chp 1-10 Flashcards
(25 cards)
Basic terms
Society: people who interact with eachothher in a defined territory and share culture
Social structure: framework that surrouns us
social institutions: standard or usual ways that a society meets its basic needs
status: position of someone in a social grp
culture: language,beliefs,values, morals. characteristics of someone
roles: behaviours, privileges, obligations.
values: culturally defined stadards of desirability, goodness ad beauty
norms: rules and expectations
folkways: societys customs for routine, casual interaction
taboos: a scocial or religious customs prohibiting or restricting a practice.
ethnocentrism: judging others culture by the standards set by ones own culture.
components of culture
norms: rules and expectations
social organisation: structured by organising people into different subgrps depending on diff speciality
symbols: anything that carries a specific meanings related to a culture
language: uses symbols that allows people to communicate
customs and traditions: rules of behaviour enforced by cultures.
arts and lterature: product of human imagination made into art
artifacts:
diff between sociology of culture and culture sociology
sociology of culture: culture is dependent on the society
culture sociology: an approach that believes society is dependent on cclture as it is deeply influenced by culture.
Old vs New Societies
Old societies: Small, low-tech, resource-limited
Modern society: Global, with inequality by class, gender, race, ethnicity
6 Types of Societies (by Technology & Structure)
Foraging (hunting & gathering):
Few social divisions, little inequality Nomadic, mutual dependence Family = Primary institution Division of labor by sex Example: African Pygmies
Pastoral:
Horticultural:
Grow plants (fruits, vegetables) Move when land depletes Emergence of wealth and job roles
Example: Village/tribal areas of Pakistan
Agricultural (Preindustrial):
Plow + animal use = revolutionized farming Cities, culture, arts develop Caste system, inequality, taxes begin Example: Rural Pakistan
Referred to as “dawn of civilization”
Industrial:
Machines/factories for production
Factory system, urbanization
Formal organizations, bureaucracy
Social mobility and labor unions
Example: Suburban Pakistan (Faisalabad, Mardan)
Post-industrial:
Information & services economy
Technology = central
Education = essential
More social mobility
Example: Urban Pakistan (Karachi, Islamabad)
Mechanical vs Organic Solidarity
Mechanical:
Similar roles, shared values
Traditional, cohesive
Organic:
Different roles, interdependence
Modern, role-based unity
Gemeinschaft vs Gesellschaft
Gemeinschaft (Community):
“We” feeling, personal ties, family-based
Implicit rules, morals
Example: Amish communities
Gesellschaft (Society):
Formal, impersonal, work-based
Explicit rules, laws
Example: State municipalities
Factors defining culture
i. Indigenization, tradition, history, language, social currents, dynamics,
ii. Changing factors,
iii. Different cultural traits, with variations
material culture
Refers to physical things created by members of a society
The objects or belongings of a group of people
Examples; art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothing, and
jewelry
Nonmaterial culture
Consists of the ideas, attitudes, and beliefs of a society.
Group’s ways of thinking and doing including its beliefs, values, and other
assumptions about the world and common patterns of behavior, including
language and other forms of interaction
It is also known as symbolic culture
Ideal Culture and Real Culture
Ideal:
Refers to the values, norms, and goals that a group considers ideal, worth aiming
for
For example, Success is part of ideal culture
Academic progress, hard work, and the display of material goods as signs of
individual achievement
In an ideal culture, there would be no traffic accidents, murders, poverty, or racial
tension.
Real:
Includes the values and norms that are followed by a culture.
However, usually falls short of the cultural ideal compared with their abilities. For example, most people don’t work as hard as they could or go as far as they
could in school
In real culture, police officers, lawmakers, educators, and social workers constantly
strive to prevent or repair those accidents, crimes, and injustices.
Elite Culture vs Popular Culture
Elite Culture
Cultural experiences and attitudes in the highest-class segments of a society
High culture is often associated with:
➢ intellectualism
➢ aesthetic taste
➢ political power
Popular Culture:
Refers to the pattern of cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in mainstream society Examples of Popular culture events might include a parade, a cricket match, or a music concert Popular culture is often expressed and spread via commercial media such as radio,
television, movies, the music industry, and corporate-run websites Unlike high culture, popular culture is known and accessible to most people
Factors Defining Culture
- Administrative System
- Traditions; long lasting, identifiable, recurrent ways of doing things
- History
- Languages; symbolic culture of a society
- Social Currents
Changing Factors
It includes of different factor that impact the acculturation and variation of cultural traits.
Cultural changes are set in motion in three ways;
➢ Invention:
is the combination of existing elements of culture into something new.
➢ Discovery:
occurs when people take note of existing elements of the world. Medical advances, for
example, offer a growing understanding of the human body.
➢ Diffusion:
is the transference of cultural traits from place and/or group to another. Diffusion creates
change as products, people, and information spread from one culture to another.
Define society according to MacIver and Page.
Society is a system of usages, procedures, authority, mutual aid, groupings, and controls of behavior—an ever-changing web of social relationships.
List key characteristics of society.
Likeness and difference
Interdependence
Cooperation and conflict
Division of labor
Social interaction
Shared culture
Social institutions
Geographic boundaries
Dynamism (change)
What are national characteristics of society?
National characteristics refer to the traits and behaviors shared by members of a nation due to shared history, government, language, and cultural identity. Despite globalization, societies still retain a unique national character defined by their laws, constitution, and central government.
How do sociological theories approach national character?
Positivistic Organicists: Saw society as unified with reified group minds or folk spirits.
Conflict Theorists: Focused on societal tensions and individual traits within group conflict.
Modern Sociology: Combines holistic and individual perspectives while questioning reified notions of national character.
What is meant by “Toward a Sociology of National Character”?
It’s a call to study how national identity shapes behavior. National character is formed through group membership, learning, and self-realization. Despite differences, individual and group identities are interconnected.
What is the role of the nation in forming identity?
National identity deeply influences individual traits and social behavior. Even with global influences, nationalism remains strong, especially in post-colonial regions where identity is often expressed through national forms.
How do groups contribute to self-realization?
Though individuality may seem sacrificed to the group, self-realization is often achieved through group participation. National groups shape identity, behavior, and purpose.
What binds individuals in a nation into a society?
Shared history and culture
National laws and constitution
Central government
Common symbols and experiences
National consciousness and character
How does sociology balance group and individual identity?
Sociology acknowledges that while groups influence individuals, individuals also shape group behavior. Tensions between personal and group identity are seen as part of human development.
Culture is…
Integrated
Dynamic and adaptive
Transmissible
Idealistic
Gratifying shapes reality
