Understanding Culture,

Society, & Politics

ANTHROPOLOGY
The study of people,
their origins, their
development and
contemporary
variations.
 CULTURE
Is a complex whole
which encompasses all
of the beliefs, practices,
traditions, norms,
everything that is
learned and shared.

3 ADD A FOOTER
 TYPES OF CULTURE

MATERIAL NON-MATERIAL
CULTURE CULTURE
INCLUDES ALL THE INCLUDES ALL THE
TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE PARTS OF
VISIBLE PARTS OF CULTURE, WHICH CONSIST
OF VALUES, IDEAS, AND
CULTURE.
KNOWLEDGE.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF CULTURE

oCulture Is Learned
oCulture Is Shared
oCulture Affects
Biology
oCulture Is Adaptive
oCulture Is Dynamic
SYMBOL
oIS ANYTHING THAT
REPRESENTS MORE THAN
ITSELF/ANYTHING THAT
CARRIES A SPECIFIC
MEANING.
LANGUAGE
oSPOKEN OR WRITTEN
WORDS
oIT GIVES A SENSE OF
IDENTITY
VALUES
oAre Abstract Ideas
Of What Is
Desirable Correct
And Good.
BELIEFS
oSpecific Ideas
About What People
Think Is True.
 NORMS
are the standards and
expectations for behaving.

Are the socially approved Are behaviors that are

FOLKWAYS TABOOS
behaviors that have no absolutely forbidden in a
moral underpinning. specific culture.

MORES Are the norms related to LAWS Consist of rules and

moral conventions regulations that are
implemented by the
state
 WHY DO WE
NEED TO STUDY
OR UNDERSTAND
CULTURE?
CULTURAL
VARIATION
Refers to the
differences in social
behaviors that different
cultures exhibit around
the world.
 ASPECTS OF CULTURAL VARIATION
Segment of society Subculture that rejects When one person is
which shares a societal norms and immersed in an
distinctive patterns of values and seeks unfamiliar culture,
mores, folkways and alternative lifestyle. she/he may feel
values which differs strangely disoriented,
from the pattern of the uncertain, and out of
larger society. place.

SUB COUNTER CULTURE

CULTURE CULTURE SHOCK
 ASPECTS OF CULTURAL VARIATION

Belief that the Tendency to assume

products, styles, or that one’s culture
ideas of one’s and way of life are
society are inferior superior than
to those that others.
originate elsewhere.

XENOCENTRISM ETHNOCENTRISM
SOCIOLOGY
Scientific study of
society, including
patterns of social
relationships, social
interaction and
culture.
Society
oA group of people
sharing the same identity
and culture and a
territory.
 are sets of
expectations
Is an
individual’s
position in
his or her
society.

SOCIALIZATION
Refer to the process by which an
individual is oriented and taught
by his or her society’s norms.
SOCIAL INTERACTION
THIS IS A COMPILATION OF WAYS AND MEANS BY WHICH
HUMANS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER WITHIN THE
CONFINES OF A SOCIETY.
 TYPES OF STATUS

ASCRIBED STATUS ACHIEVED STATUS MASTER STATUS

Social position “assigned” Social position “attained” Status that dominates
to a person without regard by a person largely others and thereby
for the person’s unique through his or her own determines a person’s
characteristics or talents. effort. general position in society.