Sociology Ch.4
Building Order: Culture and History
Dimensions of Culture
Culture – shared, taken-for-granted values, beliefs, objects, and rules that guide people’s lives
oCulture “does its job” most effectively when it’s unnoticed.
oOnly in times of dramatic social change and moral uncertainty or when circumstances force us to
compare our society with another do we become aware that a distinct set of cultural rules and
values influences us
Material and Nonmaterial Culture
Culture = the product of a society created over time and shared by members of that society
Nonmaterial culture: all the nonphysical products of society that are created over time and shared
oKnowledge, beliefs, customs, values, morals, etc
oIncludes common patterns of behavior and the forms of interaction appropriate in a particular
society
o“Design for living” that distinguishes one society from another
oTells us how our society works, what is possible, what to value, how to conduct our everyday lives,
and what to do if something breaks down
oThe values that reside in nonmaterial culture often support a given society’s economic and political
systems
Material culture: physical artifacts and objects that shape or reflect the lives of members of a particular
society
oDistinctive clothing and architecture, inventions, food, artwork, music, etc
oOccasionally take on powerful emotional value
oTechnological achievements – ways in which members of a society apply knowledge to adapt to
changing social, economic, or environmental conditions
Ex. plastic products have provided people with cheaper and more convenient packaging of
needed goods – and in the process have forever altered shopping and consumption patterns
oChanges in material culture often transform the physical environment, creating the need for
additional alterations in material and nonmaterial culture
Micro-Macro Connection: The Chair
Chairs supposedly make our lives comfortable, but such comfort has a steep cost
oIronically, lower back pain, often caused by bad posture or poorly designed chairs
Like all pieces of material culture, chairs are human creations
Chairs often take on important cultural significance beyond their functionality
oChair a person sits in may define that person’s social status
The habit of chairs was created, modified, nurtured, and reformed in response to cultural – and not
anatomical – forces
oAmericans prefer chairs; Arabs prefer the floor
Global Culture
Transnational media, global communication and transportation systems, and centuries of international
migration have contributed to a worldwide swapping of cultural elements
oIn many societies, people see the imported elements of culture as dangerous encroachments on
long-held traditions and national unity
“Linguistic imperialism” – a handful of dominant languages that, in a technologically connected world, as
seen as “linguistic passports” to education and a successful economic future
oEnglish as a world language
Subcultures
Subculture consists of the values, behaviors, and physical artifacts of a group that distinguish it from the
larger culture
Culture within a culture
Certain racial and ethnic groups, and even geographic areas can all constitute subcultures
Susan Blum: Plagiarism and the College Subculture
If more than half of all students plagiarize, then there’s clearly some cultural influence
1
Building Order: Culture and History
Dimensions of Culture
Culture – shared, taken-for-granted values, beliefs, objects, and rules that guide people’s lives
oCulture “does its job” most effectively when it’s unnoticed.
oOnly in times of dramatic social change and moral uncertainty or when circumstances force us to
compare our society with another do we become aware that a distinct set of cultural rules and
values influences us
Material and Nonmaterial Culture
Culture = the product of a society created over time and shared by members of that society
Nonmaterial culture: all the nonphysical products of society that are created over time and shared
oKnowledge, beliefs, customs, values, morals, etc
oIncludes common patterns of behavior and the forms of interaction appropriate in a particular
society
o“Design for living” that distinguishes one society from another
oTells us how our society works, what is possible, what to value, how to conduct our everyday lives,
and what to do if something breaks down
oThe values that reside in nonmaterial culture often support a given society’s economic and political
systems
Material culture: physical artifacts and objects that shape or reflect the lives of members of a particular
society
oDistinctive clothing and architecture, inventions, food, artwork, music, etc
oOccasionally take on powerful emotional value
oTechnological achievements – ways in which members of a society apply knowledge to adapt to
changing social, economic, or environmental conditions
Ex. plastic products have provided people with cheaper and more convenient packaging of
needed goods – and in the process have forever altered shopping and consumption patterns
oChanges in material culture often transform the physical environment, creating the need for
additional alterations in material and nonmaterial culture
Micro-Macro Connection: The Chair
Chairs supposedly make our lives comfortable, but such comfort has a steep cost
oIronically, lower back pain, often caused by bad posture or poorly designed chairs
Like all pieces of material culture, chairs are human creations
Chairs often take on important cultural significance beyond their functionality
oChair a person sits in may define that person’s social status
The habit of chairs was created, modified, nurtured, and reformed in response to cultural – and not
anatomical – forces
oAmericans prefer chairs; Arabs prefer the floor
Global Culture
Transnational media, global communication and transportation systems, and centuries of international
migration have contributed to a worldwide swapping of cultural elements
oIn many societies, people see the imported elements of culture as dangerous encroachments on
long-held traditions and national unity
“Linguistic imperialism” – a handful of dominant languages that, in a technologically connected world, as
seen as “linguistic passports” to education and a successful economic future
oEnglish as a world language
Subcultures
Subculture consists of the values, behaviors, and physical artifacts of a group that distinguish it from the
larger culture
Culture within a culture
Certain racial and ethnic groups, and even geographic areas can all constitute subcultures
Susan Blum: Plagiarism and the College Subculture
If more than half of all students plagiarize, then there’s clearly some cultural influence
1
