SOCIOL 1000 Lecture Notes - Cultural Relativism, Centrism, Zoophilia
Document Summary
Culture the complex system of meaning and behavior that defines the way of life for a given group or society. Culture includes beliefs, values, knowledge, morals, laws, customs, habits, language, dress, etc. 2 forms of culture: material culture. Material culture the physical objects that relate specifically to one"s culture. Ex: wearing a ball cap is american: non-material culture. Non-material culture - includes our beliefs and value systems, along with the way we do things. 5 main elements of non-material culture: beliefs. Beliefs - shared ideas that a group or society holds about what is true. Values - abstract standards in a society that define ideal principles. They define what is desirable and morally correct: ex: freedom; happiness; true friendship; cleanliness; obedience; etc, norms (social norms) Social norms rules set by society to regulate human behavior and social relations. Norms are passed on from generation to generation, becoming embedded in our language, ideas, and beliefs.