I. Culture

Humans and some animals are described as having "culture" because they have learned behaviors that are transmitted socially. A diversity of social practices defines culture, yet many basic cultural practices, such as family, games, medicine, and religion, are universal to all cultures and subcultures. In the twentieth century, colonialism, as well as the advent of mass media, had a tremendous impact on the livelihood of cultures. On the one hand, the impact of these normalizing influences is seen as responsible for the demise of many societies and cultures. However, they have also led to the concept of a "global village," where people of all cultures can communicate more effectively and learn from one another. What will the impact of "Internet culture" be on world culture? The Web sites below, in addition to being good general resources, will help answer this question.

Anthropology Internet Resources

http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/socialsci/antres.html

A good set of hyperlinks to sites on related topics in anthropology is provided here. The site also includes an online introduction to basic cultural theories in anthropology, called What Is Culture. This informative link also includes case studies for further investigation.

Academic Info: Anthropology

http://www.academicinfo.net/anth.html

Another good site to bookmark for academic resources related to anthropology. In addition to a listing of comprehensive meta-indexes, this site also contains information on contemporary European, American, and Latin American cultures.

Kinship and Social Organization

http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/kintitle.html

An online introduction to this important topic that includes both the basics as well as case studies for further investigation.

Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies

http://www.com.washington.edu/rccs/

The Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies is an online, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to research, study, teach, support, and create diverse and dynamic elements of cyberculture. RCCS seeks to establish and support ongoing conversations about the emerging field; to foster a community of students, scholars, teachers, explorers, and builders of cyberculture; and to showcase various models, works-in-progress, and online projects.

Net Culture at About.com

http://netculture.about.com/internet/netculture/mbody.htm

This site is a great starting point for learning more about contemporary Internet culture. It contains essays on current topics, as well as links to resources related to hot issues, such as intellectual property, privacy, and cyber theory. Social aspects of the Internet, such as gender and identity, are also touched upon in this site.

Internet Sociology: Subculture and Counterculture

Conduct a net search with an engine of your choice using the terms "subculture" and "counterculture."

1. Are you able to locate trustworthy and authoritative sites on these topics? If you were a sociologist investigating these issues, how would you use the sites you find?
2. How is the concept of "subculture" at play in sites available through this resource? What kind of subculture did the perpetrators of the Columbine shootings belong to? Describe information you can find on the net about these and similar teen subcultures.
3. Using Columbine and other examples, describe how subcultures are at play in the issue of school violence. Are they creating the problem, or are they being used as scapegoats? What factors are at play?

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