SO 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism, Sociobiology

• School: Quinnipiac University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SO 101
• Professor: Samantha Kusiak

Document Summary

Culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior. Includes the ideas, values, and artifacts of groups of people. Culture industry: standardized goods and services demanded by consumers. Cultural universals: the common practices and beliefs that all societies have developed. Ethnocentrism: the te(cid:374)de(cid:374)(cid:272)y to assu(cid:373)e that o(cid:374)e"s o(cid:449)(cid:374) (cid:272)ulture a(cid:374)d (cid:449)ay of life represe(cid:374)t the norm or are superior to all others. The ethnocentric person sees his or her group as the center or defining point of culture a(cid:374)d (cid:448)ie(cid:449)s all other (cid:272)ultures as de(cid:448)iatio(cid:374)s fro(cid:373) (cid:449)hat is (cid:862)(cid:374)or(cid:373)al(cid:863). Cultural relativism: vie(cid:449)i(cid:374)g people"s (cid:271)eha(cid:448)ior fro(cid:373) the perspe(cid:272)ti(cid:448)e of o(cid:374)e"s o(cid:449)(cid:374) (cid:272)ulture. Sociobiology: the systematic study of how biology affects human social behavior. Language is an abstract system of word meanings and symbols for all aspects of culture. Symbols: the gestures, objects, and words that form the basis of human communication. Formal norms: generally, have been written down and specify strict punishments for violators.