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Summary Sociology Unit 1 Culture - What is culture?
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- WJEC
Sociology Unit 1. Acquiring culture. Culture. What is culture? Culture - basics. Summary notes. Condensed knowledge. Easy to use. Easy revision. Learn quickly.
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Defining cultureCulture term used describe way of life of a group of people. Refers to how Aspects of culture Culture & social control
they are expected to behave, what they tend to believe, & how they think. All Cultures can be very diverse, meaning that Rules are created & followed by most peopl
individuals are apart of a culture; may belong more than 1. they differ a great deal. Things that seem belong to that culture. People who do not f
Culture differs from society. It refers to the beliefs, traditions & ideas people normal in 1 culture are unacceptable in rules will experience punishment in some w
share. The people who share ideas form a society. another. E.g. many Muslims refuse to drink known as a sanction. Those who follow the
alcohol or eat pork. This idea is known as be admired. Two forms of control:
cultural diversity. • Formal control – institutions in society e
Material culture the physical things that people create & attach emotional Not everyone in a culture will follow all of force people to behave, linked to concep
meaning to. Clothing, houses, cars & food may mean a lot to people; these the cultural rules. If people break rules power.
items not just objects but symbols of something important. individually, they will be known as deviant. • Informal control - internalisation of mor
However, when entire social groups behave People who break moral codes known as
differently from most people, are known as
Non-material culture the ideas that people share, e.g. their rules, traditions, a subculture. E.g. drug users.
languages & history. Is important bc it helps people understand their social
world & gives them guidelines for how to behave.
Unwritten rules – the processes of informal control – Tr
The social construction of culture functionalist writer, pointed out that breaking rules can
Despite this, most people do not commit serious crimes
A social construction is any idea that is created & given special meaning by
people. E.g. motherhood; there is a distinct set of social rules for being a What is culture? criminals & deviants lacked proper socialisation.
good mother in Western culture, may vary from other cultures. Korean No. Unwritten rules & codes that control behaviour:
mothers expected be self-sacrificing to an extraordinary degree, British • Norms – expected behaviours for a culture
mothers may also want private & personal lives. Motherhood -> is a social • Mores – ways of behaving that are seen as good, or m
construction. Culture is a social construction bc it varies from social group to • Values – linked to the concept of non-material cultur
social group. • Beliefs – individual to the person & can influence how
• Roles – expected behaviours for any situation
Culture & social change • Status – person's standing or position in society
Collectivist cultures – are cultures tend to emphasise belonging to the group Few cultures stay the same over
as more important than personal freedom. E.g. China & Japan time. Any differences in the way
that people generally think, or act
Cultural diversity – term used de
can be seen as social change. E.g.
Individualistic cultures – are cultures tend to emphasise individual freedom & differences in behaviour between
roles & expected behaviours of
personal gain, sometimes at the expense of others. E.g. European & North More complex than simply comp
men & women. Women have
American cultures. cultures, though anthropologists
gained status & now take active
People learn their cultures from others around them. Children are this & shown how infinitely comp
part in society. Functionalists see
deliberately taught how to behave, & adults have to learn what to do in each different human cultures are. Hu
social change as a problem,
new situation they face. vary over time as well.
Marxists disagree.
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