PSY 309 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Symbolic Culture, Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism
Document Summary
Culture is the entire way of life for a group of people. It is hard for us to see our own culture, so we may not recognize the extent to which it shapes and defines who we are. Culture includes things such as language, standards of beauty, hand gestures, styles of dress, food, and music. It is passed from one generation to the next through communication- not genetics. Ethnocentrism occurs when people use their own culture as a standard to evaluate another group or individual, leading to the view, that cultures other than their own are abnormal. Cultural relativism is the process of understanding other cultures on their own terms, rather than judging according to one"s own culture. When studying any group, it is important to try to employ cultural relativism because it helps sociologists see others more objectively. Culture consists of 2 different categories: material culture and symbolic culture.
