Conflict theorists agree that a common culture may exist, but they argue that it serves to maintain the privileges of certain groups. Moreover, while protecting their self-interest, powerful groups may keep others in a subservient position. The term dominant ideology describes the set of cultural beliefs and practices that helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests. This concept was first used by Hungarian Marxist Georg Lukacs (1923) and Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci (1929), but it did not gain an audience in the United States until the early 1970s. In Karl Marx’s view, a capitalist society has a dominant ideology that serves the interests of the ruling class. From a conflict perspective, the dominant ideology has major social significance. Not only do a society’s most powerful groups and institutions control wealth and property; even more important, they control the means of producing beliefs about reality through religion, education, and the media. Feminists would also argue that if all a society’s most important institutions tell women they should be subservient to men, that dominant ideology will help to control women and keep them in a subordinate position. A growing number of social scientists believe that it is not easy to identify a core culture in the United States. For support, they point to the lack of consensus on national values, the diffusion of cultural traits, the diversity within our culture, and the changing views of young people (look again at Figure 3-2 ). Instead, they suggest that the core culture provides the tools that people of all persuasions need to develop strategies for social change. Still, there is no denying that certain expressions of values have greater influence than others, even in as complex a society as the United States (Swidler 1986). Read each question carefully and then select or provide the best answer. 1. Which of the following statements is true according to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? a. Language simply describes reality. b. Language does not transmit stereotypes related to race. c. Language precedes thought. d. Language is not an example of a cultural universal. 2. Which of the following statements about norms is correct? a. People do not follow norms in all situations. In some cases, they evade a norm because they know it is weakly enforced. b. In some instances, behavior that appears to violate society’s norms may actually represent adherence to the norms of a particular group. c. Norms are violated in some instances because one norm conflicts with another. d. All of the above are correct. 3. Which of the following statements about values is correct? a. Values never change. b. The values of a culture may change, but most remain relatively stable during any one person’s lifetime. c. Values are constantly changing; sociologists view them as being very unstable. d. The values of a culture may change, but only after periods of intense social conflict. 4. “Put on some clean clothes for dinner” and “Thou shalt not kill” are both examples of found in U.S. culture. 5. From a(n) perspective, the dominant ideology has major social significance. Not only do a society’s most powerful groups and institutions control wealth and property, but more importantly, they control the means of production. Answers 1 (c); 2 (d); 3 (b); 4 norms; 5 conflict Consider these questions to get a deeper understanding of the material. 1. In the United States, is the norm of heterosexuality formal or informal? Would you categorize it with mores or folkways? Explain. 2. Do you think the United States has a dominant ideology? If so, how would you describe it? Whose interests does it serve? RECAP LO 8-1 Define language and describe its influence on culture. • Language includes speech, written characters, numerals, and symbols, as well as gestures and other forms of nonverbal communication. • Language both describes culture and shapes it. According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, language precedes thought and shapes our interpretation of reality. • Nonverbal communication is the use of gestures, facial expressions, and other visual signs to communicate. MODULE EIGHT Elements of Culture 71
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