2. Forms of Culture
American Sociologist, William F. Ogburn made a
useful distinction between:
1. Material Culture - refers to the physical or technological
aspects of our daily lives like:
Jewelry
Art
Clothing
Hairstyles
3. Forms of Culture
2. Non-material culture - consists of abstract or intangible
human creations of society that influences people’s behavior
Language
Beliefs
Values
Norms
Folkways
Mores
Laws
Sanctions
symbolic culture because the vital components are the
symbols that people use to communicate
symbol is the basis of culture
4. Symbolic Components of Culture
1. Language- a system of symbols that can be put together
for the purpose of communicating abstract thought
Importance of Language:
“ the storehouse of culture”
the primary way in which people communicate with one
another
allows experience to be passed on to the next generation
allows shared perspective or understanding
provides a social or shared past: without it, each of us
would have our own memories, but not those of others
Speech
Written
characters
Numerals
Symbols
Gestures of
non-verbal
communication
5. Language Trivia
7, 111 languages in the world
"Euouae," a medieval music term, is the longest word in English that
contains only vowels. It’s also the word with the most consecutive
vowels.
"Unprosperousness", meaning not wealthy or profitable, is the longest
word in English in which each letter is used at least two times.
The words "facetiously," "abstemiously," and "arseniously," each
contain all six vowels (including “y”) in alphabetical order. The word
"duoliteral" contains all five vowels (not including “y”) in reverse
alphabetical order.
At 45 letters, "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis,"
which refers to a lung disease, is often considered the longest word in
English.
6. Language Trivia
"Feedback" is the shortest word in English that has the letters a, b, c, d,
e, and f.
"Floccinaucinihilipilification," is the longest word in English that does
not contain letter “e”
"Bookkeeper" is the only English word that has three consecutive double
letters.
The word “therein” contains only seven letters, but it contains 10 words
that can be formed using consecutive letters: the, there, I, he, in, rein,
her, here, ere, herein.
The sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is a
pangram, which is a sentence that uses every letter of the alphabet.
"United Arab Emirates," a small country in the Middle East, is made up of
alternating vowels and consonants. It is the longest name of a country
whose letters do that.
7. Symbolic Components of Culture
2. Gestures – involve using one ‘s body to communicate with
others and are useful shorthand ways to give messages without
using words
gestures differ around the world and can lead to
misunderstanding or embarrassment
8.
9. 3. Values - shared standards of what are right, desirable
and worthy of respect
Values are standards by which people define good and
bad.
“To learn a culture is to learn people’s values
Symbolic Components of Culture
10. Symbolic Components of Culture
4. Norms - established standards of behavior maintained by a
society
Every group develops both values and expectation concerning the
right way to reflect them and those expectation of rules of
behavior that develop out of group’s values are called NORMS.
Classification of Norms:
A. Mores - are strong norms that are regarded as morally
significant and violations of them are considered a serious
matter
norms are considered highly necessary to the welfare of the
society because they embody the most cherished principles of
the people
11. B. Folkways – are norms governing everyday behavior whose violation raises
comparatively little concern and these are not strictly enforced
Example of Norms and Mores
A man walks down the street wearing nothing on the upper half of his body is
violating a folkway; a man walks down the street wearing nothing on the lower
half of his body is a violation of one of our most important mores, the
requirement that people cover their genitals and buttocks in public.
C. Taboo - is a very strong negative norm; it is a prohibition of certain behavior
that is so strict that violating it results in extreme disgust and even expulsion
from the group or society. Often times the violator of the taboo is considered
unfit to live in that society.
For instance, in some Muslim cultures, eating pork is taboo because the pig is
considered unclean. At the more extreme end, incest and cannibalism are both
considered taboos in most places.
Symbolic Components of Culture
12. 5. Law –rule that has been formally enacted by a political authority
a norm that is formally inscribed at the state or federal
level and is enforced by police or other government agents.
Laws exist to discourage behavior that would typically result in
injury or harm to another person, including violations of
property rights.
Those who enforce laws have been given legal right by a
government to control behavior for the good of society at large.
When someone violates a law, a state authority will impose a
sanction, which can be as light as a payable fine or as severe as
imprisonment
Many laws are based from our mores.
Symbolic Components of Culture
13. 6. Sanctions – an official permission or approval for an action
all norms whether they are codified in law or not, are supported by
sanctions which refer to rewards for appropriate behavior or
inappropriate behavior (Kendall, 2003)
Sanctions may either be positive or negative.
POSITIVE sanctions are expressions for approval given for following a
norm.
(money, rewards, prizes or trophy, hugs, smile, handshakes or path a the
back)
NEGATIVE sanctions are expressions for disapproval for breaking a
norm.
(frowns, stares, harsh words or raised fist)
Symbolic Components of Culture
14. “Culture is both a bridge to our
past and a guide to our future”
-Soyinka,1991
