unit 3 Flashcards
(78 cards)
Culture
Refers to the unique way of life, shared values, norms and everyday practice characteristics of a particular group in society. These are learnt by members and passed onto following generations.
Material Culture + example
Refers to the physical objects and tangible aspects of culture created by members that are used to define and attach meaning to their culture.
Yidaki (didgeridoo)
Non-material culture + example
Refers to the ideas passed down by members of a group about their culture. These include beliefs, values, rules, norms, morals, language and knowledge, which serves as a guide for how members see the world and run it as well as outlining expected behaviour.
The Rainbow serpent, dreamtime story exploring the kinship with country.
What is the sociological imagination?
The ability to see the link between public issues and private troubles - C Wright Mills. This means to be able to see the way an individual’s personal circumstances may have correlation with a current problem within society.
Cultural Relativism + historical and contemporary representations
Cultural relativism involves attempting to understand a culture by looking at it according to the culture’s own standards.
Ethnocentrism + historical and contemporary representations
Ethnocentrism is evaluating and passing judgement on another culture by using the evaluator’s own culture as the yardstick for what is right and best. The evaluator often views their own culture as superior, and the other as inferior.
3 Misconceptions
- Past perception that Australia was land that belonged to no-one prior to European arrival
- The perception that Australian Indigenous people share one culture
- The perception that Australian Indigenous people mainly live in arid areas of Australia
How is the past perception that Australia was land that belonged to no-one prior to European arrival debunked
Eddie Mabo from Mer Island debunked this misconception in 1992 through the Mabo vs Queensland case. By having his case won this allowed Meriam people to get their connection and rights to their country back.
How was The perception that Australian Indigenous people share one culture debunked
An article published by Koorihistory.com debunks this myth as they raise awareness that “didgeridoos belong to northern australia” and “dot paintings are an ancient central australia art style”. This shows the differences in Aboriginal culture rather than it being homogeneous.
How was the perception that Australian Indigenous people mainly live in arid areas of Australia debunked
84.7% (ABS, 2021) of Indigenous Australians do not live in arid or remote areas.
Reconcilitation
The process of recognising injustice and inequity to improve the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. This is achieved by understanding how historical experiences impact contemporary ones. Rests on the commitment of mutual understanding and moving forward.
- ongoing process
Symbolic Reconciliation
Refers to an approach that focuses on the rights of Indigenous Australians through actions and gestures, rather than money and resources.
Practical Reconciliation
This is an approach that focuses on providing services and/ or funding to address the inequalities.
Public Views
Refers to the way something is regarded, interpreted or perceived. Views can vary with the changing amount of knowledge (awareness) an individual has.
Public Awareness
level of knowledge about australian indigenous culture
Ethnicity
Refers to a shared cultural heritage and way of life.
Race
The categorisation of a group of people based on physical characteristics such as skin colour, eye shape, hair type and bone structure.
Difference between race and ethnicity
Can be self determined rather than determined from the ‘outside
Why sociologist prefer ethnicity over race
Encompasses cultural experiences and not reliant on biological factors
Other
Is a turn of phrase used by sociologists to describe the way in which groups of people define those as different to themselves. It is a way to split social groups into ‘us and them’.
Othering
Encompasses the choices groups of people make by defining their identity in opposition to groups of people who do not share (or are perceived as not sharing) a similar culture, heritage, ethnicity and political or economic experiences. It is the process of making another become the ‘other’ - e.g. this might be through language choices.
Ethnic Hybridity
refers to the process of creating new cultural identities by combining different cultural elements from diverse ethnic groups.
3 Positive experience of Ethnic Hybridity
- Being able to connect with more people from different groups because you have a broader range of things in common
2.ability to express in a multitude of ways and experience different things
3.speaking multiple languages
3 Negative experiences of Ethnic Hybridity
- Feeling ‘split’ when they’re raised in a different environment than the ethnic background of their parents.
- Unwanted pressure to uphold particular elements of one culture over another
- Confusion about self