1. Sociology of Culture
GS 138: Introduction to Sociology
Seth Allen

2. What is culture?
“Culture is the knowledge, language, values, customs,
and material objects that are passed from one person
and from one generation to the next in a human
group or society”
Culture includes:
Material Culture Non-material culture
I-Pods Human Rights
Cars Beauty
Books Deferring to Elders
Clothing Religion
Weapons of war Patriotism

3. Culture, Part Deux
 Culture is NOT society-culture is a blueprint
for how we live, think and act, while society
is a group of people within a geographic area
 Culture guides our thoughts and actions:
◦ Communism is bad
◦ Adults should be free to do what pleases them
without interference from others
◦ „Artsy‟ or techie types use Apple products,
everybody else uses PC
◦ If we work hard and get a college degree, we will
„make it‟ in society.
◦ There is one God, not many gods

4. Cultural Universals
 Cultural universals are basic traits, but
there is much variation to these traits and
what constitutes a violation of norm*
 Murdock (1945) listed these universals:
◦ Division of labor
◦ Incest taboo
◦ Marriage
◦ Family
◦ Rites of Passage

5. Five Components of Culture
Although there are a few cultural universals, the
number of cultural differences outweighs what he
have in common.
Functionalists see cultural universals as proof of
universal human needs for order and meaning,
while critical theorists view them in light of
colonialism and the imposition of a certain
culture‟s beliefs onto others.
The 5 components of culture are:
1. Norms
2. Values
3. Symbols
4. Language
5. Material Culture
(These components might show up on an exam….AHEM!!!)

6. Component #1 - Symbols
 Not universal-specific to a culture
 Can be icons, images, gestures, and
tangible things

7. Power of Symbols
What do you think this person’s intent is?
How does it make you feel?

8. Component #2 - Language
 Sociologists study both official rules of
language, various types of registers, and the
connotations of words/phrases
◦ “White collar” employment, formal and informal
second person prounoun in Spanish (You=Tu,
Usted)
 Slang/colloquialisms unite a group and divide
others
 Sapir-Worf Hypothesis- language shapes
the view of reality of its speakers. If people
are able to think only through language, then
language must precede thought.

9. Teen Talk on the Web
Does slang exclude certain groups of people?

10. Component #3 - Values
Values are collective ideas about what we
believe is good or bad, desirable and
undesirable in life
Robin Williams’ 10 Core American Values
Individualism Achievement & Success
Activity and Work Science & Technology
Progress & Comfort Efficiency & Practicality
Morality &
Equality
humanitarianism
Freedom Racism & group superiority

11. Changing Values
 Through conflicts that arise in value
contradiction, values shift over time:
 Future of American values:
◦ Kendall-‟Going green‟, Spirituality, Honest
Relationships
◦ Richard Florida-Creativity, Work-Life Balance
◦ Seth Allen-Self-actualization
 Examples of these emerging values-Popularity of
Oprah, Dr. Phil, the best-selling books “Your Best Life
Now” by Joel Osteen and “The Purpose-Driven Life” by
Rick Warren
What do you think are some emerging
American values?

12. Component #4 –Norms
Norms are established rules of behavior or
standards of conduct, not just ideas or ideals
 Either formal (codified in law) or informal
(subject to reproach of others)
 Prescriptive (Write a thank you letter to
everyone who gave you a wedding gift) and
proscriptive (Don‟t wear white after Labor
Day)
 Societal sanctions are ranked by severity:
Folkways Mores Taboos

13. Social Distance and Norms
Let’s try this as a group!!!

14. Component #5 - Material Culture
Any tangible thing a society produces

15. Cultural Change
Cultures change through three methods:
◦ Discoveries-new tools, practices, and inventions
that change culture (Ex. Printing press, birth control
pill) and often led to cultural lag (norms do not
mach with new technologies)
◦ Diffusion-two groups contact one another and one
groups takes on the traits of new groups (Ex. Influx
of Latinos and popularity of Mexican food in USA)
◦ Invention-modifying an existing tool or trait for a
new cultural setting (Ex. Facebook)

16. Applying Theories of Cultural
Change
How might the sexual revolution of the 1960‟s be
related to the invention of the „pill‟ in the 1950‟s?
What sociological concept does this exemplify?

17. Cultural Relativism and
Ethnocentrism
 Ethnocentrism-judging the practices of
another culture by one‟s own culture
◦ Ex.-Why do people from other cultures stand so close?
 Cultural Relativism-Judging the cultural
practices of another culture by the value
for that culture
◦ Ex.-Jews and the prohibition of eating pork

18. Functionalist Perspective on
Culture
 Culture is the „glue‟ of society-uniting
diverse peoples by their tastes
How might functionalists approach religion and its function for society?

19. Conflict Perspectives on Culture
Culture is the means by which the ruling class dominates
other classes, creating a false sense of unity, creating
„needs,‟ and reinforcing negative stereotypes to oppress
groups.
How might the cover of Vogue Magazine and concept of being ‘hood rich’ reinforce
the conflict perspective of culture?

20. Quote from Herbert Mancuse
Excerpt from One-Dimensional Man, p. 429
“If the worker and his boss enjoy the same
television program and visit the same resort
places, if the typist is as attractively made up
as the daughter of her employer, if the Negro
owns a Cadillac, if they all read the same
newspaper, then this assimilation indicates
not the disappearance of classes, but the
extent to which the needs and satisfactions
that serve the preservation of the
Establishment are shared by the underlying
population.”

21. Symbolic Interactionism on
Culture
People „negotiate social reality‟ by their interactions with
others; we create, manipulate, and transform culture
through our actions
How might a woman allowing a man to open a door for her or
people shaking hands with the president create a social reality?