SOCI 101 Lecture 4: 7 March
Document Summary
The ways of thinking and acting, the material objects that collectively form a people"s way of life. Symbols- anything that carries a recognized meaning by people who share a culture. Language- a system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another. There are varying estimates to how many spoken languages exist- about 7000. Some spoken languages go extinct as native speakers die off, or subcultures become assimilated into the bigger culture. Values- culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and serve as broad guidelines for social living. Beliefs- specific thoughts or ideas that people hold to be true. Norms- rules and expectations by which a society guides behavior of its members. Mores- norms that are widely observed and have great moral significance. Social control- attempts by society to regulate people"s thoughts and behaviors. Material culture- physical things created by members of a society.