or oppose the deliberation question. opposite team listen carefully and list the reasons • Team A will explain their reasons for supporting the deliberation question. If Team B does not understand something, they should ask a question but NOT argue. • Team B will explain their reasons for opposing the deliberation question. If Team A does not understand something, they should ask a question but NOT argue.

37. 7 • To demonstrate that each side understands the opposing arguments, each team will select the other team’s most compelling reason

38. 8 • You will now drop your roles and deliberate the question as a group. You can use 1.what you’ve learned about the issue and 2. offer their personal experiences as you formulate opinions regarding the issue • Find areas of agreement in your group. As an individual express your opinion to the group and write it down on worksheet • You do not have to agree with the group.

39. 9 • Entire Class-handout 3 for discussion and homework • 10 • On a scale of 1-5, where are you on the deliberation question?

40. THE NORMATIVE ORDER • This is the second major dimension of a culture • Norms are the set of rules and understandings that control the behavior of individuals and groups in a culture

41. Norms can change quickly

42. SANCTIONS • When norms are followed or violated, people may rewarded or punished. These rewards and punishments are called sanctions

43. Sanctions • Vary in intensity • Dress code violations? • Check out your student planner for examples of sanctions

44. Normative Order • The wide array of norms and sanctions that permit a society to achieve relatively peaceful social control is called its normative order

45. The normative order Weakly sanctioned Strongly sanctioned Taboos/Mores folkways Misdemeanors Felonies

46. Language and Culture 39-45 • THERE IS NO CULTURE WITHOUT LANGUAGE • Allows human experience to be cumulative • Provides a shared past • Enables a shared future • Allows shared perspectives • Allows complex, goal directed behavior

47. Language and culture 39-45 • Non-verbal communication • Gestures • Body language • Emoticons

49. Language and Culture 39-45 • Linguistic Relativity (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis) • Language determines thought-The words you have determine what you can think about • Schadenfreude- Taking pleasure in the misfortune of others

50. Language reflects thought-What you think about determines the words you create and use In Carrier, the general word for beaver is TSA, but a small beaver is a TSAYAZ; a mid-size beaver is a TSATUL; a large beaver is a TSATSUL; a young beaver is a TSACHENISBOO’; an adult male beaver is a TSATA’; a female beaver is a TSA’AT; a mother beaver is a TSADIYA; the foreman beaver is a TSACHO; and the list goes on…