Module 1: DQ1
Kishon
CE...PPt_4_new.pptxSociety, Culture, and Cultural Change
CHapter 4
Definition of Culture
Culture: total patterns of human behavior and its products
Embodies:
Thought
Speech
Shared language
Action artifacts
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Nature of Society
Society: shaped and changed by innovations and people who belong to it
Bound together by established relationships
Must be organized
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Role of Human Societies
People’s way of life:
Knowledge
Beliefs
Art
Morals
Customs
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Elements of Culture
Social norms: conventions, mores, and laws
Social institutions
Technology
Material products
Language
Social values
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Figure 4.1: Elements of Culture
Evolution of Culture
Culture creates human societies
Evolves through time
Cultural evolution: gradual, accumulative process
Reflective of all individuals
Socialization: Process that shapes individuals to become members of society
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Multiculturalism
All individuals in culture are not exactly alike
United States is multicultural
Blend of overlapping cultures
Subculture similarities hold us together
U.S. culture is a composite of subcultures
Challenge is finding correct mix
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
The Nature of a Society
Group of individuals living as members of a community
Characteristics shaped by generations
Society: group must be bound by shared relationships and be organized
Not all groups are societies
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Cultural Integration
Cultural universals
Religion
Cultural alternatives
Exalting of age (not in all societies)
Cultural integration
More diversity
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Culture, Society, and Social Change
Society is evolving:
War-related activities
Human social development
Development of agriculture
Events of industrial revolution
The Internet: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Theories of Social Change
Ideal golden age (in distant past)
Greek philosophers
Yielded to silver, bronze, iron ages
Doctrine of inevitable progress
World getting better and better
Popular in modern U.S. and Europe
Cyclical change
Normal cycles of growth, climax, and decline
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Factors Causing Cultural Change
Technological development
Cultural diffusion
Ideas and ideologies
Collective action
Geography and climate
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Factors Stabilizing Culture
Stability of social norms
Humans conservative about change
Habit
Value attachment
Mores have strong values attachment
Vested interest: status that relies on status quo (so resist change)
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Social Change vs. Social Stability
Change in our basic institutions must be gradual
Take place by evolution rather than by revolution
Social revolutions are never complete
Bring few of the results that were envisioned
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Social Change and Social Problems
Social problems:
Wide recognition of adverse affects
Belief that condition can and should change
Large modern societies experience more complex social problems
Seldom a simple or complete solution
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Cultural Lag Theory
Ogburn: cultural lag source of social disorganization
Culture is pattern of interrelated elements
Change in one area creates strain in another
Adjustments cause lag in which tension persists
Technological change sets pace of change in modern industrial societies
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Limitations of Cultural Lag Theory
Difficult to reach agreement on changes needed
Making adjustments complex and often impossible
Material culture changes do not always precede nonmaterial changes
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Cultural Contrasts
Social problems can exist within and between societies
Cultural relativism: all cultures of the world are equally valid
Examine cultures in their context
Must be judged relative to culture’s value system
Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by one’s own value system
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
Cultural Regions of the World
Study of Society: Approach
Concerned with nature of U.S. society
Focus on own culture and basic values
Problems in achieving values
General picture of U.S. society
Explore possibilities of solving problems
© 2019 Taylor and Francis
