SOC 1001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Consumerism, Mcdonaldization, Hard Power
Document Summary
Culture can be loosely de ned as a set of beliefs, traditions, and practices. It is the sharing of outlooks and modes of behavior among individuals who face similar place-based circumstances or have the same social networks. Not biological, passed on by our institutions. The concept of culture has evolved and expanded throughout history. The oldest understandings of culture focus on the distinction between: natural environment and what is modi ed or created by humans. As europeans came into contact with non-westerners, culture evolved in terms of di erences between peoples, which could be viewed positively or negatively. Ethnocentrism: the belief that one"s culture or group is superior to others. The tendency to view other cultures through one"s lens. Later, a new dimension was added: the idea that culture involved the pursuit of intellectual re nement. Material: everything that is a part of our constructed environment. Language, fashion, media, industry, sports, occupations, holidays, government, laws.
