SOC 101LEC Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Symbolic Culture
28 Jun 2019
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Document Summary
A sociologists sometimes refer to nonmaterial culture as symbolic. A central component of culture is the symbol --something to which people attach meaning and use in communications. Symbols include gestures, language, values , norms, sanctions, traditions, and mores. Gestures , or using one"s body to communicate with others, are shorthand means of communication. Language consists of a system of symbols that can be put together in an infinite number of ways in order to communicate abstract thought. Each word is a symbol to which a culture attaches a particular meaning. It is important because it is the primary means of communication between people. Culture allows human experience to be cumulative; each generation build on the body of significant experiences that is passed on to it by the previous generation, thus freeing people to move beyond immediate experiences. It allow for a social or shared past, we are able to discuss past events with others.
