SOC 201 Lecture Notes - Materialism, Proxemics, Chopsticks
Document Summary
Society: a collection of people who a) live in a defined geographical territory or b) are united through a shared political system and a shared sense of self- identification that distinguished them from other people. Ex: united states, canada, mexico, germany, japan. Social institution: social arrangements that channel behavior and prescribe ways in important areas of life. Major institutions in the us: economy, education, family, media, politics, and religion (some include law, medicine, science, and sports, and some others) Ex) family: channels behavior of children through child-rearing. Education: channels behavior of children through mandatory school attendance; also channels behavior of adults by suggesting education is needed to enter the workforce. Culture: the ways of life people create in a group or society; includes language, gestures, norms, and values. Culture is dynamic, meaning it changes; it is not stagnant. And it changes as we move through time. Humans create culture culture shapes humans. Think how culture has changed since the 1970s.
