Culture and the Media Ch 2

Culture is the complex system of meaning and behavior that defines the way of life for a given group or society. There's Material Culture which consists of objects, buildings, cars, art, tools, toys, anything that is tangible. There's also Nonmaterial Culture which consists of norms, laws, customs, ideas, and beliefs of a group of people, these definitions are as described in the text Sociology the Essentials, by M. Anderson and H. Taylor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYhS73EcIcE   A video on the difference between Material and Nonmaterial Culture. I chose this video because it is a great example of the two types of cultures.

I find interesting the difference between social norms described in the text. Norms are specific cultural expectations for how to behave in a given situation. The different norms are folkways, mores, and taboos. Folkways are the general standards of behavior adhered to by a group. Mores are the strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior. The strictest norms in society are taboos, those behaviors that bring the most serious sanctions.  We all know these norms but until these descriptions where given, I didn't think of them as separate. We know what's acceptable, what's ok to follow and odd if you don't, as well as if we participate in criminal activity we will be sanctioned. Social sanctions are mechanisms of social control that enforce norms.

I chose this picture because when you aren't following the norms all eyes are on you.

This is an article on breaking social norms. This article explains Ethnomethodology, the theory that breaking the norms will help you find out what the norms are in a society.

http://www.suite101.com/content/social-psychology-experiment---breaching-a197519 

Internet sites to help with definitions. I choose these links to provide more insight to social norms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_(sociology)

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Cultural-Norms.topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26853.html 

We are always being reminded of our social norms and we hear them every day. We hear it verbally, for example the radio ads about wearing your seatbelt. We read it, one example I thought of instantly was employee handbooks. We also sing it "Teacher don't you fill me up with your rules because everyone knows that smokin ain't allowed at school" the song by Smokin in the boys room by Motley Crew. Social norms are learned and an important component of Culture. Without the norms our society would be in chaos.  

Review guide
You will find the definitions to the words in this word search in the above text.