SOC 1100 Lecture 3: Chapter 3

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1100
• Professor: Deanna Behnke- Cook

Document Summary

The way we think, the things we believe. Eg. freedom of speech, feminism, gender identity. Anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share culture. Reality for humans is found in the meaning things carry with them. People must be mindful that meanings vary from culture to culture and even vary within the same groups of people. A system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another. Cultural transmission: the process by which one generation passes culture to the next. Sapir-whorf thesis: people perceive the world through the cultural lens of language. Values: culturally defined standards of desirability, goodness, and beauty, which serve as broad guidelines for social living; values support beliefs. Sometimes one key cultural value contradicts another: Higher-income countries have cultures that value individualism and self-expression. Widely observed and have great moral significance (taboos); e. g. , no sexual relations with children. Norms for routine and casual interaction; e. g. , appropriate greetings and proper dress.