SOC 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Symbolic Culture, Ethnocentrism, William Fielding Ogburn
Document Summary
Most characteristics of our own culture remain imperceptible to us: these characteristics are assumed to be normal or natural . People are not born with the fundamental orientations that are a reflection of our culture, we develop these values throughout our lives: this is known as the culture within us. Culture shock is when a person enters another culture, and their own internal assumptions no longer help them navigate and understand the world. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to use one"s own culture as a yardstick for judging other cultures: this concept was created by william sumner (1906, ethnocentrism has negative and positive consequences. It creates loyalty between members of the same group, but it can also be used to fuel discrimination against other groups. Nonmaterial culture can also be referred to as symbolic culture: a symbol is something to which people attach meaning. These symbols are then used to communicate with one another: symbols include:
