What Is Culture?•Culture can be loosely defined as a

set of beliefs, traditions, and practices.

1

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8m5d0_everything-is-amazing-and-nobody-i_fun

Louis CK “Everything is amazing and nobody is happy!

Material vs. Nonmaterial Material vs. Nonmaterial CultureCulture• Material culture is everything that is a part of our constructed environment,

such as music, books, fashion, and monuments.

• Nonmaterial culture encompasses values, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms.

Which of the following are examples of Which of the following are examples of material and nonmaterial culture?material and nonmaterial culture?

3

Cultural RelativismCultural Relativism• This the idea that we should recognize differences across

cultures without passing judgment on or assigning value to those differences.

• Our sociological imagination should allow us to step back from our lives and examine situations without bias.

Where Do Stereotypes Where Do Stereotypes Come From?Come From?• Intentionally or unintentionally, subtly or overtly,

the media can create or reinforce ethnic, racial, gender, religious, and other stereotypes.

• Ethnocentrism: the belief that our culture is superior to others and the tendency to view all other cultures from the perspective of our own.

5

• The term was coined by American Yale professor, William Graham Sumner

• Sumner defined ethnocentrism as:

"[The] view of things in which "[The] view of things in which one´s group is the center of one´s group is the center of everything, and others are everything, and others are scaled and rated with reference scaled and rated with reference to it. Each group nourishes its to it. Each group nourishes its own pride and vanity, boasts own pride and vanity, boasts itself superior, exalts its own itself superior, exalts its own divinities and looks with divinities and looks with contempt on outsiders."contempt on outsiders."

Ethnocentrism is a very “Anything you can do, we can do it better” point of view concerning ethnicity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSJFBeVFtak

An individual with an ethnocentric view:An individual with an ethnocentric view:

• Identifies strongly with in-group ethnicity, Identifies strongly with in-group ethnicity, culture, etc.culture, etc.

• Feels proud, vain, superior about in-groupFeels proud, vain, superior about in-group

• Views economic, political, social events from Views economic, political, social events from the point of their in-groupthe point of their in-group

• Defines their culture elements as ‘correct’ & Defines their culture elements as ‘correct’ & ‘natural’‘natural’

• Thinks in-group norms are universalThinks in-group norms are universal

• Rejects out-group ethnicities, cultures, etc.Rejects out-group ethnicities, cultures, etc.

• Feels like other ethnicities & cultures are Feels like other ethnicities & cultures are inferiorinferior

• Xenophobia: a fear or hatred of persons of a Xenophobia: a fear or hatred of persons of a different race, or different ethnic or national different race, or different ethnic or national originorigin

• Defines other culture’s elements as Defines other culture’s elements as ‘incorrect’ & ‘unnatural’‘incorrect’ & ‘unnatural’

Cultural ScriptsCultural Scripts

• Cultural scripts are modes of behavior and understanding that are not universal or natural, but that may strongly shape beliefs or concepts held by a society.

Ethnocentrism occurs frequently here at home

Examples:

• Capitalism vs. Communism: for years, the US has fought to end communism because they believe capitalism trumps all

• Driving: Ethnocentric Americans say that driving on the left side of the road is the ‘wrong side’ & that the right side is the ‘correct side’

American Ethnocentrism

More examples:

• Accents: Ethnocentric Americans may say that another person has an accent, implying that the other person speaks different, strange, & un-American

• Legal Age of Alcohol Consumption: the US has a higher drinking age of most other countries & does not emulate other countries by lowering the legal age because they think it is the best age for a person to be able to start consuming alcohol

American Ethnocentrism

Extreme examples:

Americans are obese & uneducated

Canadians say ‘eh’

Rich people are snobby & members of country clubs

Asians are geniuses & bad drivers

English people drink tea & have bad teeth

Women are bad drivers & emotional

Men are strong & smarter than women

Ethnocentric Stereotypes

SubculturesSubcultures• A subculture is a group united by sets of

concepts, values, traits, and/or behavioral patterns that distinguish it from others within the same culture or society.

Values and NormsValues and Norms

• SocializationSocialization i is the process by which a person internalizes the values, beliefs, and norms of society and learns to function as a member of that society.

ValuesValues are our beliefs

NormsNorms are how values tell us to act

What are some American Values?

Conception of SelfConception of Self• IndividualistIndividualist::  Higher value

placed on self-reliance.  Self-promotion is more accepted. High value placed on "freedom" from externally imposed constraints.

• CollectivistCollectivist:: Higher value placed on group cooperation and individual modesty.

Achieved vs. Ascribed Achieved vs. Ascribed StatusStatus• People's status is based

mainly on their own achievements, including education obtained and level of success realized in their line of work.

• Traditionally, a person's status in the society was based importantly on inherited characteristics such as age, gender, and family.  This is changing.

15

Social RelationshipsSocial Relationships• InformalInformal, egalitarian. People

most comfortable with their social equals; importance of social rankings minimized.

• FormalFormal, hierarchical. People most comfortable in the presence of a hierarchy in which they know their position and the customs/rules for behavior in the situation.

16

Harmony vs. "Truth"Harmony vs. "Truth"• Willing to confront directly,confront directly,

criticize, discuss controversial topics, press personal opinions about what they consider "the truth.  Little concern with "face."

• Avoid direct Avoid direct confrontationconfrontation, open criticism, and controversial topics.  Concern maintaining harmony and with "face."

17

What Is Media?What Is Media?• Media are any formats or vehicles that carry,

present, or communicate information – books, posters, Web pages, clay tablets, and radio.

• Mass media refers to any form of media that reaches the mass of the people.

18

Political Economy of the Political Economy of the MediaMedia

•Media ownership in the United States is in the hands of six companies.

• Those companies affect the information and messages communicated to the public.

Do Advertisers Control the Media?

Advertising is the primary source of revenue for

newspapers, magazines, television and radio

Advertising is the primary source of revenue for

newspapers, magazines, television and radio

Advertisers may exert control over the media by biasing editorial content, limiting

coverage of certain issues, or influencing program content

Advertisers may exert control over the media by biasing editorial content, limiting

coverage of certain issues, or influencing program content

Media’s dependence on advertising for revenue makes them vulnerable to control by

advertisers

Media’s dependence on advertising for revenue makes them vulnerable to control by

advertisers

Do Advertisers Control the Media?

They must report the news fairly and accurately to retain

public confidence

They must report the news fairly and accurately to retain

public confidence

Advertisers need the media more than the media need

any one advertiser

Advertisers need the media more than the media need

any one advertiser

Media maintain separation between news and business

departments “The Wall”

Media maintain separation between news and business

departments “The Wall”

Sociological Perspectives :Sociological Perspectives :FunctionalismFunctionalism

The media gets people to go along with the ideas presented because it seems to portray the status quo or seems to portray the status quo or the natural order of thingsthe natural order of things. In doing so, it helps reinforce values and norms.Transmission of the social heritage refers to the ability of the media to communicate values, norms, and styles across time and between groups.

A television network might air a violent police drama with the aim of entertaining, but the actual function served for the audience actual function served for the audience

might be learning how to solve conflicts. might be learning how to solve conflicts. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPKMaNL6kJQ

Sociological Perspectives: Sociological Perspectives: ConflictConflict

From a Marxist viewpoint, status-symbol chocolate advertising exemplifies how “commodity fetishism” helps maintain

capitalism. Such advertising legitimizes the elite class by reinforcing the image of upper-class superiority and by

presenting the luxurious lifestyle as something to aspire to.

23

Godiva promotes the idea that consumers of their chocolates are somehow “higher class” and more “tasteful” than people who do not consume them.  As a result, their chocolates have a higher exchange value than the everyday, $1

chocolates meant for middle and lower-class consumers. Can you say “Starbucks?”

Sociological Perspectives: Sociological Perspectives: Symbolic InteractionismSymbolic Interactionism

• The values and norms change moment to moment based on our mutual day-to-day interactions with each other.

• The media uses symbols of happiness and success to attempt to affect an abstract social structure. For instance, companies no longer try to sell their products – they instead try to sell a lifestyle.

• Customers believe that if they acquire the product, their lifestyle will change.

24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiKxeXzv-wM

• Millions of people all over the country watch sitcoms like Friends and are influenced by the message they give out. The various scenarios within in Friends can be seen as a mark of the issues within a certain time period. David Pierson states, "The sitcom can be understood as a The sitcom can be understood as a historical and cultural document for observing and historical and cultural document for observing and scrutinizing dominant social manners at any scrutinizing dominant social manners at any particular time period, especially those relating to particular time period, especially those relating to gender, social class, and relationshipsgender, social class, and relationships" (Pierson 45). Friends will be remembered as a representation of the lives of average Americans and the stereotypes held within that time period.

25

Sut Jhally explains how we often ask the wrong questions about advertising when we focus on

individual effects. Instead, he argues that we need to understand advertising’s collective impact on our

culture.

• http://www.wwnorton.com/college/soc/you-may-ask-yourself2/ch/03/dvd.aspx

26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdpucXyZNCM

Social and Cultural Consequences

Does advertising encourage materialism?

Does advertising encourage materialism?

Does advertising make people buy thingsthey don’t need?

Does advertising make people buy thingsthey don’t need?

Is advertising justa reflection of society?Is advertising justa reflection of society?

Advertising and Stereotyping

Portrayal of women to reflect their changing role

in society

Portrayal of women to reflect their changing role

in society

Portrayal ofwomen assex objects

Portrayal ofwomen assex objects

Ethnic stereotyping/

representation

Ethnic stereotyping/

representation

Gender stereotyping

Gender stereotyping

Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation

Criticisms of Advertising

With Regard to Stereotyping

Criticisms of Advertising

With Regard to Stereotyping

What is your opinion of this ad?

Is this woman portrayed as a sex object?

Is this woman portrayed as a sex object?

Does this ad containcues that are sexually suggestive?

Does this ad containcues that are sexually suggestive?

Does this ad present an image of sexual submissiveness?

Does this ad present an image of sexual submissiveness?

Test Your Knowledge

Groups such as the National Organization for Women (NOW) are critical of advertising that:

A) Portrays women in traditional sexist roles

B) Contributes to violence against women

C) Is insulting to women

D) Stereotypes women

E) Does any of the above