cultural universals
common features that are found in all human cultures
cultural relativism
the belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards rather than by applying the standards of another culture
laws
serious mores are formalized into this; written rules of conduct enacted and enforced by the government.
cultural trait
simplest level of culture; An individual tools, act, or belief that is related to a particular situation or need.
cultural complexes
individual culture traits combine to form the next level; A cluster of interrelated traits.
cultural patterns
the combination of a number of culture complexes into a interrelated whole. Cultural complexes combine to form larger levels.
Folkways
Norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral significance attached to them; Outline the common customs of everyday life.
Culture
Consists of all share products of human groups. These products include both physical objects and the beliefs, values, and behaviors shared by a group.
Values
Shared beliefs about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable.
Language
The organization of written or spoken symbols into a standardized system; help us communicate values.
Society
A group of interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity; consists of people
Subculture
Groups with its own unique values, norms, and behaviors that exist within a larger culture.
Norms
All groups create this to enforce their cultural values; shared rules of conduct that tell people how to act in specific situations.
Mores
Norms that describe socially acceptable behavior that have great moral significance attached to them; this relation exists because the violation of such rules, endangers society's well-being and stability (murder)
Material culture
Physical objects that people create and use; automobiles, books, buildings, clothing, computers etc.
Non material culture
Abstract human creations; beliefs, family patterns, ideas, language etc.
Technology
Sociologists refer to this as the combination of physical objects and rules for using those objects; knowledge/tools people use for a practical purpose.
Yanomamo
Farmers that live in small villages along the border between Brazil and Venezuela. Warfare and feats play an important rule in their way of life; known as the fierce people.
San
Their way of life is based on cooperation. The group has their own territories and take great care not to trespass on others land. All members take part.
Counterculture
Group that rejects values, norms, and practices of the larger society and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns.
Subculture
Group with its own unique values, norms, and behaviors that exist within a larger culture.
Linguistic-relativity hypothesis
Consists of two principles: language shapes the way people thinks and assets that people who speak different languages perceive the world in different ways. (Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf)
Margaret mead
Studied the arapesh and mundugumor. Conducted a study of cultural variation. Her purpose was to determine whether differences in basic temperament result mainly from inherited characteristics or from cultural influences.
George Murdock
Examined hundreds of different cultures in an attempt to determine what general traits are common to all cultures. Compiled a list of more than 65 cultural universals. Found that although survival may dictate the need for cultural universals, the specific
Napoleon chagnon
Studied the Yanomamo and called them the fierce people. His first impression of the people was filtered through the standard of his own culture.
Edwin Sutherland
Criminologist that developed the idea of subcultures in the 1920's through his work on crime and juvenile delinquency
Marvin Harris
Wrote Cannibals and kings. Explored the religious prohibition in India against killing cows even when food shortages exist. Suggest that prohibition was related to the development of Indian agriculture.