Culture is defined as the set of learned behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideals that are characteristic of a society or population. All cultures are of equal value and need to be studied neutrally according to the approach of cultural relativism. There are many cultural differences between societies in areas such as expressions of ideas, gestures, views of silence, attitudes towards time, and norms around physical contact and eye contact. A society is a group of people involved with each other through persistent social relations and interactions, sharing the same territory and political structure. Social change involves alterations in a society's cultural symbols, rules of behavior, social organizations, or value systems over time.

1. Society and Social Change
Prepared by: Ms. Krista Alvarez

2. Culture
Culture is defined as the set of learned behaviors,
beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideals that are
characteristics of a particular society or population
(Ember, 1999).

3. Culture
According to Hunt et al, (1992), culture means the
entire way of life of people and everything learned
and shared by people in society.

4. Cultural relativism
It is an anthropological approach which posits that
all culture are of equal value and need to be studied
in a neutral point of view (Glazer, 1996).

5. Cultural Differences
• Expressions are
differentiated
according to their
importance: for the
Inuits (Eskimos) snow
is part of their
everyday life, so
many words exist to
describe it.

6. Cultural Differences
• Shaking the head in a
horizontal direction in
most countries means
“no”, while in India it
means „yes”, and in
hindi language the
voice lowers in pitch at
the end of a question.

7. • Enduring silence is
perceived as
comfortable in Japan,
while in Europe and
North America it may
cause insecurity and
embarrassment.
Scandinavians, by
Western standards, are
more tolerant of silent
breaks during
conversations.
Cultural Differences

8. • Laughing is
connoted in most
countries with
happiness - in Japan
it is often a sign of
confusion, insecurity
and embarrassment.
Cultural Differences

9. • In Mediterranean
European countries,
Latin America and Sub
Saharan Africa, it is
normal, or at least
widely tolerated, to
arrive half an hour late
for a dinner invitation,
whereas in Germany
and Switzerland this
would be extremely
rude.
Cultural Differences

10. • Showing the thumb held upwards means
“everything’s’ ok” in Latin America, especially
Brazil, but also in many other countries while
it is understood in some Islamic countries as
well as Sardinia and Greece as a rude sexual
sign. Furthermore, the sign of thumb up may
signify the number "one" in France and a few
other central European countries.
Cultural Differences

11. • Patting a child’s head is considered to be a friendly or
affectionate gesture in our culture, it is considered
inappropriate by many Asians to touch someone on
the head, which is believed to be a sacred part of the
body. In the Middle East, the left hand is reserved for
bodily hygiene and should not be used to touch
another or transfer objects. In Muslim cultures,
touch between opposite gendered individuals is
generally inappropriate.
Cultural Differences

12. • In mainstream Western culture, eye contact is
interpreted as attentiveness and honesty; we are
taught that we should “look people in the eye”
when talking. In many cultures, however,
including Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and
Native American, eye contact is thought to be
disrespectful or rude, and lack of eye contact
does not mean that a person is not paying
attention. Women may especially avoid eye
contact with men because it can be taken as a
sign of sexual interest.
Cultural Differences

13. • Although it is common in Western culture for
adults to admire babies and young children
and comment upon how cute they are, this is
avoided in Hmong and Vietnamese cultures
for fear that these comments may be
overheard by a spirit that will try to steal the
baby or otherwise cause some harm to come
to him or her.
Cultural Differences

14. Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people
involved with each other through
persistent relations, or a large social grouping
sharing the same geographical or social territory,
subject to the same political authority and
dominant cultural expectations.

15. Society
More broadly, a society may be illustrated as
an economic, social, or industrial infrastructure,
made up of a varied collection of individuals.
Members of a society may be from different ethnic
groups. A society can be a particular ethnic group,
such as the Saxons; a nation state, such as Bhutan;
or a broader cultural group, such as a Western
society.

16. Social Change
Throughout the historical development of their discipline,
sociologists have borrowed models of social change from
other academic fields. In the late 19th century,
when evolution became the predominant model for
understanding biological change, ideas of social change
took on an evolutionary cast, and, though other models
have refined modern notions of social change, evolution
persists as an underlying principle.

17. Social Change
Social change, in sociology, is the alteration of
mechanisms within the social structure,
characterized by changes in cultural symbols, rules
of behavior, social organizations, or value systems.

18. Thank You for
Listening ;)