1 Locate ethnocentrism. For two days, bearing in mind what sociologists mean by ethnocentrism, systematically record the places where you see or hear evidence of it. 2 Study popular culture. For two days, record whatever evidence of the dominant culture you 74 Culture see on the Internet or in literature, music, movies, theater, television programs, and sporting events. 3 Document a subculture. For two days, record the norms, values, sanctions, and argot evident in a subculture you are familiar with. Mastering This Chapter taking sociology with you key terms Innovation The process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture through discovery or invention. Invention The combination of existing cultural items into a form that did not exist before. Language An abstract system of word meanings and symbols for all aspects of culture; includes gestures and other nonverbal communication. Law Governmental social control. Material culture The physical or technological aspects of our daily lives. Mores Norms deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a society. Nonmaterial culture Ways of using material objects, as well as customs, beliefs, philosophies, governments, and patterns of communication. Norm An established standard of behavior maintained by a society. Sanction A penalty or reward for conduct concerning a social norm. Sapir-Whorf hypothesis A hypothesis concerning the role of language in shaping our interpretation of reality. It holds that language is culturally determined. Society A fairly large number of people who live in the same territory, are relatively independent of people outside their area, and participate in a common culture. Sociobiology The systematic study of how biology affects human social behavior. Subculture A segment of society that shares a distinctive pattern of customs, rules, and traditions that differs from the pattern of the larger society. Symbol A gesture, object, or word that forms the basis of human communication. Technology Cultural information about the ways in which the material resources of the environment may be used to satisfy human needs and desires. Value A collective conception of what is considered good, desirable, and proper—or bad, undesirable, and improper—in a culture. Argot Specialized language used by members of a group or subculture. Bilingualism The use of two languages in a particular setting, such as the workplace or schoolroom, treating each language as equally legitimate. Counterculture A subculture that deliberately opposes certain aspects of the larger culture. Cultural relativism The viewing of people’s behavior from the perspective of their own culture. Cultural universal A common practice or belief found in every culture. Culture The totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior. Culture industry The worldwide media industry that standardizes the goods and services demanded by consumers. Culture lag A period of maladjustment when the nonmaterial culture is still struggling to adapt to new material conditions. Culture shock The feeling of surprise and disorientation that people experience when they encounter cultural practices that are different from their own. Culture war The polarization of society over controversial cultural elements. Diffusion The process by which a cultural item spreads from group to group or society to society. Discovery The process of making known or sharing the existence of an aspect of reality. Dominant ideology A set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests. Ethnocentrism The tendency to assume that one’s own culture and way of life represent the norm or are superior to all others. Folkway A norm governing everyday behavior whose violation raises comparatively little concern. Formal norm A norm that has been written down and that specifies strict punishments for violators. Informal norm A norm that is generally understood but not precisely recorded.
Schaefer_Sociology_Modules_ch03
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