SOC 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Trobriand Islands
Document Summary
Culture systems (the total package of material and nonmaterial cultural things) are created by humans and in this sense are products of action. Because culture is a product of human action and interaction, we would expect different groups of humans to have different cultures. And thus it is that the content of culture systems varies widely across societies. That being the case, any examination of a culture system can reveal a great deal about the people who share in that culture. Think of how much archeologists have learned merely by examining the remains of material culture, such as a clay bowl or hammered piece of metal, left behind by peoples long dead. These artifacts can tell us a great deal about the level of technology in a society, as well as its members" norms, values, and beliefs. The content of language itself reveals a great deal about a culture.
