Sociology 1020 Lecture Notes - Role Conflict, Eurocentrism, Edward Said
4 Sep 2014
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Document Summary
Individual behaviour is not random, but patterned. Culture: behaviours that happen with great regularity. Anthropologist edward tylor defined culture as knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by a man as a member of society. Shared by all or almost all the members of some social group. The older members of the group try to pass onto the younger members. Shapes behaviour, or at least structures perceptions of the world. Cultural element: anything that is (1) shared in common by the members of some social group, (2) is passed on to new members and (3) in some way affects their behaviour or their perceptions of the world. Three of the most important elements are values, norms and roles. Culture: the sum total of all the cultural elements associated with a give social group. Values are shared, relatively general beliefs that define what is desirable and what is undesirable; they specify general preferences.
