6 Elements of Culture

What is Culture?
The ways of life & knowledge of a grp of ppl According to Ralph Linton:
The knowledge, attitudes, & behavior patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a society

Culture
is passed on by parents, grandparents, teachers, etc & affects the way we think, what we believe (religiously & morally), what we eat, what we wear, how we behave, how our society behaves

#1= Social Organization

The way a culture divides its society into smaller structures/ groups Sociology= the study of the development, organization, & functioning of society What is the most important social unit?
Family

Family patterns
Nuclear family- wife, husb, kids.
Typical to industrialized societies

Extended family- Several generations in one household. Parents, kids, grandparents, aunts, uncles. Usually in developing nations. Patriarchal- family where the oldest male makes the decisions Matriarchal- family where the oldest female makes all the decisions

 Kinship= concept that everyone is related to someone

There are rules (ie uncles cant marry nieces)

Clan= ppl w/in an ethnic grp who claim to be descended from a common ancestor Social Classes= rank ppl according to status in society
Can be based on $, occupation, heredity, education, etc

Social mobility= chance to move up and down the social ladder.

 Rules of behavior (enforced by social pressures or by written laws) ways of doing everyday things Basic moral values Language
Linguistics= the study of languages Language families- most langs have root in same source. Largest major language family is the Indo-European Language

#2- Customs & Traditions

Clothes Foods Education Occupation

#3- Arts & Literature

Products of human imagination teach us about cultural values. Can encourage pride or criticize. Includes:
Painting Sculpture music Drawing Theatre Literature architecture

#4- Religion
Helps ppl answer the basic questions about the meaning of life; supports the values of a culture; can shape morals & ethics of a grp of ppl Monotheism- belief/worship of 1 god Polytheism- belief/worship of more than 1 god Animism- belief that everything in nature has a spirit The 5 Major World Religions:
Hinduism Buddhism Christianity Judaism Islam

#5- Forms of Government

Govt is designed to provide for ppls common needs- keeping order in society & protecting it from outside threats
Refers to the person(s) who holds pwr and to societys laws & institutions.

Types of Govt:
Democracy- the ppl have supreme pwr. Govt acts by & w/ their consent Republic- ppl choose the leaders who will represent them Dictatorship- a ruler (or grp acting as 1) holds pwr by force. Often uses military to stay in office.

#6- Economic Systems

How ppl use limited resources to satisfy their wants & needs 3 questions:
What goods & services should we produce? How should we produce them? For whom should we produce them?

Traditional economy- ppl prod most of what they need to survive. Hunting/gathering or farming/herding societies. Market economy- indivs answer the econ questions by buying & selling goods & services Command economy- govt controls what goods are prod, how they are prod & what they cost. Indivs have little econ pwr Mixed economy- indivs make some decisions & govt makes others