SY101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Cultural Relativism, Indian Act, Ingroups And Outgroups
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Culture: the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviours, and even material objects that are passed from one generation to the next. Material culture: the material objects that distinguish a group of people (art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothing, and jewellery) Nonmaterial culture: ways of thinking (beliefs, values, assumptions about the world) and doing (patterns of behaviour such as language and gestures) Nonmaterial culture is referred to as symbolic culture. Cultural learning depends on the human capacity to use symbols that have no necessary connection to the things they signify. Symbol: anything in which people attach meaning and then use to communicate (gestures, language, values, norms, sanctions, folkways, mores) Gestures: the use of one"s body to communicate with others, are useful shorthand ways of giving messages without using words. Gestures can lead to misunderstandings, embarrassment and interpersonal conflict. Culture provides a moral imperative: internalizing a culture allows people to learn ideas of right and wrong.
