Unit lI Discussion Board Society: Content and Process

3. Interpret the transmission of cultures through socialization. 3.1 Differentiate between the different types of norms. 3.2 Identify agents of socialization involved in teaching norms. 3.3 Explain the foundations of culture and the importance of culture to society.

4. Evaluate patterns of behavior through sociological skills and theory.

4.1 Compare elements of one culture to elements of another one. 4.2 Discuss the effects of culture on self-development.

Reading Assignment Chapter 3: Culture Chapter 4: Socialization

Unit Lesson Culture In this unit, you will learn about culture and socialization. To begin with, what is culture? According to your textbook, culture is “everything humans create in establishing our relationships to nature and with each other” (Witt, 2015, p.48). More simply put, culture pertains to all of the ideas and tangibles within a society. Culture is a complex concept that includes norms, values, behavior patterns, ideologies, artifacts, and even customs. Culture can be nonmaterial in terms of concepts, such as ideologies, or of memes or patterns of behavior, such as walking down an aisle when getting married or saying please and thank you. Alternatively, it can be material in terms of things, such as buildings, religious art, and even your computer. Sociologists define norms as agreed-upon patterns of behavior. For example, teachers expect that students will raise their hands in school if they wish to contribute to a discussion. All societies have mechanisms in place to encourage what they view as appropriate behavior and to discourage inappropriate behavior. These mechanisms, called sanctions, can be informal, such as laughter or elbowing, or they can be formal, as in the case of speeding tickets, or religious shunning. If a student answers without raising his/her hand, a teacher might remind the student of the rules. Future infractions may include shushing, keeping the child in at recess or after school, or a visit to the principal’s office. When in movie theaters, most people agree that talking and making loud noises are inappropriate behavior. In this case, appropriateness is situational. For example, in a serious art film, quiet is mandatory. However, in movies like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, laughter and swearing, singing and dancing, and partial nudity is highly encouraged. We expect to hear loud laughter in movies such as Anchorman II and Ride Along, but not in movies like The Green Mile. Notice that each situation requires different normative behavior. In addition to the formal/informal dichotomy, sociologists also categorize norms into mores (pronounced like “morays”) and folkways. Societies view mores as highly important to the maintenance of society. Sanctions

UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

Society: Content and Process

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for more violations are usually severe. For example, our society strongly prohibits treason and sanctions it by putting those who commit treason to death. On the other hand, folkways are norms that govern everyday behavior and involve less severe sanctions. For example, walking down the “up” escalator will not usually land you in jail. Similarly, eating with the “wrong” fork will only result in negative looks from other diners. So why are folkways important? They make us feel as if we belong. Wearing the “right” clothes and using “proper” language reminds us that we are part of society. Sometimes folkways reinforce values we hold in society. For example, being polite supports the value of respect for others that we share. As your author points out, in Southeast Asia, folkways also support patriarchal forms of dominance by reaffirming that women should be below men. Examples of this include:

 On overnight train rides, railways would not put a woman in a sleeping car above a man.

 Hospitals that house men on the first floor would not admit women to the second floor, regardless of medical condition.

 Even on clotheslines, people hung women’s clothes lower than men’s clothes. Can you think of some examples of our own folkways that reaffirm patriarchy? For example, stay-at-home fathers are increasing in the U.S. However, late-night comedians still make fun of them, which encourages men to work outside the home. This double standard reinforces the notion that only women should nurture and care for children. In restaurants, servers are still more likely to hand the check to a man in a heterosexual seating situation. We have just discussed how norms operate in society. How do new members learn about culture? They obtain this information through verbal and nonverbal communication. Language is an important component of culture, in both establishing culture and transferring culture. Children and new immigrants quickly learn the customs of their surroundings when people tell them they are doing something wrong, or when they ask why we do something a certain way. Language influences our thoughts in several ways. If you have ever watched a cable “news” channel, you are aware of the attention writers give to phrasing in order to influence viewer opinion. For example, one could use the phrase “out of wedlock” or “born to a single parent” to describe the same situation. The former term is morally charged while the latter seems less so. A clearer example might be the use of baby or fetus when discussing the unborn—those opposing abortion use the term baby, while those who are pro-choice use the term fetus for a reason. The connotation of words is very important in communication. Nonverbal communication is equally important in the transmission of culture. For example, the distance between people when they speak to one another is culturally determined. In the United States, we like to stand 18 to 36 inches apart when speaking with someone. However, in Arab countries, they tend to speak close enough to feel the breath of the other upon their face. In Asian countries, people stand much further apart. Hand gestures also communicate culture. For example, holding up a pointer (index) and middle finger means peace in the United States, whereas in an English pub, those same two fingers mean something else entirely. See if you can guess what this is: the French do it twice, Belgians do it three times. The Japanese and Chinese only do it in private, and Nigerians do not do it at all. In some regions of Cambodia, the groom does it by placing his nose against the bride’s cheek. What is it? Do you give up? It is kissing! Even touching is culturally determined. High-status people are more likely to invade the space of lower-status people rather than the other way round. Thus, a professor may pat the shoulder of a student, but students rarely pat professors on the back. Likewise, men tend to rest their hands on a woman’s shoulder, but women rarely rest their hands on a man’s shoulder. Doctors touch nurses more than nurses touch doctors. You get the picture.

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Socialization What is socialization? Primarily, it is a process. By interacting with others, we learn how to think, feel, and behave in ways that are necessary for productive participation within society. We become social beings through this process. Social scientists view the process as a series of stages. In psychology, people often learn about Piaget’s five stages of childhood. However, in sociology, we concentrate more on socialization as a life-long process. Your textbook covers Erik Erikson’s stages. Notice that unlike Piaget, Erikson allows that not everyone hits the next stage at exactly the same time. For example, somewhere between the ages of one and a half and three years, a child will enter the second stage, autonomy vs. shame and doubt. Although not every child will enter this stage by a year and a half, by age three, the vast majority of children will have begun the second stage. Sociologists also concentrate on the agents of socialization, such as family, school, religion, peer groups, and mass media. Agents of socialization are important in our development of self. Each agent is responsible for teaching certain things. For instance, in addition to the three R’s, schools are responsible for teaching competition, an important element in a capitalist country. How do schools teach competition? They teach it through grades, evaluations, and through sports. How does learning about competition affect our sense of self? Peer groups also play an important societal role. They encourage independence from parental control while offering a support network. Who are your significant others, and what do they teach you about self? As you work through the material this week, think about your own agents of socialization, and contemplate how they have affected your self-view and worldview.

Reference

Witt, J. (2015). SOC 2014 (3rd ed. update). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Suggested Reading Learn more about this week’s topics by researching in the databases of the CSU Online Library. The following are available in the General OneFile database: Bass, K., Gribble, A., & Tomkiewicz, J. (2011). Potential pitfalls of ethnocentrism in a globalizing world.

College Student Journal, 45(2), 369-375. Brewer, L. (2001). Gender socialization and the cultural construction of elder caregivers. Journal of Aging

Studies, 15(3), 217-236. Forstater, M. (2000). Adolph Lowe on freedom, education and socialization. Review of Social Economy,

58(2), 225-242. Kuperman, J., & Lumb, R. (2012). Ethnocentrism in the U.S.: An examination of CETSCALE stability from

1994 to 2008. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 16(1), 99-110. Pellerin, L. A. (2005). Student disengagement and the socialization styles of high schools. Social Forces,

84(2), 1159-1180.

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Online Resources If you cannot find the following articles in the CSU Online Library, you can find PDF versions of them online:

 The Nacirema are a unique people who spend much of their day in ritual activity centered on the body. Some rituals are painful, some abhorrent. Why do they do them? Find out in Horace Miner’s “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema.” Miner, H. (1956). Body ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist, 58(3), 503-507.

 Do family members’ sleeping arrangements really impact their moral values? Did you sleep in your parents’ room after the age of one year? What would that mean? Explore the possibilities by reading “Who Sleeps by Whom Revisited.” Shweder, R., Balle-Jensen, L., & Goldstein, W. (2003). Who sleeps by whom revisited. In R. A.

Shweder, Why do men barbecue? Recipes for cultural psychology (pp. 46-73). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) Free Hugs Video Project In this non-graded activity, you are encouraged to click on the following hyperlink and watch the video about Juan Mann whose parents divorced. He then dropped out of college, and was abandoned by his fiancée: Free Hugs Campaign – Official Page. What Juan did was both non-normative and amazing. What did you think as you watched this video? Read some of the comments to get a sense of what others think. What Would You Do? Imagine you just won a multi-million-dollar lottery. Think about one normative and one non-normative behavior in which you might engage. Be sure to think about why you would choose to do these things. SocThink Your textbook provides several opportunities for you to explore relevant topics, from personal self-exploration to challenging questions concerning topics being studied in this unit. Taking the time to read and respond to these opportunities will help you learn and apply the information being studied. These opportunities can be found on the following pages:

 Chapter 3 o Page 48 o Page 49 o Page 51 o Page 53 o Page 57 o Page 60 o Page 63

 Chapter 4 o Page 72 o Page 76 o Page 78 o Page 85 o Page 88 o Page 89 o Page 90 o Page 93

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Check Your Learning Quizzes are a way to self-test to see if you understand what you are studying. The textbook provides a brief “Pop Quiz” for each chapter. Take advantage of this learning tool to enrich your learning experience! The answers are provided, so you can check and see how well you did. For this unit, the quizzes are available on the following pages:

 Chapter 3 Pop Quiz, Page 69

 Chapter 4 Pop Quiz, Page 99 These are non-graded activities, so you do not have to submit them. However, if you have difficulty with any concepts, contact your instructor for additional discussion and/or explanation.

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