Elements of culture
Culture is everything a society shares and passes on: its ideas, rules, symbols, and things.
Material and non-material culture
Material culture is the physical objects a society makes, such as phones, buildings, and clothing. Non-material culture is ideas: beliefs, values, norms, language, and knowledge. The two are linked; a smartphone is material culture, but the norms about when it is rude to use one are non-material.
Values, norms, and sanctions
Values are a culture's standards for what is good, such as individualism or family loyalty. Norms are rules for behaviour. Formal norms are written, like laws; informal norms are unwritten, like not standing too close to strangers. Mores are norms with strong moral weight; folkways are everyday customs. Sanctions, positive or negative, reward or punish behaviour.
Symbols and language
Symbols are anything that stands for something else: a gesture, a flag, a wedding ring. Language is the most important symbol system, allowing culture to be shared and passed between generations. The same gesture can mean very different things in different cultures, which is why travellers sometimes give offence without meaning to.
Flashcard
The ideas, beliefs, values, and norms of a society
Check your understanding
Not wearing pyjamas to a job interview is an example of following a: