Ms. Edwards Global Issues Class.

1. Elements of Culture

2. 1st Element of Culture:
Social Organization
Cultures organize members into smaller units
• Family
•Social Class

3. Social Organization
Family
Family is the most important
Through family children learn how they are expected to act and what
to believe.
Family patterns:
• Nuclear family: parents and their children. *typical in industrialized
societies.
• Extended family: several generations in one household.
*respect for elders is usually strong in extended families
Two forms of Lineage:
Patriarchal- lineage goes through the fathers side (fathers last name).
The oldest male is the head of the household.
Matriarchal- Lineage goes through the mothers side (mothers last
name)- the oldest female is the head of the household.

4. Social Organization CONTINUED…
Social Class
• Social classes rank people in
order of status depending
on what’s important to
them:
• Money
• Job
• Education
• Ancestry

5. What social class structure is represented in the
image below?
How is ones “status” defined in this
culture?

6. 2ND Element of Culture:
CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS
Customs ‘norms’: the rules, beliefs, laws and values
expected and taught by a culture.
Example: Rules of behavior: Handshakes, hugs, making eye
contact, eating with a fork, holding a door for someone.
-Cultural law- enforces theses rules (our family and friends
let us know if we are doing the right thing or not)
Traditions: The way in which a culture celebrates,
memorializes and conducts activities.
- Celebrations of holidays, festivals.

7. 6 American Customs & Traditions you
didn’t know are weird.
• Baby showers- outside of America and Canada baby showers aren’t
really a thing. It’s considered bad luck to celebrate a child before they
are born in many countries around the world.
• Drinking ice cold beverages: go to any restaurant in America and ask for
a glass or water or a soda- it will come with a massive amount of ice in
the cup. Go abroad, beverages are kept at room temperature and are
delivered that way.
• Opening a gift in front of the giver- is seen by many as greedy.
• Smiling at strangers.
• Tipping- tipping isn’t really a thing in most countries.
• Showing too much in public restrooms- (there are several online forms
devoted to the mystery of why there's so much space underneath and
around bathroom stall doors.

8. 3ND Element of Culture:
Language
• Language is the cornerstone of
culture.
• A source of cultural unity.
• People who speak the same
language often share the same
culture.
• All cultures have a spoken
language even if written language
isn’t developed.
• Each language can have several
different dialects (accents)

9. 4th Element of Culture:
Art & Literature
• Products of the human
imagination
Things that entertain, please,
and teach us about a culture.
• Art
• Architecture
• Music
• Culinary (food)
• Literature
• Folk tales

10. 5th element of culture
Religion
• Answers basic questions about the
meaning of life
• Supports values that groups of people feel
are important
• Religion is often a source of conflict between
cultures:
• Monotheism- is belief in one god
• Polytheism: a belief in many gods
• Atheism: a belief in no gods.
• Agnostic- a person who claims neither faith
nor disbelief in God.
• Secularist- A person who advocates
separation of the state from religious
institutions or doctrine.

14. Religion Summary Response
• Based on the 4 documents above, describe America in terms of
religion. (What is the most dominant religion, how many people are
not religious and what part of the country is most and least religious)

15. • Definition of government:
• 1. Person/people who hold power in a
society;
• 2 Society’s laws and political institutions.
3 basic types (only a few but there are many)
• Democracy: people have supreme power,
government acts by and with consent of
the people.
• Republic: people choose leaders who
represent them.
• Dictatorship: ruler/group holds power by
force usually relying on military support for
power.
6th element of culture
Government

17. • How people use limited resources to satisfy their wants and needs.
• Answers the basic questions: what to produce, how to produce it, and for
whom.
• Traditional Economy: people produce most of what they need to survive (hunting,
gathering, farming, herding cattle, make own clothes/tools).
• Market Economy: individuals buying and selling goods and services
• Command Economy: Government controls what/how goods are produced and
what they cost. Individuals have little economic power
• Mixed Economy: Individuals make some economic decisions and the government
makes others. Most governments are mixed.
7th element of culture
Economy

18. Traditional
Economy

19. Command
Economy

20. Market Economy

21. 7 Elements of Culture
•Complete the 7 elements of Culture quiz