SOC101R Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Cultural Diversity, Ethnocentrism, Cultural Universal
15 Oct 2016
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Values, beliefs, behavior & material objects that constitute a people"s way of life. Canadians: trust government, more respect for authority, less individualism, lower rates of violent crime. Americans: distrust of government, less respect for authority, more individualism, more likely volunteer. Although cultures vary, they all have five common components: (1) symbols (2) language (3) values (4) beliefs (5) norms. Symbols: anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share culture. Language: a system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another. Values: abstract ideas or the generally accepted standards of behaviour. Beliefs: specific statements that people hold to be true. Norms: defining principles by which any society comes to govern itself. They differ from values in that they are more precise rules. Folkways: informal customs, in some cases what we might call etiquette. Mores (more-ays) (mos): customs that members of a particular society might consider to be correct or even necessary for group survival.
