Sociology- Unit 1 - Topic 1
- Created by: JasmineR
- Created on: 09-03-15 15:48
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- Sociology Unit 1 - Formation of Culture
- Becoming Human
- Nature vs Nurture
- Feral Children
- Cultural Diversity
- If human behaviour is dictated by nature, people would behave the same way all over the world.
- So human behaviour is flexible and diverse
- If human behaviour is dictated by nature, people would behave the same way all over the world.
- Conclusion
- Nature vs nurture debate shows no signs of ending.
- Even if biology makes us act a certain way, this will be channelled by society.
- Sociologists suggest that if we want to explain social behaviour, then most of the answers can be found at the social and cultural level.
- Nature vs nurture debate shows no signs of ending.
- Becoming Human
- So human behaviour is flexible and diverse
- Culture
- Definition: learned and shared way of life; values and norms of a society of a society or group.
- Values: beliefs we regard as important
- Eg: Love, religious convictions and political loyalties.
- Norms: social expectations or rules about how people should or shouldn't behave.
- Eg: holding the door open for others, not eating the last buscuit.
- Norms vary in their degree of seriousness.
- Kluckhohn (1951) described culture as the distinctive 'way of life' of a group of people.
- Values: beliefs we regard as important
- Types of culture
- High culture
- Artistic work of agreed quality.
- Identified with highly gifted artists such as Mozart, Shakespeare or Van Gogh.
- Sociologists, however, usually have a broader definition of culture.
- High art is part of culture but it is not all of it.
- Artistic work of agreed quality.
- Popular culture
- Opposite of high culture.
- Advocates of high culture look down on it as inferior, escapist and 'mind numbing'.
- Strinati (1995) - media are largely responsible for the creation of popular culture and that consumption plays a key role in popular culture.
- The world has become consumer orientated.
- Some sociologists see popular culture as a positive and creative expression of the culture of ordinary people.
- The Marxist Adorno see it as a way of socialising the masses into a passive and unquestioning set of attitudes and values.
- Opposite of high culture.
- Subcultures
- As societies grow larger and more complex, it becomes difficult to talk about one culture which everybody shares.
- Cultural diversity has led to the term multicultural society being used to describe many large-scale industrial societies.
- Consumer culture
- Individuals express their identity through the things they buy and use.
- Brands have their own images and many people are happy to display various 'labels'.
- Lury (1996) identifies 5 features of a consumer culture:
- 1) wide range of good available
- 2) shopping is seen as a leisure pursuit
- 3) Different forms of shopping are available
- 4) Being in debt is accepted as a norm
- 5) Packaging and promotion of good is big business
- Individuals express their identity through the things they buy and use.
- Global Culture
- Definition: norms, values and lifestyles shared in every country.
- Closely linked to globalism
- Globalisation is the increasing connections between countries and breaking down of national boundaries.
- Some sociologists see global culture as positive, bringing people together and increasing freedom and cultural exchange.
- Others see global culture as dominated by America
- Ritzer - McDonaldisation
- Others see global culture as dominated by America
- Multiculturalism
- Society where different ethnic groups, religions and subcultures live harmoniously alongside one another.
- High culture
- Status and Roles
- All members of society are given a social position by culture
- Ascribed status: social position over which we have no choice and may well be determined at birth
- Achieved status: Social position over which individuals have some degree of control
- Social roles: set of expectations that is applied to a particular ' social status'
- All members of society are given a social position by culture
- Sociology Unit 1 - Formation of Culture
- Becoming Human
- Nature vs Nurture
- Feral Children
- Cultural Diversity
- If human behaviour is dictated by nature, people would behave the same way all over the world.
- If human behaviour is dictated by nature, people would behave the same way all over the world.
- Conclusion
- Nature vs nurture debate shows no signs of ending.
- Even if biology makes us act a certain way, this will be channelled by society.
- Sociologists suggest that if we want to explain social behaviour, then most of the answers can be found at the social and cultural level.
- Nature vs nurture debate shows no signs of ending.
- Becoming Human
- Identity
- the way we see ourselves in relation to other people.
- Social identity: based on membership/ identification with particular groups.
- Sometimes these identities are given at birth.
- Some social identities involve a greater degree of choice
- Definition: learned and shared way of life; values and norms of a society of a society or group.
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