2. Culture
• The legitimacy of certain practices and ideas
can be understood only within the unique
context of the group or society in which they
occur.
• It takes a sociological imagination to see that
time and place have a great influence on what
people consider normal.
• Culture and History in creating social order.
3. Dimensions of Culture
• Culture is one of the key elements that shape the
structure of a society.
• We are products of the culture and historical
epoch in which we live.
• Non-material culture: all the nonphysical
products of society that are created over time
and shared: knowledge, beliefs, customs, values,
morals, and so on. It also includes common
patterns of behavior and the forms of interaction
appropriate in a particular society.
• It is a ‘design for living’ that distinguishes one
society from another.
4. Dimensions of Culture
• Material Culture: the physical artifacts and
objects that shape or reflect the lives of members
of a particular society: distinctive clothing and
architecture, inventions, food, artwork, music and
so on.
• Some of the most important elements of material
culture are technological achievements. By
applying knowledge to adapt to changing social,
economic and environmental conditions.
5. Global Culture
• Global communication, international media,
transportation systems and migration have
contributed to a worldwide exchange of
cultural elements.
• The increasing influence of US culture on
other countries.
• The dominance of English language.
6. Subcultures
• A subculture consists of the values, behaviors
and physical artifacts of a group that
distinguish it from a larger culture.
• Religions, age groups, ethnic groups, racial
groups can be considered as subcultures.
7. History
• As culture, history has pervasive influence on
today’s society.
• Culture and history provide people with a
common bond- a sense of shared personal
experiences.
8. Cultural Expectations and Social Order
• Heteronormative culture: A culture where
heterosexuality is accepted as normal mode of
sexual expression.
• In heteronormative cultures, heterosexuals
are socially privileged because their
relationships and lifestyles are affirmed in
society.
9. Cultural Expectations and Social Order
• The accomodation of new technologies lead
to changes in cultural norms.
• The usage of cell phones.
10. Social Institutions and Cultural Norms
• Institutions are also strongly supported by
cultural norms.
• Institutionalized norm: a pattern of behavior
becomes widely accepted within a particular
social institution and is taken for granted in a
society.
• Institutionalized norms constrain people’s
behavior by making some lines of action
unthinkable. Ex: military duty.
11. Culture
• Norm: A general framework of expectations
• Sanction: A direct social response to some
behavior.
• Cultural Relativism: The principle that people’s
beliefs and activities should be interpreted in
terms of their own culture.
• Ethnocentrism: The tendency of people to
compare their own culture with other cultures.
• Cultural loyalty supports ethnocentrism and
encouraged by institutional ritual and symbolism.
12. Cultural Variation
• The people of the world become linked by
globalization, commerce, communications and
individuals from different cultures are more recently
living together.
• An awareness of cultural differences is crucial for a
multicultural society.
• Recognition of a disease differs culturally.
• Culture shapes everyday notions of health and illness.
• Sexual dichotomy: The belief that there are two sex
categories and these are determined, permanent and
universal.
• Sexual dichotomy is challenged depending on the
culture.
