01.04 Sociology and Culture

Today we’re going to be talking about culture and its impact on virtually everything about you. To start, we will define culture to make sure we are all on the same page. Then we will transition into a discussion of the different elements of culture. This will involve definitions and examples to illustrate. Following that, we will highlight both the downside and upside of being a cultural species as on the one hand culture constrains who we are but also enables behaviors that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. We will conclude with some main points and takeaways from today’s lesson.  

In many ways, culture and the study of cultural differences is the backbone of sociology. Culture can be defined as learned behavioral patterns and material objects that are typical of any given society. Ideas, attitudes, languages, food preparation techniques, and living room couches are all examples of cultural objects. Note that sociologists do typically distinguish between nonmaterial and material culture. Nonmaterial culture refers to ideas created within a society and material culture refers to physical objects created within a society. Religious beliefs would be an example of nonmaterial culture, while the building in which believers gather to worship would fall under the material culture umbrella.

So you may be asking yourself, what’s the big deal? Well, the big deal is that culture impacts virtually everything about who you are. What religion you believe in, what food you eat, what language you speak, how you introduce yourself to a stranger, how you cut your hair, these are all examples of cultural displays influenced by your cultural surroundings. Importantly, there are few other creatures who actually have the capacity for culture. Some chimpanzees and other primates have the capacity for limited culture, but cultural power is severely limited in all species except humans. We are the only species that relies primarily on culture for our survival.

Alright, let’s cover some different parts or elements of human culture. First off, symbols are simply something that stands for something else. All other elements of culture can be considered symbols. As you already know, everything you are currently reading and hearing is a symbol. The ability to communicate symbolically is what allows humans to have the capacity for culture. The American flag for example, is more than the colors red, white, and blue; more than the stars and stripes. For many Americans this collection of colors and shapes stands for patriotism and freedom. For others it symbolizes very different meanings.

Moving forward, language is our next element. Language is a system of symbols that are used for communication. Language is perhaps the best example of the power of culture to shape human behavior. We know that if a genetically identical version of ourselves had been raised and socialized in a culture that did not speak English, English would not be the first language of that clone. Humans have the capacity to learn complex symbolic languages, but the specific language that is learned is solely determined by one’s cultural surroundings. Some sociologists go as far as to say that what language we speak determines how we think! This is an idea known as the sapir-whorf hypothesis. The evidence is still unclear but the idea that someone who speaks spanish thinks differently than someone who speaks english is intriguing to say the least

Next we have values. Values are broad standards in a society of what is good and desirable. In the United States for example, values include hard work, achievement, and progress. These are things that both individuals and society as a whole should pursue regardless of their position in the world according to American culture. 

While values are broad, abstract ideas about what is good and desirable, beliefs are ideas about what is true and factual. Often our beliefs are a reflection of our values. As an example, many Americans value equality of opportunity. Therefore it follows that many americans believe women and men should be treated equally in the workplace and receive equal pay for equal work.

Lastly, we have norms. Norms are standards and expectations of proper behavior. We all follow our culture’s norms everyday whether we recognize them or not. One of the best ways to notice this is when your life circumstances change such as when you change schools, get a new job, or move to a new location. If you pay attention you will notice your behavior begin to shift to match that of your new surroundings. For example, throughout my 20’s I rarely if ever tucked in my shirt because no one around me ever tucked in their shirt. In other words, it wasn’t normative. But now that I am in my 30’s and I teach for a living, you had better believe I tuck in my shirt much more often. While many norms are relatively non-important such as whether or not you tuck in your shirt, many norms are much more important. Norms that carry moral significance are known as “mores.” As an example, the widely held view that child abuse is wrong would fall under the category of mores. Whether behavior is unimportant or exceptionally important, we all pay attention to how others behavior and often conform to the normative standard when choosing our own behaviors.

A useful way to really get a grip on how culture impacts us is to examine how culture both constrains and yet also enables human behavior. Let’s examine the constraining part first. Once we understand that virtually everything we do and believe is in part influenced by our cultural surroundings, we can recognize that in many ways this constrains our possibilities because we are not surrounded by an infinite set of cultural ideas and practices, only a relative few. To go back to an example we used in the research methods lecture, we know today that the earth is not the center of our universe. However, if you had been born 2000 years ago chances are that you would very much believe that the earth was at the center. You would believe that because that idea would be prevalent in the culture and people around you. Remember, we don’t have a say in what culture we will be brought up in. But because we know that culture impacts who we are, we are heavily shaped by it regardless of our lack of choice in the matter. Therefore, we can understand that culture in many ways constrains our possibilities.

But the story isn’t all bad however as culture also enables or makes possible many things that otherwise wouldn’t be. I’m you you’ve heard the phrase “you don’t have to recreate the wheel”, or some variation of it. Well, that very much rings true when it comes the benefits of culture. Imagine if you had to rediscover and teach yourself all of the information you have learned in school? Could you teach yourself geometry from scratch? I doubt it.  Is all of the information, ideas, and techniques you are learning about nursing something you could have learned on your own without help from anyone else? No chance! Imagine trying to become a nurse in today’s world without textbooks, without computers, without other nurses to pass on information, and without resources such as NURSING.COM. It would be impossible to become a nurse today without those cultural components. In this sense, culture enables us to do many things we otherwise couldn’t do. Be glad that you don’t have to recreate the wheel; it already exists for you to use to your own benefit.

Culture can be defined as learned behavior patterns and material objects that are typical of any given society. Remember, sociologists typically differentiate between material culture such as buildings or clothing from nonmaterial culture which involves ideas and attitudes. Elements of culture include 1) symbols, which are simply things that stand for something else, 2) language, which is a system of symbols used for communication, 3) values, or broad standards of value in society, 4) beliefs, which are ideas about what is factual or true, and lastly 5) norms, which are standard expectations of behavior. Each of these elements and culture in general both constrains but also enables human behavior. Culture constrains us as we have little control over our cultural surroundings yet culture enables us as we don’t have to reinvent and rediscover cultural components that have already come to be.