SOC 110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Linguistic Relativity, Culture Shock, Cultural Relativism

• School: University of Hartford
• Department: Sociology - A&S
• Course: SOC 110
• Professor: Horowitz

Document Summary

Culture- values, norms, and materialistic goods characteristic to a certain group. Values- ideas held by individuals or groups about what is right, desirable, proper, and is culture specific. Instinct- fixed pattern of behavior that has genetic origins. Norms- rules of conduct within a society. Norms and values change with time and differ between societies. Society- a group of people who live in a particular region: cannot exist without society. In the nature vs. nurture debate sociologists side with nurture. Sociobiology- explains the behavior between animals and human beings in the terms of biological principles. Biological determinism- belief that differences observed between groups of people are explained by biological causes and biological causes only. Subculture- values and norms distinct from those of the majority, held by a group within a bigger society. Assimilation- the acceptance of a minority group by a majority population. Multiculturalism- when ethnic groups exist separately and share equally in economic and political life.