SOCY 226 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Social Group, Cave Painting, Symbolic Culture
9 Jul 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
People are the smallest functional unit of society. A culture is the beliefs, assumptions, objects , behaviours, and processes that make up a shared way of life. People who share a culture have common: values, approaches to life. Material culture is associated with objects involved in a certain way of life. For example : products manufactured, tools used, art made. Essentially, they are everyday objects that support and enrich a lifestyle. Material culture may be studied by an archaeologist. Non-material culture is associated with the non-physical elements of culture. For example: shared ideas, knowledge, assumptions, values, and beliefs. Social interactions help to define a culture by establishing social norms. Social norms: expectations that govern what behaviour is acceptable w/in a group. ~ ex: smiling @ a pedestrian for helping an elderly person or glaring at someone for cutting in line. Mores: norms enforcing the moral standards of a society ; violation of mores are punished harshly.
