PERIOD 3 – CULTURE �(GLOBAL LEVEL)��THEORY LECTURE

TODAY

• Lecture on culture: the theoretical highlights.

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* REMINDER: use the general theory and case-sources on the GP-website!

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* Making notes is highly recommended!

CULTURE

• At the end of this lesson, you will be able to answer the following questions…
• What is a ‘pluralistic society’?

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• What is ‘culture’? How does it influence our behavior?

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• How do people become �part of social groups?

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• How do we look at the �people around us?

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CULTURE

• What is a ‘pluralistic society’?
• Pluralism, dominant culture, subcultures, countercultures.

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• What is ‘culture’? And how does it influence our behaviour?
• Nature versus nurture.

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• How do people become part of a social group?
• The socialization process.

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• How do we look at the people around us?
• The role of prejudices and stereotypes.

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CULTURE

• What is the meaning of the word ‘pluralistic’, within the concept of ‘pluralistic society’?

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uniform pluriform

CULTURE

• In a pluralistic society people with �various religions, backgrounds and �lifestyles live together, with a �considerable level of mutual �tolerance.

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• For a better understanding of social�diversity and interaction among people, you need to know more about the concept of ‘culture’…

CULTURE

• What exactly is ‘culture’?

All the values, norms and other acquired characteristics that the members of a group or society share and consider natural.

Managing

At a party

Standing in line

Eating

Contacts and connections

Punctuality

Expressing opinions

Noise in a restaurant

Dealing with problems

Meals per day

Travelling

Cultural perception

CULTURE

• Why culture is important in explaining human behaviour.

Nature: “behaviour is determed by biological or inherited factors.”

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Why could this kind of determined thinking be dangerous for society?

Nurture: “Behaviour is determed by your social environment; it has to do with social interaction.”

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Why is this kind of thinking more hopeful?

CULTURE

• Our pluralistic society consists of various kinds of cultural groups…
• The dominant �culture, but also �many subcultures �and a few �countercultures!

Subculture

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Subculture

Subculture

Dominant culture

Counter-culture

CULTURE

• Dominant culture: all values, norms and habits that the majority of the people have in common.
• Values:

Norms:

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• Other habits…

CULTURE

• Subcultures: when some values, norms or other habits of a group differ from the dominant �culture.

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CULTURE

• Countercultures: groups that actively rebel against (certain aspects of) the dominant culture, or even threaten it.

CULTURE

• How do people become part of social groups?
• Socialization: the�process by which �someone, consciously�or subconsciously, is�taught the norms,�values and other�cultural features of�his group.

CULTURE

• Socializing institutions: institutions and organizations within which and through which the transfer�of culture takes place.

Make assignment 1 on your handout.

CULTURE

• Group identification: the in-group and out-group.
• ‘Us versus them’: the in-group is familiar to you, looks and acts like you do. The out-group is ‘different’ and often viewed negatively.

CULTURE

• Group identification always involves having certain prejudices and stereotypes about out-groups:
• Stereotype: a fixed image of a group of people, by which you apply the same characteristics to all the members of a group.

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• Prejudices: preconveived and hastily formed-opinions about someone or something without knowing all the facts.

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CULTURE

• Here is another example of the effects of our prejudices and stereotypes…
• The bike theft experiment.

CULTURE

• Final check:
• What is a ‘pluralistic society’?

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• What is ‘culture’? How does it influence our behavior?

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• How do people become part of �social groups?

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• What are prejudices and �stereotypes?

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