SOCI-1015EL Chapter 3: SociologyNotes
9 Mar 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The common denominator that make the actions of the individuals intelligible to the group. We need laws to establish and to protect our rights. We are not born with the knowledge to conduct ourselves in society. Culture and social learning (not nature) are responsible for virtually all of our behavioural patterns. All cultures have 4 non-material common components: symbols, language, values and norms. Culture could not exist without symbols because there would be no shared meaning of actions among people. These symbols can often change meaning with a different societies. They come in many forms (gestures, drawings, sirens, clothing) and they can all symbolize different things like showing class, announcing an emergency or showing emotion. Verbal and nonverbal language helps us communicate and describe reality. It can distinguish outsiders and maintain group boundaries. Believed it influences behaviour, but does not determine it. Old language is racist (black hearted, go dutch, savage) the right to vote.
