Culture Lag

Introduction to Culture PK Chandio B.ScN, DNAM, M.A G.A Panhwar BScN, DCHN Lecture 4 GA

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Cultural Lag When some parts of culture change, and other parts do not. Material culture often changes first. GA

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Cultural Lag • Technology, science, and economics are the engines that drive our society, non material culture or our ideas lag behind.

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Cultural Lag • Example: The public school system, most are on a 9 month term, this is from the early 19th century, and has not immovable up with new patterns of work, and living.

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Technological Determinism The view that technology is the new determinate of our culture, that technology has life of it’s own, forcing humans to follow it’s lead. GA

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Cultural diffusion/assimilation Groups that adapt part of other people’s way of life, continue open to changes. This occurs via increased contact with others: travel & GA communication

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Cultural Leveling The process by which cultures become like, through industrialization, technology, free activity GA

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Cultural leveling • Western culture: Radio cabin, Coca Cola, music, clothes • The absorption of Western culture into the world via globalization • finally, everyplace starts to look like every other place.

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Values • Values determine for us what is desirable in our life; • If we learn other people’s values we learn about other people; • Values motivate our favorite, our choices, indicate what we think as valuable in our society. GA

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Values • Values are “general” rules for behavior and perceptions we hold in a society. • Norms develop out of our values. • Norms are the expectations, rules of particular behaviors which come out of our everyday life.

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Values • Norms are particular ways that we act, and arranged behavior and rules governing our everyday life. • With Norms come authorize, rewards, punishments - you receive approval or disapproval for keeping or abuse norms.

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Norms • Positive and negative sanctions, rewards, or punishments occur that are social penalty if we stay or violate a norm. • Rewards are smiles, clap, prize, trophy, money; negative sanctions or punishments are look angrily, watch, social limits, advise words… GA

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Norms • • • •

Regulation of appearance and behavior Define and maintain boundaries Norms support cultural values. Desirable behavior is attached to an actual expectation with social penalty.

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Norms • There are norms that govern us in everyday life. • How do you act at different place? Greeting someone?

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Types of Norms • Folkways: These are norms that are not strictly enforced, we expect people to comply, but if they don’t we don’t make a big deal about it. • Situational: Walking on one side of the sidewalk, going up and down step, elevator behavior • Customs, habits, commonly accepted practices

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Types of Norms • Folkways: Usually involve minor issue: table manners, accepting your place in line rather than cutting to the lead, wearing appropriate clothing. • Few restrictions, and moderate sanctions.

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Types of Norms • Mores: Means “manners” in society. Mores are norms that are essential to social Values, close to legalistic. • Attitudes from the past, adapted, very little variation allowed • Duties, responsibility, common to cultural ethics GA

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Types of Norms • Mores: The fundamental ideas about what is right/wrong, moral and immoral. • Important because they involve moral vision based on social unity, continuity, and community in human life. • Mores finally become LAWS. • Part of social life, not changing. GA

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Mores • Strict enforcement, and make your mind up on conformity, we learn through socialization via our institutions in society. • Examples: “arranged” gender roles; Americans eat beef, not horse, dog, cat; you do not expose your genitals in public

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Mores • Part of moral behavior which includes the following: • Not in self interest • Command/obligation to do right • Desirable, satisfactory • Approve authority

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Taboo • A cultural or religious custom that does not allow people to do, use or talk about a particular thing as people find it hateful or uncomfortable • Death is one of the great taboos in our culture. Taboo is a norm so strongly fixed that to violate it creates hate, dislike, shock - the thought of it makes people sick: • Eating human flesh - Incest - Sex issues GA

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Law • Laws are norms with strict and formal sanctions, punishments - to violate a law is to violate society itself. • Enforcement is reserved for those in positions of authority. • Formal legal codes are necessary to manage relationships in interdependent, self interested, specific societies. GA

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Laws • Criminal law has to do with formal, clear definitions, specialization, and enforcement. Prohibits behaviors such as murder, fraud, damage holy objects or places. • Civil law has to do with social relations, argument, compensation, loss through carelessness - example family law. GA

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Laws • All societies have some form of law the prohibit certain behaviors. • Law comes from mores. • Most societies have similar laws and mores, but the rule of sociology is: • “One culture’s mores are another group’s folkways, and another group’s laws!” • (cultural and ethical relativism) GA

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