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Review Notes on   IS Lecture 4:  Culture & Social Structure
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 What is Society?   
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          Culture   
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                    Values   
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                   Technology & Culture   
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                   Subculture   
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                   Globalization & Culture   
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                   Language   
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                   Functionalism on Culture   
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                   Conflict Theory on Culture   
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          Social Structure   

 
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  Outline on What is Society?
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  SOCIETY IS A GROUP W/ IDENTITY, W/ SHARED AUTHORITY, W/ COMMON AREA, IN AN ENVIRONMENT   
  Society is the people & sum of inventions, institutions, relationships, created & reproduced by humans 
 
  SOCIETY HAS THE EIGHT QUALITIES OF GILAGECS   
  1.  SOCIETY IS MADE OF GROUPS   
  We will see the menagerie of social institutions, made up of groups.... 
And yet we see our culture as ONE 
In some respects, we are groups of groups of groups... a group is its own society 		  
  2.  SOCIETY HAS A DISTINCT IDENTITY   
  Self awareness is an important part of consciousness   
  A society, a culture must recognize itself before anyone else can recognize it   
  3.  SOCIETY HAS A COMMON LANGUAGE   
  Language once was one of the most powerful indicators of what society someone belonged to, but today, language is less & less important   
  The globe is experiencing a 'concentration of languages,' i.e. many languages are disappearing & a few are coming to dominate   
  4.  A SOCIETY HAS A SHARED AUTHORITY   
  Most societies rely on political authority, & there is a general transition from violent / authoritarian authority  to rule of law / democracy & bureaucracy   
  5.  SOCIETY HAS A COMMON GEOGRAPHIC AREA   
  Today, most societies have an  identity w/ national borders, but nations & societies are socially permeable, i.e. not exact   
  Geography & location is becoming less of a factor on societies as technology & transportation expand   
  We now have a "world society" in that some parts of society are known the world over   
  6.  SOCIETY IS IN, AS WELL AS SHAPED BY, THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT   
  While all species are shaped by the environment, there is wide debate on how much our environment shapes us   
 
 7.  SOCIETY HAS CULTURE WHICH IS THE MANIFESTATION OF KBVN   
  Society has culture which is the content of society & culture is made up of a society's shared knowledge, beliefs, values, & norms  ( KBVN )   
  8.  SOCIETY HAS SOCIAL STRUCTURE WHICH IS THE FORM OF SOCIETY AS MANIFESTED IN PF REG M CEML   
  The physical environment influences the nature of social structures in society      ( PF REG M CEML ) 
Peers Military
Family Charity
Religion Education
Economy / work  Media
Govt Leisure / recreation
 
  Below are three examples of how various social structures are located in particular geographic areas & are actually shaped by the physical environment 
Peers Races, ethnicities, regional types
Wk / econ H-G, Agriculture, Herding, Extraction, etc.
Leisure / recreation Swim, ski, etc.
 
  THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE BTWN MODERN & NON MODERN SOCIETY IS RATIONAL & TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY, RESPECTIVELY   
  Modern society:
-  is relatively self contained
-  is aware of it's identity
-  has a common geographic area
-  has a shared authority, which is primarily rational authority		  
  Non modern society is essentially the same as modern society except it is smaller, more ethnocentric, & has traditional authority  
  The concept of society is an abstraction in that society is not something you can see or touch because is is not just people, but their relationships  

 
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  An Overview of  Culture
External
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 -  Video:  Culture
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  -  Project:  Identifying a Culture
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  -  Project:  The Intersections of KBVN
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  -  Project:  Real & Ideal Culture
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  -  Project:  Video:  What Is Culture?
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 -  Project:  Video:  The Social Orgs of Culture
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 -  Video:  Romeo & Juliet
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  CULTURE IS THE SHARED KNOWLEDGE, BELIEFS, VALUES, NORMS ( K B V N ) & THE PHYSICAL & ABSTRACT MANIFESTATIONS OF THAT CONTENT   
  All societies have a culture  
 
 Culture may be defined as the shared content of society   
  The FOUR components of culture are knowledge, beliefs, values, norms       ( K B V N )   
 
 The four components of culture are physically manifested through symbols & language
 
 
 Symbols are defined as anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share culture. 
 
 
 The meaning of the same symbols varies from society to society, w/in a single society, and over time
 
 
 Culture is the shared set of meanings that are lived through material & symbolic practices, & the socially created objects of everyday life  
  Do not confuse the common usage of the word "culture" w/ the sociological use  
  People commonly use culture to mean society &/ subculture & this usage would include both culture ( KBVN ) & social structure ( PF REG M CEML )  
  THE EXPRESSION OF CULTURE IS ACCOMPLISHED IN MANY WAYS INCLUDING LANGUAGE, ART, RELIGION, CUSTOMS, & MORE   
  When examining culture, KBVN are often expressed in SEVEN configurations 
 Roles                      Language                      Technology 
 Customs                 Material Objects 
 Religion                 Groups of People		  
 
 Culture shock refers to personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life
 
 
 Only humans depend on culture rather than instincts to ensure the survival of their kind. 
 
  Culture is a long time in the making  
  Culture can be a constraint in that humans cannot live w/o culture, but the capacity for culture has some drawbacks  
  Culture can be a source of freedom in that culture forces us to choose as we make & remake a world for ourselves  
 
 The social sciences carry out 'cultural mapping,' i.e. a cataloging of the various aspects of culture throughout societies   
  THE SOCIAL SCIENCES EXAMINE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CULTURE   
  1.  Sociologists examine how cultures are created & maintained in modern society & how culture impacts social structures & personality  
  2.  Anthropologists examine how cultures are created & maintained in ancient  &/ indigenous societies  
  3.  Geographers examine how place & space shape culture & vice versa & how culture is organized spatially  
  4.  Psychologists examine how the subconscious is manifested in culture  
  5.  Political scientists examine how culture affects govt & the political process  
  Sociologists generally accept TWO human manifestations of culture:  material & non material culture which occur in the TWO settings of the physical environment & the human environment  
  All the levels meld into one seamless culture: 
1.  Material culture 
     a.  Material culture & the physical environment 
     b.  Material culture & the human environment 
2.  Non material culture 
     a.  Non material culture & the physical environment 
     b.  Non material culture & the human environment 		  
  1.  MATERIAL CULTURE IS MANIFESTED IN OBJECTIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF KBVN 
 
  a.  MATERIAL CULTURE IS MANIFESTED THROUGH THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT   
  The physical environment includes the "natural" environment as well as human made rural landscapes, city-scapes, etc.  
  Even the physical environment in which we live comes to be identified as a representative of our material culture & the environment does shape our KBVN   
  Usually different regions have a cultural attachment to their environment   
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 Examples of material culture & the physical environment  
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 b.  MATERIAL CULTURE IS MANIFESTED THROUGH THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT   
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   1)   World symbols:  An example of a world symbol is the UN Building or the Earth picture  
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   2)   National symbols:  a nation's flag  
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   3)   Regional symbols:  race car  
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   4)   Homes/ businesses styles:  ranch home, mobile home,   
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   5)   Cars, boats etc. styles:  SUV, mini van, sports car, etc.  
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   6)   Clothing styles:  woman in a black dress, men in black  
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   7)   Body shape / style:  body art   
  2.  NON MATERIAL CULTURE IS MANIFEST IN SUBJECTIVE, ABSTRACT, IDEOLOGICAL, ETC. REPRESENTATIONS OF CULTURE   
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 Non material culture is manifested in abstract representations of KBVN  
  a.  KNOWLEDGE IS MANIFESTED / DEMONSTRATED IN & BY CULTURE   
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 Knowledge is shared truth based on science   
  Examples of cultural manifestations of knowledge are Darwin fish symbols, Stanford T-shirts, math symbol jewelry, tech gear & the very ideas these symbols represent   
  b.  BELIEFS ARE MANIFESTED / DEMONSTRATED IN & BY CULTURE   
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 Beliefs are shared truth based on tradition, religion, instinct, emotion, common sense  
  Knowledge & beliefs are like two intersecting circles w/ mutual & exclusive content  
  Examples of cultural manifestations of beliefs are Christian fish symbols, Jesus T-shirts, Crescent Moon jewelry, religious dress, & the very ideas these symbols represent   
  c.  VALUES ARE MANIFESTED / DEMONSTRATED IN & BY CULTURE   
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 Values are shared personal judgments/preferences about what is considered good/bad, like/dislike that serve as broad guidelines for social life  
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 Core American values have an ideal & a real Aspect;  See the Table on the Ideal & Real Aspects of Core American Values  
  Ideal values are those that actors hold "patriotically," or rhetorically, that actors believe that they hold  
  Real values are those that actors actually practice; when faced w/ a "situation," actors show their real values  
  The concept of  real values can be seen in the fact that Americans have the core cultural value of democracy, but fail to vote  
  d.  NORMS ARE MANIFESTED / DEMONSTRATED IN & BY CULTURE THROUGH FOLKWAYS, MORES, LAWS, ETC.   
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 Norms are shared expectations about behavior, i.e. socially defined rules
 
  i.   Folkways are informal, minor norms that usually carry only minor & informal sanctions, or punishments, when they are violated  
 
 Example:  Manners  
  ii.  Mores are informal norms, that are very important to people & may be written into law  
  Example:  People should not talk loudly in religious buildings
 
  iii. Laws are formal, codified norms which everyone is expected to be aware & which carry specific, legal sanctions  
  Example:  driving regulations
 
  Western cultural practices are exported by the media to remote corners of globe 
Paul Harvey:  Yet this is not “one world” 		  
  INTERSECTIONS OF KBVN OCCUR AS A RESULT OF SOCIALIZATION & LIFE EXPERIENCES, & VARY WIDELY RESULTING IN INFINITE MANIFESTATIONS OF CULTURE   
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 Culture's components of  K + B + V + N, have limited intersections  
  Knowledge & beliefs are like two intersecting circles w/ mutual & exclusive content  
  WI Thomas on truth.... & culture:  'What we believe to be true, becomes true in its consequences'  
  Examples:  men are buffoons 
Cuban Missile Crisis:  the Russians are offering a way out / the Russians are holding a hard line 
A clique believing someone is cool		  
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 We each have conflicting views on  KBVN   AOI  which often create anxiety, cognitive dissonance, etc. on an individual level and conflict, strife, war, etc. on a societal level  
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 Non material culture & the physical environment can be seen is the aesthetic question:  "What is the meaning of wind whispering in trees to your culture?"  
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 Non material culture & the human environment can be seen is the aesthetic question:  "What is the meaning of a veiled face?   of green hair?"  

 
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Material culture & the physical environment

Examples:    mountains, ocean, corn fields 
Midwest:  rich farm land, lazy rivers, flat land, cold winters 
West coast:  beaches, sunshine, warm winters, best climate 
Appalachia:  mountains, forests, strip mines 


 
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Material culture & the human environment
Physical objects representing non material or abstract culture 
      World Symbols 
      National Symbols 
      Regional Symbols 
      Homes
      Cars, boats, planes, etc. 
      Clothes 
      Body 

 
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World symbols
Not many of these 

UN Building


 
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National symbols

US Flag 
Confederate Battle Flag 

Some smaller items 
Food:  chocolate 


 
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Regional symbols
Silo 
Mississippi River 
Empire State Building 
Cheese 
Potatoes 
Tobacco 

 
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Homes
Shacks to Mansions to Castles 

 
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Car, boats, etc.
Mini van to SUV to Harley to junker 

 
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Clothing
Clothing, like language, is so personal that it identifies your culture 
We use clothing to indicate respect ( in a ritual such as marriage, or funeral ) or disrespect 

 
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Body
Body image & decoration is becoming more & more malleable: 
We now idolize the thin, athletic body 
But less thin that the "Twiggy" days of the late 1970's 
Heavier men & women were preferred in earlier times 
Women have been subject to greater pressures to achieve the ideal body image than have men.... but is this changing? 

 
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Non material culture
Abstract:  the knowledge, beliefs, values & norms  ( KBVN ) of a society 

           a.  Non Material culture & the physical environment 
           b.  Non Material culture & the human environment 

 
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1. Knowledge:  shared truth based on science   We believe it to be true 

Physical Sciences 
  Natural 
  Life 
Social Sciences 
Humanities 
Arts 

Knowledge is not absolute in that it changes from society to society from year to year 
Generally we can speak of scientific knowledge 


 
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2. Beliefs: shared truth based on tradition, religion, instinct, emotion, common sense 
General recognition of less truth validity 
There is no clear line btwn Knowledge & Beliefs 

 
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3. Values:  Shared personal judgments/preferences about what is considered good/bad, like/dislike that serve as broad guidelines for social life

We are generally unaware of what our values are unless we have gone through training/coaching/therapy to "know thyself" 


 
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Table on the Ideal & Real Aspects of Core American Values
Core American values: general consensus 
( may conflict )		 Ideal culture: 
accepted in principle		 Real culture: 
actually practiced
1.  Freedom   Freedom for all; Freedom is our Number 1 Value!  We allow more freedom for a middle majority & the upper class, less for the others.  Many groups have limited freedom
2.  Democracy
 
 
3.  Individualism 
 
 
4.  Responsibility 
 
 
5.  Religion/morality 
 
 
6.  Science/tech 
 
 
7.  Opportunity
 
 
8.  Competition
 
 
9.  Work ethic
 
 
10.  Humanitarianism
 
 
11.  Practicality
 
 
12.  Nationalism
 
 
13.  Romance
 
 
14.  Sexuality
 
 

 
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4. Norms
 Folkways:    manners, grammar, dressing appropriately 
 Mores:        littering to flag burning 
 Laws:          littering, flag burning, to robbery & murder 

We are not generally conscious of norms 
Their impact is automatic:  internalized 

We often can ponder the norm of a particular situation 


 
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Knowledge, beliefs, values, norms are like four intersecting circles
 K & B can be tested, but are not 
V & N are not recognized as vague 

 
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Culture = K + B + V + N 
The sum of our culture 
(knowledge, beliefs, values, rules [norms]) 
creates truth for each of us 
What people agree on is “the truth”

WI Thomas:  If people believe something is true, it becomes real in its consequences. 
 Knowledge & beliefs define action 
 Earth:  flat or round 
 Love:  eros, filial, romantic 
Beauty: 

We are not generally aware of what our culture is 
We do not know what is in our own mind w/ regards to K B V N 


 
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KBVN AOI
We are generally not explicitly conscious of our KBVN 
We hold conflicting positions in relation to KBVN AOI 
But some people are more introspective about 
     Attitudes 
     Opinions 
     Interests 

 
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Non Material culture & the physical environment
Humans definitely attribute abstract meanings to the physical environment 
As scientists, we cannot judge this, only try to understand it 
Durkheim delved deeply into this question: 
Some critics today decry our loss of connection w/ the environment & the mystical 

What is the meaning of an untouched forest? 
What is the meaning of a Clinch River freshwater mussel?
What is the meaning of Antarctica?
The moon?
The stars?
The planets? 


 
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Non Material culture & the human environment
As human influence & material creations grow, so does the amount of meaning we attribute to human made creations 

What is the meaning of a Ford Excursion?  ( the largest SUV ) 
What is the meaning of green hair? 
What is the meaning of a 5 caret diamond ring?  estimated value $1/4 million 


 
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 Outline on  Values
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  Values are shared personal judgments/preferences about what is considered good/bad, like/dislike that serve as broad guidelines for social life  
 
 Values are what a social actor, i.e. a person, group, society, etc., judges as good or bad in a social relationship, thing etc.
 
  A values is something (as a principle, quality, or entity) intrinsically valuable or desirable, as in a regulated system of values  
  Erich Fromm, the psychologist, said that all values are relative to a given culture   
 
 Values concerning social relations are often termed morals or ethics
 
  A value is a principle, standard, or quality considered worthwhile or desirable: "The speech was a summons back to the patrician values of restraint and responsibility"  
  Values are the beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something); "He has very conservatives values"  
 
 Morals are habits of life or modes of conduct; as in a principal of life
 
 
 People usually accept the ideology of dominant groups in society & so accept their values & do not pursue their own self interests
 
 
 Ideologies are mental systems of beliefs about reality
 
  See Also:  Ideology  
 
 For conflict theorists, values should be determined by, or at the very least, harmonious w/ one's interests & interests should be determined by one's values
 
 
  See Also:  Interest
 
  People have an ideology characterized by class consciousness or authenticity when they have values & interests in support of their own group / sub culture  
  See Also:  Class & False Consciousness  
 
 But false consciousness prevents the correct interaction btwn interests & values because the interests of the ruling class come to predominate
 
 
 The ideology of the dominant group / class is often the most prominent ideology
 
 
 People accept the ideology of the dominant groups in society & so accept their values & do not pursue their own self interest
 
  RANGE OF VALUES  
  Values are always defined by their variability in that one may believe in monogamy or polyamory, i.e. having one lover / spouse, v. having more than one  
  Values imply a choice as in I prefer chocolate cake to coconut cake  
  Values may be more or less absolute in that I prefer chocolate cake but also have a taste for coconut cake  
  Our taste for food, does not demand mental consistency, we see variety as the spice of life,  
  Most people prefer a high level of consistency consistency in their values, & inconsistency causes the self to feel anxiety, & for SOs to judge one unfavorably, & for GOs to treat one w/ disdain  
 
 Because people are generally unaware of their real values (see below), there is often a wide range of inconsistent values operating in one person  
 
 When one has a life experience which calls for the demonstration of a value, if one has not developed that value, one often chooses a value w/ which one believes they are being consistent w/ their other values  
 
 Thus individuals seek to be consistent in one value, operating the same all the time, & to be consistent in their entire value set  
  Values are often in harmony, & sometimes in conflict  
  Values w/in one society are frequently inconsistent & even opposed to one another  
  Like all elements of culture, values change over time as seen in the fact that Americans are placing increased importance on leisure  
  Emerging values occur in even the most stable of societies & in open countries like England, emerging values are more generally accepted while in closed nations such as No Korea, emerging values are not accepted & in fact they are often the source of conflict & oppressed  
  A global perspective on values makes it clear that values vary from culture to culture around the world. .   
  People in lower income nations develop cultures that value survival  
  People in higher income countries develop cultures that value individualism & self expression  
  US VALUES  
  Robin Williams identifies ten key values of US culture including: 
1.  equal opportunity
2.  achievement and success 
3.  material comfort
4.  activity & work
5.  practicality and efficiency		 6.  progress 
7.  science
8.  democracy & free enterprise
9.  freedom
10.  racism & group superiority
 
 
 ORIGIN OF VALUES
 
  One word describes how we get our values:  socialization
 
  Some social scientists, physical scientists, theologians, philosophers, etc. believe or seek to demonstrate that values come from sources other than socialization   
  Non socialization arguments for the origin of values hold that values originate from one's physical being such as genes, e.g. the altruistic gene; god or his or her representative, e.g. God, Jesus, Mohammed, Diva, etc.; rationalizations e.g. "I think, therefore I am.... " or some other argument  
  Socialization is the only argument for the origin of values which has been scientifically established  
  Socialization includes the processes of selective exposure, modeling, identification, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, & nurturance  ( SMIPNN )  
  See Also:  Socialization  
  The major task for social scientists is to determine the agent of socialization which is responsible for the creation of a culture's, org's, or individual's value set  
  Functionalists believe that we we gain our values primarily through all of the social structures ( PF REG M CEML )  
  See Also:  Functionalism  
  See Also:  The Social Structures  
  Conflict theorists believe that we gain our values primarily through work, the economy, & education, as well as the family, who gets it's values from it's experience of work, the economy, & education  
  See Also:  Conflict Theory  
  REAL & IDEAL VALUES  
  Core American values have an ideal & a real aspect  
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 Table: Core American Values: Ideal & Real Aspects
 
 
 Ideal values are those that actors hold "patriotically," or rhetorically, that actors believe that they hold
 
 
 Real values are those that actors actually practice; when faced w/ a "situation," actors show their Real Values
 
 
 The importance of a value, any value is the extent to which it is accepted
 
  Ideal values are that set of values that are popular, or widely held, in a society's culture, or sub culture  
  In some cases, some people may believe that they hold values, called counter values, which run contrary to the values of a society  
  Real values are the operative or in practice values, which a person may not be conscious of  
  Thus a person may believe in equal opportunity, but not practice it, operating instead on nepotism, cronyism, favoritism, bribery, etc.   
  A person is generally not aware of their real or actual set of values  
  A person may not even have a set of ideal values in that if asked what their opinion is, or their values around a subject, they don't know what it is  
  People gain awareness of their real values through several routes, including:  therapy, surveys, a 'test of life,' action in life, long consideration of a value or subject, etc.   
  MICRO & MACRO VALUES  
 
 Values range in extent from broad cultural forces to individual norms
 
 
 Three types:
 
 
 a.  Macro level values include cultural norms & expectations include the deep roots in a culture that are usually uncritically accepted in that norms are social rules, formal & informal, that are obvious because everyone follows them
 
 
 b.  Mid level values include ideological positions are rationalizations for particular policy views
 
 
 Agencies, legislatures, courts, interest groups, etc. all have norms & expectations about goals & behavior. 
 
 
 c. Micro level values include personal beliefs & attitudes that vary from individual to individual:  desire for power or fame, integrity. 
 
 
 -  Coleman's Rational Choice Theory on Norms & Values  
 
 -  Blau on Values  

 
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Table: Core American Values:
Ideal & Real Aspects
Core American Values: 
general consensus 
( may conflict )		 Ideal culture: 
accepted in principle		 Real culture: 
actually practiced
1.  Freedom   Freedom for all; Freedom is our Number 1 Value!  We allow more freedom for a middle majority & the upper class, less for the others.  Many groups have limited freedom
2.  Democracy
 
 
3.  Individualism 
 
 
4.  Responsibility 
 
 
5.  Religion / morality 
 
 
6.  Science/tech 
 
 
7.  Equal Opportunity
 
 
8.  Competition
 
 
9.  Work ethic
 
 
10.  Humanitarianism
 
 
11.  Practicality
 
 
12.  Nationalism
 
 
13.  Romance
 
 
14.  Sexuality
 
 

 
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 Outline on  Tech & Culture
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  THE MEANING OF TECH GOES BEYOND ITS FUNCTIONALITY IN PRODUCTION, COMMUNICATION, ETC. TO INCLUDE MANIFESTATIONS OF CULTURE (KBVN), IDENTITY, ETC.   
  In addition to intangible elements such as knowledge, beliefs, values & norms, every culture includes a wide range of intangible human creations called artifacts, which partly affect underlying cultural values
 
  In addition to reflecting values, material culture also indicates a society's level of tech, knowledge that people apply to the task of living in their surroundings
 
  Gerhard & Jean Lenski focus on socio cultural evolution, the changes that occur as a society acquires new tech, passing through 4 levels of development including hunting & gathering, horticulture & pastoralism, agriculture, industry, & postindustrial info tech
 
  A.  Hunting & Gathering & Culture  
  Hunting & gathering societies use simple tools to hunt animals & gather vegetation
 
  B.  Horticulture & Pastoralism & Culture  
  Horticulture involves the use of hand tools to raise crops
 
  In especially dry regions, societies turned to pastoralism, the domestication of animals
 
  C. Agriculture & Culture
 
  Five thousand years ago, further technological advances led to agriculture, large scale cultivation using plows harnessed to animals or more powerful energy sources
 
  D.  Industry & Culture
 
  Industrialization occurred as societies replaced the muscles of animals & humans w/ new forms of power
 
  Formally, industry is the production of goods using advanced sources of energy to drive large machinery
 
  E.  Postindustrial Information Technology & Culture
 
  Going beyond the 4 categories discussed by the Lenski, we see that many indl societies, including the US, have now entered a postindustrial stage of econ development based on new info tech  
 
 Tech does much more than impact the econ which in turn impacts the culture in that tech directly impacts culture as seen in digital cameras, CGIs, electric cars, genetically engineered plants, etc. 
 
 
 Not only does tech impact culture, but culture itself has a role in shaping tech in that some technologies such as iPod succeed while other types of MP3 players fail based at least partially on culture
 
 
 Henry Ford had the vision of building one model of car & making it the best given current tech, & while his strategy dominated for a while, in the long run GM overtook Ford & came to dominate the US auto ind because they built cars to match the Am culture w/ such features as different colors, jazzy styles, engine options, convertibles, etc.
 
 
 Today the power of tech is such that some cultures feel that it can overwhelm & transform their traditional culture as seen in how TV changes family structure itself, how people commute to work in cars, how people email, text, etc., how birth control affect human sexuality, etc. 
 

 
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 Outline on  Subculture
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  Review:  Culture may be defined as the shared content of society.
Culture is the shared knowledge, beliefs, values, norms  ( K B V N )  & the physical & abstract manifestations of that content
 
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 A SUBCULTURE IS THE CULTURE HELD BY A SUBGROUP OR GROUP SHARING SOME COMMON 
EXPERIENCE OR LIFESTYLE THAT MAY BE SEEN AS PART OF A LARGER CULTURE 
 
  Some social scientists believe that there is a world culture and all other cultures should be thought of as subcultures 
 
  Some social scientists believe that their is no world culture, that there are several major cultures in the world such as Western culture, Eastern culture, Judeo Christian culture, Islamic culture, traditional culture, modern culture, post modern culture, etc.
 
  Subcultures permit specialized activities, carry knowledge, promote a sense of community, & have their own jargon
 
  Subcultures are a source of identity in our mass society
 
  SUBCULTURES FUNCTION TO PERMIT SPECIALIZATION, KNOWLEDGE, 
BELONGINGNESS, ADAPTATION, DIFFUSION, BOUNDARIES, & IDENTIFICATION 		  
  There are SEVEN functions of subcultures
 
  Subcultures function to: 
1.  permit specialized activities 
2.  carry knowledge of a specific act or set of actions
3.  promote a sense of community / belonging & prevent anomie 
4.  promote a source of adaptation 
5.  act as a mechanism of cultural diffusion
6.  set boundaries
7.  allow identification		  
  SUBCULTURES DYSFUNCTION TO FRAGMENT ACTIVITY / KNOWLEDGE, ERODE CONSENSUS, CONFLICT OVER SOCIAL & MATERIAL TURF, CONFOUND COMMUNICATION, DIVIDE PEOPLE, & CREATE IN- & OUT- GRPS   
  There are SEVEN dysfunctions of subcultures  
  Subcultures dysfunction to: 
1.  fragment activity / knowledge 
2.  erode society's consensus 
3.  create conflict over social  "turf"
4.  create conflict over material "turf"
5.  make communication more difficult
6.  set boundaries which may divide people
7.  allow identification which creates in- & out- groups
 
  Examples:  the genders, sexual preference groups, religions, races, ethnic groups  
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 Examples:  Smokejumpers  

 
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Subculture: Culture held by subgroup or group sharing some common experience/lifestyle 

Any ethnic group, computer jocks, cops, teachers, hip hoppers, Xtreems, drugies, musicians 

Examples: 
= roles for M & F in workplace: 
young urbanites  vs old guard 


 
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The Smokejumper Subculture

Subcultures function
    a.  to permit specialized activities:  parachute into wilderness areas, rural areas, urban interface & suppress fire

    b.  to carry knowledge of a specific act or set of actions:  endless story telling:  under the airplane when a cubie streamered

    c.  to promote a sense of community / belonging & prevent anomie:  frequent parties, socialize after work is the norm

    d.  as a source of adaptation:  constant innovation:  every year there is much that is different:  MIST

    e.  as a mechanism of cultural diffusion:  other wildland firefighters emulate the tactics

    f.  to set boundaries:  A rookie can't were a T-Shirt until you have jumped a fire

    g.  to allow identification:  Signage everywhere


 
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 Outline on  Culture & Globalization
External
Links
  A GLOBAL CULTURE DEVELOPS AS PEOPLE IN MANY NATIONS DEVELOP A COMMON BODY OF KBVN THROUGH WHICH THEY FEEL THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLES & FEEL A SENSE OF COMMUNITY   
  While many social scientists, politicians, philosophers, religious leaders & others ask, some w/ glee, some w/ dread, whether there is a global culture, there is no doubt that one is developing 
 
  Some evidence suggests that a global culture may be emerging 
 
  FACTORS CREATING A GLOBAL CULTURE INCLUDE ECON SYSTEMS, COMMO, MIGRATIONS, OPEN BORDERS, ETC.   
  The key factors are promoting the trend of a globalized culture, including global: 
 
  a.  economies which facilitate the flow of goods 
 
  b.  communications which influence the flow of info 
 
  c.  migrations of people, whose which patterns are influenced by many social factors 
 
  d.  open societies which value cultural diversity   
  THE DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL CULTURE IS LIMITED BY UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT, POVERTY, THE PLURALITY OF MEANING SYSTEMS, WAR, ETC.   
  The limitations to the global culture thesis include the fact that: 
 
  a.  global culture is much more advanced in some parts of the world than in others 
 
  b.  many people cannot afford to participate in the material aspects of a global culture 
 
  c.  different people attribute different meanings to various aspects of the global 
 
  d.  the world is possibly more at war now than it has ever been, but we do not know this for sure   
  ECON GLOBALIZATION NOW SEEMS TO BE DOMINATED BY THE WEST & SO GLOBAL CULTURE SEEMS DOMINATED, BUT THERE IS A GROWING RESPECT FOR THE TREMENDOUS VARIETY IN HUMANITY   
  For those supporting the global culture thesis it appears that culture's knowledge, beliefs, values, norms, symbols, & language is forming around the core of the culture of the industrialized nations, esp the Euro - Jap - US triumvirate 
 
  The global Euro - Jap - US triumvirate, however, practices cultural mining, borrowing, stealing, appropriating, developing, exploiting, spreading the cultures of other nations as it pleases 
 
  Cultural mining is the practice of finding & owning the culture of another group for the cultural miners' own purposes 
 
  Some cultural mining is accomplished w/ the welfare of the originator in mind as when Paul Simon advanced world music through his own music & through the promotion of the bands from which he mined his music 
 
  Some cultural mining is accomplished through the total exploitation of the originator as when an importer of hand made products from an indigenous people pays those people very low prices, & also copies & mass produces their ideas making it difficult for the originators to sell their products   

 
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Outline on   Language
External
Links
  LANGUAGE IS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATING IDEAS OR FEELINGS BY A CONVENTIONALIZED SYSTEM OF ARTICULATED VOCAL SOUNDS, SIGNS, OR MARKS   
  Language is a form of the content of culture   
  Language is a set of symbols, by which the people who share a common culture, communicate   
  Language may include many types of communication including including verbal, written, signed, sung, poetry, danced, etc.   
  The manifest function of language is communication   
  LIKE SUBCULTURES, LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS TO PERMIT SPECIALIZATION, KNOWLEDGE, 
BELONGINGNESS, ADAPTATION, DIFFUSION, BOUNDARIES, & IDENTIFICATION 		  
  There are SEVEN latent functions of language, which are similar to the functions of subcultures   
  Language functions: 
1.  to permit specialized activities 
2.  to carry knowledge of a specific act or set of actions 
3.  to promote a sense of community / belonging & prevent anomie 
4.  as a source of adaptation 
5.  as a mechanism of cultural diffusion 
6.  to set boundaries 
7.  to allow identification 		  
  LIKE SUBCULTURES, LANGUAGE DYSFUNCTION TO FRAGMENT ACTIVITY / KNOWLEDGE, ERODE CONSENSUS, CONFLICT OVER SOCIAL & MATERIAL TURF, CONFOUND COMMUNICATION, DIVIDE PEOPLE, & CREATE IN- OUT- GRPS   
  There are SEVEN dysfunctions of language, which are similar to the dysfunctions of subcultures 
 
  Language dysfunctions by: 
1.  fragmenting activity / knowledge 
2.  eroding society's consensus 
3.  creating conflict over social  "turf" 
4.  creating conflict over material "turf" 
5.  making communication more difficult 
6.  setting boundaries which may divide people 
7.  allowing identification which creates in- & out- groups
 
  Language is the key to cultural transmission, the process by which one generation passes culture to the next 
 
  Through most of human history, cultural transmission has been accomplished through oral tradition 
 
  Only humans can create complex systems of symbols, but some other animals have the ability to use symbols in communicating 
 
  Does Language Shape Reality? Yes! 
 
  Edward Sapir & Benjamin Whorf claimed that language has its own distinct symbols that serve as the building blocks of reality 
 
  The Sapir Whorf hypothesis holds that people perceive the world through the cultural lens of language 
 
Link
 THERE ARE FIVE TYPES OR FORMS OF LANGUAGE INCLUDING THE LANGUAGE FAMILY, BRANCH, GROUP, DIALECT, & JARGON 
 
  a.  A language family is a collection of languages believed to be related in their prehistoric origin   
  b.  A language branch is a collection of languages that possess a definite common origin but have split into individual languages   
  c.  A language group is a collection of several individual languages that are part of a language branch, share a common origin, and have similar grammar & vocabulary   
  d.  A dialect is a regional variation in standard languages that may convey status in a particular society   
  e.  Jargon is the specialized language / terminology of a subculture   
  Jargon has Manifest & Latent Functions   
  The manifest function of jargon is that it is needed for adaptation; i.e., the operation of a specialized field   
 
 THERE ARE THREES LATENT FUNCTIONS OF JARGON, INCLUDING IDENTIFICATION, INTEGRATION, & MAINTENANCE 
 
  a.  in- & out group identification   
  b.  integration of new members   
  c.  maintenance of subculture's norms   
 
 CULTURAL HEARTHS ARE THE SOURCES OF THREE FAMILIES OF LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE AFRO ASIATIC, MONGOLIAN, & INDO EUROPEAN 
 
  a. Afro Asiatic Family of Languages 
 1.  Egyptian 
 2.  Swahili 		  
  b. Mongolian Family 
 1.  Chinese 
 2.  Japanese 
 3.  Korean 
 4.  American Indian 		  
  c. Proto Indo European Hearth Family of Languages 
 1.  Balto Slavic 
 2.  Germanic:  West Germanic:  Old English:  Middle English,:  English 
 3.  Celtic 
 4.  Italic: Latino Falsican: Latin: Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Provencial, French, Italian, Romanian 
 5.  Hellenic 
 6.  Indo Iranian 
 7.  Anatolian:  Asia minor:     extinct 
 8.  Tocharian:  central Asia:   extinct 		  
Link
 Latin is an important root language to English & many Western languages, especially the Romance Languages   
Link
 THE CONCEPT LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY DENOTES THAT LANGUAGE / WORDS INFLUENCES CONTENT OF CULTURE   
  Linguistic relativity denotes that language not only reflects but also helps to shape people's perceptions of reality   
  The appeal of accents is not random; it is socially ordered 
- UK accent 
- Appalachian accent 		  
Link
 Language may challenge the systems of society, i.e.. the social structure & culture, by creating subcultural solidarity & by coining words for power laden social relationships   
  A new word can empower a subculture & institutionalize a new social structure or a significant part of a social structure & be a significant part of social change   
  Examples words / phrase that challenges the society & empowers a subculture & institutionalizes part of a social structure are collective bargaining, civil rights, women's' rights & all the commensurate words & concepts that accompany them  
  Language imperialism is the forcing of a language on a people   
  The French govt has practiced language imperialism in the past, but in the 1980's France reversed 400 yr. policy of suppressing regional & dialect languages   
  The French govt now officially regards its language as a treasure   
  The US prohibited the writing or speaking of Native American & African languages   
  Number of languages:  Today there are approximately 4,200 to 5,600 languages spoken   
  Local languages make trade, govt, etc. difficult   
  The global trend is one of a loss of languages & a movement toward mass culture   
  The Census Bureau lists more than 200 languages spoken in the US   
  Globally, experts document almost 7,000 languages, suggesting the existence of as many distinct cultures   
Link
 Music:  The number of the kinds of music is increasing   
  Semiotics is the study of "signs" including language & cultural images   
  Linguistics is the study of speech & language   
  THE THEORIES ON THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE ARE BASED ON THE ENV, NATURE, WORK, EXPRESSION, & RITUAL   
  Otto Jespersen developed FIVE Theories on the origin of language   
  Jespersen Described 4 commonly held theories about lang origins & added his own   
  Little evidence to explain language origin   
  By comparing the skulls of Neanderthals (human ancestors who live approximately 70K to 35K BC)  w/ modern humans & babies, anthropologists have concluded that humans probably developed language btwn 100K & 20K BC   
  Cave drawings, tools, etc. indicate that we may have used sign language & other forms of language long before those dates   
Link
 1.  Environment theory holds that the first words were from people's reaction to the human & physical environment   
Link
 2.  Nature theory holds that the first words mimicked natural sounds 
 
Link
 3.  Work / cooperation theory holds that people needed language for hunting & gathering 
 
Link
 4.  Expression theory holds that the first words were expressions   
Link
 5.  Ritual / celebration theory holds that the first words were associated w/ celebrations of love, life, death, etc.   
 
 Language is probably a combination of all of these influences of early people's lives & environments 
 
  There are many lost & dead languages & many endangered languages 
- No one speaks ancient Sumerian today 
- Very few interpreters of Egyptian hieroglyphics; modern people had to relearn it 
- Of 1000s of Native American languages in 1492, many have died as the tribes died 		  

 
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Examples of Types of Languages

Family
Branch
Group
Dialect:  Appalachian, Southern, Northern, High & Low German, 
Jargon:   Computers:  ram, rom, bites, bytes, bios

Unique vocabulary
    Hair's in the butter!
    This is my last day!
    90% club
Unique activities
   Heads out
   Big flip
Similar dress
   LL Bean-ish


 
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Latin as a root language
Family Proto Indo European Proto Indo European
Branch Italic Germanic
Group Latino Faliscan West Germanic
Subgroup Latin Old English
Middle English
Port, Spanish, etc. English
Language of ancient Rome is a "dead" language in that no peoples speak it today
Yet it is still taught
It is the root of the Romance languages
    Italian
    Spanish
    French
    Portuguese
    Rumanian
    Catalan ( in Spain )
    Provencal
    Rhaeto Romance
All were once regional dialects of Latin
Latin has contributed 1000s of 
expressions
roots
prefixes
suffixes 
to English & many other languages

 
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Linguistic relativity:  Examples
The sound of a language
German:  guttural, sharp, delineated sounds    Achtung!   Gutten TaK!
    Sentence structure is known to be complex
Spanish, French & other Romance languages:  melodious, smooth    Attencione,   ola!
English: 
- 3rd person male third person pronoun:  he not she
- Bilingualism
- 20 words for snow
- 1000+ for automobile
- New words:  Examples?
He as 3rd person plural
Function of formal & informal grammatical forms:  du & Sie in German        vo &       in French
downsizing,   going postal,   sexual harassment

 
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Language/culture can  challenge a society
Religion, language, culture identity can be used as a means of challenging political, 
    economic, cultural, & social forces of globalization

Use of a Language other than the approved Language has been prohibited in many nations throughout history:
US:  Native Americans, Africans, etc.

Powerful words:  fascism, downsizing, sexual harassment

Can also be used as a way of moderating the homogenizing forces of globalization


 
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Music: 
Typologies
There's only two kinds of music:
country
and?
western
MANY types & growing!
Metal Rock Pop Rap Classical Jazz Swing

 
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1. Environment theory     Example:   "mama" reflects the movement of babies' lips as they get ready to nurse

 
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2. Nature theory:  examples  Language arose from people imitating sounds of nature, esp animal calls

 
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3.  Work / cooperation theory:   Language came from people's need to wk together
Producing first grunts, then chants, then words

 
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4. Expression theory:  First speech cam from expressing emotions such as pain, anger, frustration, happiness
Arrgh!   MMMMMM!    phew!

 
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5. Ritual / celebration theory:   First sounds associated w/ love, play, poetry, song
MMMM,   WWWEEEEEE!    la la La la

 
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Outline on   Functionalism on Culture
External
Links
  FUNCTIONALISM SEES CULTURE AS THE PRIMARY DETERMINANT OF THE NATURE OF SOCIETY IN THAT THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY ARISES FROM OUR IDEAS, BELIEFS, ETC.   
  Review: Functionalism views society as a living organism, 
 & like an organism, society has FOUR characteristics of life:
1.  has needs (need inputs)
2.  has ways to reproduce
3.  competes & cooperates
4.  needs order or it is "sick" or has "cancer"		  
Link
 Review: 
There is a general consensus of culture & social structure:
The American Dream & how we achieve it
 
  Functionalism holds that culture determines all the other social relationships in society  
 
 Functionalism holds that culture is the expression of consensus or equilibrium which exists in society
 
  Functionalism depicts culture as a complex strategy for meeting human needs  
  Culture functions to create consensus, provides for cooperation, solidarity & support of social structure  
  Example:  While "Rock Music" was originally said to be rebellious, un American, evil, etc., then & now, there is much rock that is consensus building:  Springsteen:  "Born in the USA"  
  Functionalism developed SIX principles about culture including:
- cultural universals
- universal social bias
- dysfunctional social bias
- cultural diffusion
- cultural relativism
- cultural lag		  
Link
 1.  CULTURAL UNIVERSALS ARE COMMON, WIDELY HELD CULTURAL PRACTICES 
 
  Cultural universals exist in every culture, but only in the broadest sense  
  Cultural universals are traits that are found in every known culture  
  The "American Dream" is not common around the world, but gaining popularity  
  There are common issues / events which every society must deal w/ such as child raising, sexuality, marriage, work ethic, etc.  
  There are common celebrations / rituals to signify these issues / events such as wedding, birthdays, etc.  
  2.  SOCIAL BIAS EXISTS UNIVERSALLY AS PART OF EVERY CULTURAL SYSTEM OF BELIEFS, VALUES, & NORMS   
 
 Social bias exists universally in every culture & functions to build solidarity, cohesiveness, etc.  
  Ethnocentrism exists when people view culture as normal, natural & superior, & judge others accordingly     (belief)  
  Ethnocentrism exists in all societies because:
i. We takes most of our behavior for granted & this gives ethnocentrism a natural tint
ii. Ethnocentrism intentionally & unintentionally helps promote solidarity		  
  A stereotype exists when people exaggerate a belief about a group, assumes nearly everyone possesses a certain trait
May be positive or negative 
Often unintentional         (belief)		  
  Prejudice exists when people make an unfounded over generalization concerning a group 
May be intentional or unintentional          (belief)		  
 
 3.  SOCIAL BIAS CAN BE DYSFUNCTIONAL IF IT CREATES TOO MUCH CONFLICT, SEPARATION, ETC. 
 
  The three types of social bias are a major source of THREE types of conflict & inequality in societies around the world 
a.  causes international conflict
b.  justifies exploitation of others
c.  creates misunderstanding of social reality		  
  4.  CULTURAL DIFFUSION IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH CULTURAL PRACTICES ARE ENCOUNTERED, & EITHER ACCEPTED OR REJECTED BY SUBCULTURES   
  Cultural diffusion occurs when culture/society spreads out or grows at varying rates, when aspects of the culture of one society are gradually adopted by other societies  
  Social structure & culture adaptations diffuse into the environment (physical, technical, social, etc.), at different rates  
 
 5.  CULTURAL LAG OCCURS WHEN FACETS OF CULTURE / SOCIETY CHANGE AT DIFFERENT RATES 
 
  The spheres of society that lag behind function to maintain the old culture  
  Cultural lag can be dysfunctional because it causes conflict btwn the sectors that change & those that do not change  
  Social structure & culture adapt to environment (physical, technical, social, etc.), but different parts adapt at different rates causing some spheres of society to lag behind others
 
  6.  CULTURAL RELATIVISM HOLDS THAT ALL CULTURES HAVE VALUE & RUNS COUNTER TO THE POSITION OF CULTURAL IMPERIALISM WHICH HOLDS THAT THE DOMINATING CULTURES ARE SUPERIOR   
  The principle of cultural  relativism views culture as unique; others as different, but not judged by ones own standards  
  The strength of the functional analysis of culture is showing how culture operates to meet human needs  
  The weakness of the functional analysis of culture is that it ignores cultural diversity & downplays the importance of change  

 
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1.  Consensus: Society has a set of agreed upon values: 

a normative consensus

Focus on social order based on tacit agreement.         Change is slow & orderly
What are some examples of consensus in society? 
Some examples found below.
No peeking! 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Norms & values:  "The American Dream:"
Cultural Components
Live free                             fairness, justice, meritocracy
work hard                           religion
be honest                            democracy
get ahead                            travel
scientific outlook               respect others...
home                                  family/friends 
Social Structure:   How we achieve the American Dream:
Peers, Family religion, Work, govt, Military, charity, Education, Media, Leisure/ Rec


 
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Table of Parsons' Functional Imperatives & Social Structures
.
Social
Institutions
Manifest
Function
Latent
Function
System of
M Function
1.
Peers
Integration
Maintenance
Social
2.
Family
Maintenance
Integration
Cultural
3.
Religion
Maintenance
Integration
Cultural
4.
Work (econ)
Adaptive
Integration
Behavioral
5.
Govt (politics)
Goal setting
Integration
Personality
6.
Military
Adaptive
Integration
Behavioral
7.
Charity
Integration
Maintenance
Social
8.
Education
Adaptive
Integration
Behavioral
9.
Media
Integration
Goal setting
Social
10.
Recreation/leisure
Maintenance
Integration
Cultural
Note, the manifest/latent functions may change over time

 
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1.  Do Cultural Universals Exist?

Yes broadly speaking:  incest, dancing, div of labor; but wide variability in each
Regular practices exits in all societies: 
  birth
  childhood
  tween
  teen
  young adult
  marriage
  middle age
  retirement
  senior citizen
  funeral

holidays, etc.
Issues must be addressed by all societies: 
- govern reproduction & relations between the sexes
- assign roles
- communicate
- govern
- regulate violence
- socialize


 
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Outline on    Conflict Theory on Culture
External
Links
  -  Project:  Real & Ideal Culture 
Link
  CONFLICT THEORY VIEWS SOCIETY AS DETERMINED BY THE ECON, NOT CULTURE, & THUS CULTURE IS A MANIFESTATION OF THE ECON SYS, CLASS STRUCTURE, AUTHORITY STRUCTURE, ETC.   
  Review:  Conflict Theory focuses on FOUR qualities of society:
-  Society has 2 or more classes of people who are in conflict    (competition)
-  Different groups in society are in conflict over control of resources
-  Different groups in society are in conflict over control of ideology 
-  Historically one group has dominated
 
  Review:      Ideology:   a world view, including  knowledge, opinions, etc.   
  Members of a society are socialized to an ideology which is the part of our culture, of which we are more or less aware  
Link
 Conflict theory & Marx hold that the economic structure shapes & controls or determines our culture  
  Marx demonstrates that, historically, the upper class creates an ideology that justifies their success & workers' failure  
  During the Middle Ages & earlier the ideology of the upper class which justified the rule of the few over the many were the principles of god & divine right  
  Today the ideology of the upper class, which justifies the rule of the few over the many, includes rationalization, efficiency, the ethic of hard work, blind submission to authority, & outside threats requiring allegiance   
  THE KBVN OF THE SUBCULTURES OF CLASSES & OTHER GRPS, AS FORMULATED BY THE ECON SYSTEM IN WHICH THEY EXIST, ARE A BASIS FOR CONFLICT   
  Subcultures are often the foundation of social conflict in that they enable groups to act on their own behalf & are the origin of most social movements  
  Subcultures are cultural patterns that distinguish some segment of a society's population  
  Subcultures involve not only differences but also hierarchy  
 
 A COUNTERCULTURE IS A SUBCULTURE WHICH IS IN OPPOSITION TO MAINSTREAM CULTURE 
 
  A counterculture adopts values & beliefs predominately in opposition to those of the large society   
  Counterculture refers to cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted w/in a society  
  SUBCULTURES REPRESENT & CREATE CLEAVAGES / CONFLICT / DIVISION IN SOCIETY ON THE BASIS OF UNDERLYING ECON CONFLICT  
 
 Subcultures often creates cleavages or conflict in society  
 
 Overlapping cleavages occur when you belong to different subcultures w/ the same interests
 
  In Northern Ireland two examples of subcultures w/ overlapping cleavages are being Protestant & British & upper class, or being Catholic & Irish & poor   
 
 Cross cutting cleavages occur when you belong to different subcultures w/ different interests
 
  In Northern Ireland two examples of subcultures w/ cross cutting cleavages are being Protestant & British & poor, or being Catholic & Irish & rich  
  PEOPLE & GRPS IN SOCIETY HAVE THEIR IMAGE OF THEMSELVES & THEIR KBVN, & THEN THEY HAVE THE WAY THEY ACTUALLY ARE / ACT; I.E. THEIR IDEAL & REAL CULTURES, RESPECTIVELY   
  An ideal culture is the culture that an individual or group believes that they & their group manifest  
  A real culture is the culture that an individual or group actually manifests  
  Most people are unaware of their core values & thus the gap btwn our real & ideal culture can be very wide
 
Link
 Table on the Analysis of the Ideal & Real Aspects of Core American Values  
Link
 Another reason that there is a gap btwn ideal & real culture is that have been many changes in American culture
 
  The conflict approach suggests that many cultural traits function to the advantage of some grps & the disadvantage of other grps  
  Conflict theory recognizes that many elements of a culture maintain inequality & promote the dominance of one group over others  
  Conflict theory understates the ways that cultural patterns integrate members of society  
 
 CULTURAL DIVERSITY CONNOTES THE ACCEPTANCE OF A WIDE RANGE OF CULTURE; OF TOLERANCE FOR OTHER'S KBVN 
 
  Conflict theory deals w/ & embraces the aspects of cultural diversity more than other social science paradigms   
  The indlized nations are becoming more aware of the extent of cultural diversity w/in its borders   
  Heavy immigration has made the US the most multicultural of all indl countries   
  High culture refers to cultural patterns that distinguish a society's elite; in contrast, popular culture designates cultural patterns that are widespread among a society's population   
  High culture is not inherently superior to popular culture   
  Multiculturalism is an educational program recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting the equality of all cultural traditions   
  Multiculturalism stands in opposition to Eurocentrism, the dominance of European (especially English) cultural patterns  
  Supporters of multiculturalism argue that it helps us come to terms with our diverse present and strengthens the academic achievement of African American children  
  Some call for Afrocentrism, the dominance of African cultural patterns in people's lives   
  Opponents of multiculturalism argue that it encourages divisiveness rather than unity   
  Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another culture by the standards of one's own culture   
  Social scientists tend to discourage the practice of ethnocentrism & instead they advocate cultural relativism, which is the practice of judging a culture by its own standards   
 
 CULTURAL CHANGE USUALLY LAGS BEHIND CHANGES IN OTHER ASPECTS OF SOCIETY, ALL OF WHICH CAUSE CONFLICT 
 
  As cultures change, they strive to maintain cultural integration, the close relationship among various elements of a cultural system  
  William Ogburn's concept of cultural lag refers to the fact that cultural elements change at different rates, which may disrupt a cultural system  
  Cultural changes are set in motion by three factors, including:   
  a.  invention, the process of creating new cultural elements  
  b.  discovery, recognizing and understanding an idea not fully understood before  
  c.  diffusion, the spread of cultural traits from one cultural system to another  

 
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14. Culture is shaped by the economic base of society

By controlling the Base, 
Upper class controls the Superstructure
Thus we have conflicting Values & Ideologies
Ideologies:    mental systems of beliefs about reality: world view
Conflicting ideologies often appear as a conflict of values
Marx believed that the powerful promote a belief in their ideology, i.e., ideology of the Upper Class
In general, most workers support the status quo, i.e. the ideology of the upper class 
Most Am have ideology of the rich 
Morbid belief that they also can be rich
Reality:  class structure changed only minimally in last 100 yrs
Media holds success stories up for workers to see:
Examples: 
Pretty Woman:  prostitute succeeds:  marries millionaire
Others?
Cinderella
Who wants to be a millionaire?
Lottery
Beauty Queen marries a multi-millionaire


 
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Conflict Theory/Marx hold that the economic structure shapes/controls our culture

Econ Structure:  relate to prod, wealth & income
Marx:  culture is outgrowth of ES, a.k.a. base, structure, substructure
Base:  includes econ stratification system (class system) and the types of production system:      agriculture, industry, service
Superstructure:  society's culture:  ideology (knowledge & beliefs) and norms:     part of ideational
Relation between Base & Superstructure


 
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Table on the Analysis of the Ideal & Real Aspects of Core American Values
Core American Values: general consensus 
( may conflict )		 Ideal culture:  accepted in principle Real culture:  actually practiced
1.  Freedom     
2.  Democracy    
3.  Individualism     
4.  Responsibility     
5.  Religion/morality     
6.  Science/tech     
7.  Opportunity    
8.  Competition    
9.  Work ethic    
10.  Humanitarianism    
11.  Practicality    
12.  Nationalism    
13.  Romance    
14.  Sexuality    

 
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Changes in Am Culture

Periods of great change in US:
Conquest
Revolutionary War:  political change
War 1812
Civil War:  civil rights change
Industrialization
Urbanization
WW1  end of US isolationism
Great Depression:  economic change
Red Scare, McCarthyism
WW2 & the 50s:  political/econ change:  Am takes the lead
Korean War
Cold War
Vietnam War & Civil Rights
 1.  Gender Roles
 2.  Civil Rights
 3.  Sexuality
 4.  Self fulfillment
 5.  Environmentalism
Reagan Bush Era: 
 1. respond to world econ
 2. end deficit spending/ limit govt/ welfare reform
 3. become sole world leader
Clinton Era:  what will we remember?
 
 

Bush Jr. Era: 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Lewinski Scandal
Bosnia, Kosovo
Econ growth


 
Internal
Links

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  Outline on  Social Structure
External
Links
  -  Video:  Society, Culture, & Social Structure        2:25
Link
  -  What is society?  Society is made up of social structure & culture  
  SUMMARY: Social Structures have the following characteristics: 
A.  Social grps or orgs
B.  Positions
      1)  Role 
           a. Role set
           b. Role strain
           c. Role conflict
           d. Role exit		 2.  Bases of a position
           a. Class
           b. Status
           i. Ascribed status
           ii. Achieved status
           iii. Master status
           c. Power		 C.  Regular relationships
      1)  Division of labor
      2)  Stratification
D.  Constant share of resources
E.  Historical development
 
  A SOCIAL STRUCTURE IS THE ORGANIZATION OF SOCIETY, OUR PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOR AS SEEN IN FAMILY STRUCTURE, EDUCATION, ETC.   
 
 Social structure is the organization of society, including institutions, social positions, the relationships among social positions, the groups or orgs that make up society, & the distribution of scarce resources w/in the society  
  Social structure is the patterned & relatively stable arrangement of roles & statuses found w/in societies & social institutions  
  The idea of social structure points out the way in which societies, & institutions w/in them, exhibit predictable patterns of organization, activity & social interaction  
  This relative stability of org & behavior provides the predictability that people rely on in every day social interaction  
  Social structures are inseparable from cultural norms & values that also shape status & social interaction  
 
 Social structure is the organization of society, including
- groups of organizations that
- perform basic functions of society
- support society's culture
- accepted as an essential element in society, that is, are taken for granted 
 
  Social structure is the relatively stable patterns of social behavior  
  In the sense that structure is not visible, it is a reified, abstract concept  
  TODAY THE SOCIAL STRUCTURES INCLUDE PF REG M CEML  
 
  List of Social Structures  (  PF REG M CEML  )
1.  Peers
2.  Family
3.  Religion
4.  Econ / work
5.  Govt		 6.  Military
7.  Charity
8.  Education
9.  Media
10.  Leisure / Recreation
 
  COMPONENTS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURES   
 
 Social structures have FIVE components or qualities including being composed of groups, in particular positions, w/ regular relationships to each other, a constant share of resources, & a particular historical development
 
  A.  SOCIAL GROUPS OR ORGANIZATIONS   
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 The first component of a social structure is that is is made up of social groups or organizations
-  two or more people 
-  who share a common purpose
-  have a structure of roles & statutes
 
  Each of the social structures, PF REG M CEML, is composed of orgs, & orgs w/in each of the social structures has similar structures that are unique to that social structure  
  Families have structures made up of the relations btwn different members of the family held together by various familial bonds  
  While different families have some different features of their structures, all families have some structural features in common including parents, guardians, leaders; & children, young adults, dependents; extended members, aunts, uncles, etc. who live together by the bond of procreation or some other intimate bond  
  Economic orgs, i.e. businesses have structures made up of the relations btwn different members of the business held together by various economic bonds  
  While businesses have some different features of their structures, all businesses have some structural features in common including owners, mgrs, partners; & workers, employees who are together by the bond of creation, labor, employment  
  See Also:  Economic Orgs Structure  
  More of the TEN social structures are examined below  
  B.  POSITIONS   
blank The second component of a social structure is that  it is made up of persistent positions are roles, classes, status's, & power which persist over history   
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 1)  A ROLE is any position in a social structure or the expected behavior in a social position  
  a.  A role set is a collection of related roles attached to one social position or status;  sets of expected behavior  
  b.  Role conflict is conflicting or opposing expectations or behaviors among various roles  
  Role conflict can be reduced by "compartmentalizing" our lives  
  c.  Role strain is conflicting or opposing expectations or behaviors w/in same role  
  d.  Role exit is the process by which people disengage from important social roles  
  2)  The three BASES OF POSITION are class, status, & power  
   There is disagreement about which interpretation of position is most important   
  a.  Class is an actor's position ( upper, middle, lower ) in relationship to the economy / their income  
  Listings of classes typically include the upper, middle, & lower classes, but also may be stratified into finer distinctions  
  The most common system of classes today includes the upper, upper middle middle, working, & lower classes  
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 b.  Status is an actor's level of prestige or honor  
  Status is a social position that an individual occupies  
 
 There are THREE types of status:  ascribed, achieved, & master  
 
 i.  Ascribed status is the status an actor is born into  
 
 A person generally receives ascribed status through birth, including race, sex, family of origin, etc.  
  An ascribed status is a social position that someone receives at birth or involuntarily assumes later in life  
  ii.  Achieved status is the status an actor earns or creates; i.e. achieved status is at least partially a result of something that the actor does   
 
  An achieved status is a social position that someone assumes voluntarily & that reflects personal ability & effort
 
 
 iii.  Master status is an actor's most important status; i.e. the status that is most central & important in an actor's life  
  A master status is a status that has special importance for social identity, often shaping a person’s entire life  
 
 An actor may be able to choose their achieved status, but ascribed & master status' are attributed by society through social structures  
 
 Marx said, 'A person may make history, but they make history under conditions not of their own choosing.'  
 
 For most people in modern industrial countries, their master status is their occupation  
  A status set consists of all the statuses a person holds at a given time  
 
 c.  Power is the authority or the ability to get people to act  
  C.  REGULAR RELATIONSHIPS   
 
 The third component of a social structure is that there are constant or regular relationships among groups & social structures:   
  TWO common types of regular relationships in social structures include a division of labor & stratification  
  1)  The division of labor is the constant allocation of type of labor; a system of specialization  
  2)   Stratification  is the constant allocation of resources; a system of inequality  
  D.  CONSTANT SHARE OF RESOURCES   
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 The fourth component of a social structure is that each social structures, historically, receives a  constant share of resources
Which are the 3 richest social structures?
Which are the 3 poorest social structures?		  
  E.  HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT   
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 The fifth component of a social structure is that social structures each have a unique historical development  
  See Also:  The Organizations that Compose the Social Structures  
  See Also:  Organizational Structure  
  EXAMPLES OF THE SOCIAL STRUCTURES          ( PF REG M CEML )  
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 1.  Peers  
      a.  Groups:  
      b.  Positions  
      c.  Relationships  
      d.  Resources  
      e.  Historical development  
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 2.  Family  
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 3.  Religion  
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 4.  Economy / work  
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 5.  Government  
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 6.  Military  
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 7.  Charity  
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 8.  Education  
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 9.  Media  
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 10.  Leisure / Recreation  
 
 See Also:  Feminism on Social Structure
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  - Functions of Institutions
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  - The Linguistic Turn
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A.  Social Groups:
    In the case of social institutions, MANY people are required
Example: Students are a group in the social structure of education
      Blue collar workers, mgrs., up mgt., stock holders, etc.  in the the social structure of education

 
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1)  Role      EXAMPLES
a.  Role Set:      student,  mother/father,  teacher
b.  Role Conflict:    sales & family life
c.  Role Strain:  sales job conflict among management, customers, co-workers

 
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b. Social Position based on Status
Status:  ( level of prestige/honor ):  any position in SS:  see table in book 
i.  Ascribed Status:  gender, race, religion, family, looks, size, 
ii. Achieved Status:  earn, at least partially as result of own action: most imp:  occupation, education, income, Motherhood
iii. Master Status:  Had been different for men & women:  occupation & Motherhood, looks

 
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D.  Relatively historically constant % of resources is allocated to each social structure
Which are the 3 richest SS's?
Which are the 3 poorest SS's?

Richest                                     Poorest
Econ / work                              Family
Military                                    Peers
Govt                                         Education


 
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E. Each Social Structure has a unique historical development
The SS List presents each SS in its approximately order of historical emergence
1. Peers
2. Family
3. Religion
    Are believed to be prehistorical, the emergence of which made civilization itself possible

4.  Work / econ
5.  Government
6.  Military
7.  Charity
    Are believed to emerge when the 1st glimmers of civilization began

8.  Education
9.  Media
    Emerged early in history, but were only for the elites until the modern era when they became widely available

10.  Leisure / recreation
       Is a product of the late stages industrial revolution


 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
1.  Peers            SS Examples 
Often combined/formed around recreation / leisure
Groups:  (Orgs):   Most peer groups today are informal orgs:
    friends or any group primarily composed of friends:
    frats, sororities, bowling club, bridge club; cliques:
    Jocks, brains, grunges, preps, skanks, gangs use specific
    names, e.g. the CMT, etc.
Positions:  various functional leaders:  most friendship groups  have some informal leader; also:  clown, goat, etc.
Relationships:  division of labor based on position; may divide labor depending on task at hand
Allocation of Resources:  random strat w/in groups;       but preps more likely to be UC; jocks less likely, etc.
History:  It is believed that prior to our development into homo sapiens, that we developed close relationships
It may be this social tie that distinguishes us from other primates, though many other primates do have peer relations
So how are ours different?
Coop to hunt
Breeding males stay in same tribe

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
2.  Family       SS Examples
Groups: (Orgs): Most family groups today are informal orgs:  Smiths, Jones, etc.
Traditional, Non-traditional family, Single Mom, Single Dad, Step, Extended...
The family is legally recognized
Positions are legally recognized
Positions:  Mom, Dad, kids, Head of Household, Step-, Grandma, ....
Relationships:  Mom to daughter, Dad to daughter, Mom to Dad,   Step Dad to Step Kid, 
Traditional family to Traditional family; Single Mom family to Extended family ....
Allocation of Resources:  society is structured so that Non-traditional family (working Mom & Dad) receives most 
    resources;   the least?
History:  The History of family is very complex
H-G society:  matrilineal, serial monogamy
Ancient:  Serial monogamy & polygamy
Industrial:  Monogamy
Today:  Monogamy & serial monogamy

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
3.  Religion          SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most religious groups today are formal organizations
Positions:  Religious leader:  priest, cleric, rabbi, monk etc.         Religious follower: 
Relationships:  varied depending on religion:  e.g. Catholic is more hierarchical; 
Allocation of Resources:  religion estb wealth over time & based on conversions:  older religions more wealthy
History:  Paganism, Polytheism, Monotheism, Secularism

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
4.  Work  (the Economy)      SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most econ groups today are formal orgs:  businesses (corporations, partnerships, entrepreneur)
      unions, professional orgs, worker associations; 
     most workers belong only to informal peer/ class groups 
Positions:    Owner, mgr., admin, worker, tech, etc.
Relationships:  most very authoritarian/ hierarchical:
    higher position gives orders to lower position;
    obedience required w/in workplace bounds
Allocation of Resources:  Great strat:  owners, mgrs. etc.
    control wealth of society
History:
H-G society:  Work not recognized as separate activity
Only worked to survive; no wk, no survival
Ancient:  Separate process of wk recognized
   because ruling class emerges, who do not wk
Industrialized society:  Amount of wk in society increases, becomes rationalized
Wk is removed from the home

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
5.  Govt      SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most govt groups today are formal orgs 
Positions:  Elected officials, bur, citizens, non citizens
Relationships:  wide range of variation:  democracy to totalitarian
Allocation of Resources:  US govt controls 1/4 to 1/2 GDP
History: 
H-G society:  Govt & peers (tribe) & religion & family all intertwined
Ruled by consent & status
Ancient:  Govt & religion & family still intertwined, but becomes more  removed from the governed
Ruled by violence & authoritarianism
Industrial:  Some vestiges of democracy develop

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
6.  Military      SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most mil groups today are formal orgs
Positions:  leaders, soldiers
Relationships:  same hierarchy as econ (econ based on mil model) except that obedience is total
Allocation of Resources:  Lower strat than in econ
History: 
H-G society:  Hunters were also warriors
Little war except to steal wives 
Ancient:  Soldiering becomes an occupation
Div of labor separates out separate class of warriors
Becomes linked w/ govt
Industrial:  Separate of mil from govt

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
7.  Charity     SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most char groups that raise large amounts of $$ today are formal orgs, but many informal groups
    also exist:  Want to contribute to the JJ Kelly Cross Country Team Travel Fund? 
Positions:   formal orgs have typical. mgr/wkr pos;  volunteers
Relationships:   formal orgs have typical. mgr/wkr relations; 
    volunteers maintain relations based on commitment to goals
Allocation of Resources:  formal orgs raise billions;    small orgs raise small amounts for local groups
History: 
H-G society:  if you worked, you shared & received all goods
Ancient:  religion dictates alms for the poor
Industrial:  Charity is business; separated from religion; taken on by govt

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
8.  Education       SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most ed groups today are formal  orgs:   Elementary, middle, high, Community College, College, Grad
Positions:  teachers & students
Relationships:  similar to econ:  voluntary after hi school
Allocation of Resources:  Teachers more than students;    less $$ than govt, wk, mil
History: 
H-G society:  Learn from tribal peers:  man to man; woman to woman
Ancient:  Formal ed develops for elites
Industrial:  Formal ed expands to other classes in the 1800's

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
9.  Media      SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most media groups today are formalorgs
Positions:  Mgrs., admin, reporters
Relationships:  similar to econ model
Allocation of Resources:  typical
History: 
H-G society:  gossip
Ancient:  Elites receive news orally by messenger
Writing develops; elites receive some written communication
Industrial:  Use of printing press expands;  Communication avail to all classes

 
Top   See Also:  The Organizations that Compose Social Structures  
See Also:  The Social Structure of Rec & Leisure  
10.  Recreation / Leisure         SS Examples
Groups:  (Orgs):  Most recreation groups (friends, bridge clubs, etc.)
   today are informal orgs that purchase recreation services from  formal orgs
Positions:  same as friends in informal orgs; same as econ in formal orgs
Relationships:  same as friends & econ
Allocation of Resources:  more $$ spent every day on recreation
History: 
H-G society:  as w/ work, separate spheres of wk & leisure not recognized
Ancient:  leisure seen as time of rest & societal rituals
Industrial:  Leisure develops as industry; people seek fulfillment through leisure

The End
 
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