Wednesday, February 3^rd, 1999
Announcements:

• All in-class assignments from now on are to be done only in class

1. Culture (continued)

1. Cultural Diversity (continued)

1. Multi-culturalism – all racial groups have equality with the majority. Makes us sensitive to other ethnic groups and has started to influence our education. Example: Columbus was idealized but has lately come under criticism for his treatment of Native Americans.
2. Eurocentrism – The dominance of the European culture is the ideal. American society is defined through European (English) culture. European culture has become the model for all US citizens.
3. Counterculture – People who live distinctly different from the dominant culture. These are groups of people who challenge the dominant culture. Example: People who dye their hair all crazy colors and pierce themselves all over. Example: In the 1960’s the hippies opposed materialism and the war. The counterculture seeks to challenge and change the dominant culture. The Difference between counterculture and subculture is that the subculture consists of ethnic minorities who want to retain their identity while continuing to accept the values of the dominant culture. On the other hand, the counterculture is a threat to the dominant culture as it seeks to challenge and change it.
4. Cultural Lag – thought up by sociologist Ogburn – When different elements of culture change at an unequal rate. Material culture (technology) moves at a faster rate than Non-material (ideas) culture. This doesn’t take place in advanced countries as much as it does in developing countries. Example: 91 email messages made the professor very intimidated by the technology. Example: People had a hard time accepting test-tube babies when that technology was first developed. Example: While life-expectancy rates have increased and infant mortality rates have decreased, uneducated people still have large families because they think their kids will die.

1. Cultural Changes – Invention (email, Internet, computers – effects the whole world), Discovery (scientific research), and Diffusion (the ideas of capitalism and democracy have spread all over the world. Example: Blue jeans are sought after all over the place. Example: The ideas of democracy were spread to the students in China. Example: Marco Polo went to China and brought back the noodles to Italy, which is where pasta came from.)
2. Ethnocentrism – Practice of judging another culture with superiority (as far as language, culture, values, etc.) Example: Chinese and Indian people think the US family system is horrible.
3. Cultural Relativity – Must take culture in its own context.(opposes ethnocentrism). Must suspend your own moral judgement. This idea must be abandoned though when human rights are violated – example – the treatment of woman in Islamic culture. It is important though for American corporations. Examples of a few blunders:

1. Coca Cola’s "Coke Adds Life" slogan translated into Japanese as "Coke Brings Ancestors Back From the Dead"
2. Purdue Chicken’s "It takes a tough man to take tender chicken" slogan translated into "It takes a sexually excited man to make a chicken affectionate"

1. Cultural Ecology – Marvin Harris – Exploring the relationship between the physical environment and human culture – relates to the availability of food and water. Example: The people of India do not kill cows because they are a source of milk, fuel, and they plow their fields.
2. Cultural Integration – When one aspect of culture supports another. When various aspects of culture are consistent with each other. Example: Islamic people eat no pork – the fact that they have no pork economy is consistent with their religion. Example: African-Americans were once slaves but now they are free which is consistent with the constitution of America.
3. Culture Analyzed from the 3 Major Sociological Theories:

1. Functionalist – Without culture, human needs cannot be met. Values help society by giving it stability.
2. Conflictist – The powerful people impose their culture and values on others
3. Symbolic Interactionist – There are many symbolic meanings in culture which define it.

1. Socialization

1. Introduction: Is a fetus an object or a person? An illegitimate child stashed in an attic from birth is an object, not a person (from the sociological point of view). A Social Being is one who has had social experiences and social interactions. Social experience develops emotions, behavior, etc. Socialization is a life-long experience that instills in us values, ideas, and beliefs.
2. Personality – Cognitive (beliefs), Emotional (love, hate) and Behavioral (skills, talents). Personality is influenced by social surroundings.
3. Human Development: Nature vs. Nurture