Sociology

Culture and Society

Unit Overview
Unit EQ:
How are culture and society related to
human interaction?
You will need to be able to Do the
following:

Define the key components of a culture.

Explain the difference between culture and
society.
Differentiate between the types of societies and
analyze societies through this understanding.
Generate examples of cultures and societies, and
various sub-types of groups and formal

Main
Ideas
Culture consists of all the shared products of
human groups.
All cultures are made up of the same five
basics components. (technology, symbols,
language, values, and norms)
There are certain core values that the vast
majority of Americans Share
Social structure is the network of interrelated
statuses and roles that guides human
interaction.

Unit Outline

Unit EQ:
How are culture and society related to human
interaction?

Culture Lesson 1 2
3
Value Systems
Lesson 4
Exam 11
Booklet p. 22-41

Culture
EQ: 1. What are the basic components of
culture?
2. How does cultural change occur?

Vocabulary

Culture
Society
Values
Norms
Folkways
Mores
Laws

Cultural universals
Subculture
Counterculture
Ethnocentrism

Lesso

Lesson 1: Components of
Culture
Activator:
1. What is culture?
2. What are the different
components of culture?

Culture
Society and Culture NOT interchangeable
Society consists of people
Culture: consists of shared products of
human groups.
Material Culture: physical objects that a
culture creates
Nonmaterial Culture: Abstract human
Assignment:
In pairs, come up
creations.

with 5 examples of each type of

culture. Write your responses and
raise your hand when you are

Material Culture
Automobil
es
Books
Buildings
Clothing

Nonmaterial Culture
Beliefs
Family patterns
Ideas
Language
Political and economic
systems

Assignment: Describe the five components of

culture. In addition, relate the term to your own
culture through examples.
Symbols

Technology

Language

5
Component
s of
Culture

Values

Lesson 2: Components of
Culture
Activator:
1. Difference between society and
culture
2. Which four components were
discussed yesterday?

Technolo
gy

Symbols

Norms

The Five
Compone
nts of
Culture

Values

Language

Norms
Norms are shared rules of conduct that tell people
how to act in specific situations.
Groups use Norms to enforce cultural values
Norms are expectations for behavior, not actual
behavior
Some norms apply to everyone in society, others
to select groups

Assignment:
In groups, come
up with 5
examples of a
norm. Write your
responses on the

Types of Norms
Folkways
Norms that describe socially acceptable behavior but
do not have moral significance attached to them.
Failure to follow results in minor punishment or
reprimand
Some non-conformity to Folkways is permitted
because it does not endanger society.

Mores
Great moral significance is attached to them
Societies establish punishments for violating in order
to protect social well-being
Serious mores are formalized as laws

Assignment: Classify your examples

as folkways or mores

Lesson 2: Components of
Culture
Summarizer:
1. Questions Remaining

Lesson 3: Culture
Activator: Components of Culture

Cultural Variation
EQ: 1. What are the basic components of
culture?

Vocabulary

Cultural universals
Subculture
Counterculture
Ethnocentrism
Cultural relativism
Cultural diffusion
Lesso

Cultural Universals
Cultural Universals:
features evident in all
cultures
What are some features
that all cultures have?
(Try and Guess 7)

Cultural Universals
Cultural
Universal

Examples

Arts and
Leisure
Basic Needs
Beliefs

Athletic sports, dancing, decorative art,

games, music

Communicatio
n and
Education
Family
Government
and Economy

Education, language, greetings

Clothing, cooking, housing

Body adornment, folklore, funeral rites,
religious ritual

Courtship, kin groups, marriage

Calendar, division of labor, government,
law, property rights, status differentiation,
trade
Medicine, tool making

Cultural Variations:
Assignment
Read with a Purpose: Using the
material on p. 38-39 in your booklet,
answer the following question: What is
the difference between a subculture
and counter culture?
Identify and example of each. (In
addition, to what can be found in the
reading)
Share in cooperative groups

Cultural Variations:
Subculture
Subculture: Groups that share values, norms, and
behaviors that are not shared by the entire population.

Cultural Variations:
Counterculture
Counterculture: Groups that rejects the major values,
norms, and behaviors that is practiced by larger society

Response to Variation
Ethnocentrism: the tendency to view one's
own culture and group as superior to all other
cultures and groups
Cultural relativism: a belief that cultures
should be judged by their own standards

How is this political

cartoon a reflection
of ethnocentrism?

Cultural Change
Cultural diffusion: the process of
spreading cultural traits from one
society to another
Cultural leveling: the process through
which cultures become more and more
alike

How does globalization contribute to

Lesson 4:
Value System
ACTIVATOR: One of the 5 components of
culture discussed was that of values.
Values are defined as shared beliefs about
what is good or bad, right or wrong,
desirable or undesirable. Brainstorm and
record American values.

Value Systems
EQ: How have our values changed?

Vocabulary
Self-fulfillment
Narcissism

2
Lesson

American Values: A Pictorial

What values are reflected in these
images?

The American Value

System
American Values
Descriptions/Examples
Personal
Achievement
Progress and Material
Comfort
Work
Individualism
Efficiency and
Practicality
Morality and
Humanitarianism
Equality and
Democracy
Freedom

Personal Achievement
Doing Well at school and at work is
important. Gaining wealth and prestige
is a sign of success.

Progress and Material

Comfort
History is marked by ongoing progress,
and this progress improves peoples
lives.

Work
Discipline, dedication, and hard work
are signs of virtue

Individualism
Hard work, initiative, and individual
effort are the keys to personal
achievement.

Efficiency and Practicality

Every problem can be solved through
efficiency and practicality. Getting things
done well in the shortest time is very
important.

Morality and
Humanitarianism
Judgments should be based on a sense
of right and wrong. This sense of
morality also involves helping the less
fortunate.

Equality and Democracy

Everyone should have an equal chance
at success and the right to participate
freely in government.

Freedom
Personal freedoms, such as freedom of
religion, speech, and the press, are
central to the American way of life

American Values:
Assignment
Using your notes on the values of American
society and a graphic organizer like this one,
decide whether each value reflects practical
concerns, idealistic goals, or a little of both

New Values: Narcissism

Narcissism: the feeling of

extreme self-centeredness

Values: Assignment
1. In a written response, explain how
YOLO is a reflection of a value system
based in narcissism and self fulfillment.

2. When directed, discuss your

responses in assigned groups.

Study
for the
Culture and Society Exam

Lesson Activator
Any questions prior to the Culture and Society
Exam?