SOC 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Benjamin Lee Whorf, Symbolic Culture, Cultural Relativism
Document Summary
Culture is the entire way of life of a group of people. Can include everything from language and gestures to style of dress and standards of beauty, from customs to rituals. Forms our basic beliefs and assumptions about social world and the way it works. All societies develop culture; human equivalent to animal instinct. Culture is handed down from one generation to the next and is passed along from one individual or group to another. Learned as we grow up in culture (often unaware of it) As sociologist, we study the culture of our society using the three main theoretical perspectives and research methods mentioned in chapter 1. Culture is used as a lens through which we view our social world. This lens can either allow us to see clearly or it can obscure our vision. Body ritual of the nacirema by horace miner. Wanted to observe challenges we have in seeing our own culture.
