SOC 1101 Lecture 3: SOC 1101 Lecture 3
10 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Culture: the knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects that are passed from person to person and from one generation to the next in a human group or society. Abstract or intangible human creations of society (i. e. customs and practices, language, beliefs, values, norms) Symbol: anything meaningful that represents something else: culture could not exist without symbols because there would be no shared meanings among people. Sapir/whorf hypothesis: la(cid:374)guage shapes its speakers" (cid:448)ie(cid:449) of reality. Values: collective ideas about what is right and what is wrong. Norms: established rules of behaviour or standards of conduct: formal (laws) or informal (rules) Functionalist perspective: society is a stable, orderly system where interrelated parts serve specific functions, culture (cid:373)eets people"s: Integrative needs (religion & art: common language and shared values produce consensus and harmony. Conflict perspective: social life is a continuous struggle for power to control scarce resources, values and norms help create and sustain the privileged position in society while excluding others.
