2. Cultures Within Cultures Macroculture – the dominant culture in a region Also referred to a the mainstream culture Microculture – smaller culture(s) within a larger culture Also referred to as a coculture
3. Microcultures Coculture – interdependent with the mainstream Subculture – implication of being inferior The preference is to call microcultures cultures within cultures
4. USA Macroculture Dominant culture is “white, male, Anglo-Saxon” Individualism is part of dominant culture – the belief that every person his his/her own master; part if more important than whole; expected to look after self and family Freedom is a value of the dominant culture
5. USA Microcultures Share politics and social institutions (school, etc) with dominant culture Eight microcultures: age, gender/sex, ethnic or national origin, religion, class / occupation, geographic, region, urban/suburban/rural location, exceptionality
6. Age We think that we are part of the age group that we belong to; associate and act similar to the group With age, many people struggle with changes in their identity as a result of life/lifestyle changes (from worker to pensioner, for example)
7. Age Difficulties arise between different age groups (different beliefs, ideals, music, priorities, etc) People tend to complain less about important things as well age (but may complain about things that others do not see as important)
8. Gender and Sex Sex differences: biological differences between men and women (from chromosomal differences) Gender differences: learned behaviors associates
9. Ethnicity Race – biological; groups who chare the same hereditary feature Ethnicity – group sharing the same ancestry, religious affiliations, language, nationality, etc (any combination of the above) Minority group – disempowered group with limited access or roles in the dominant culture
