What is Culture

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What is Culture?
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Culture

• Culture is all the features of a peoples way of
  life.
• so anything that defines a group is a part or
  aspect of their culture
• Holidays, government type, diet, religion,
  language, sports, appearance, and jobs would all
  be parts of a peoples culture
• Key thing about culture is that it is
  LEARNED

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Society

• Society is a group of people that interact in
  order to do the many things needed for survival
• Society and culture not exactly the same thing
• Society is the people, culture is what they do
• Cant have a culture without a society they
  take on common characteristics over time
• A society can have multiple cultures in it

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Ethnic Groups

• An ethnic group is a human population that shares
  a common culture or ancestry.
• Societies can contain many ethnic groups
• Ex South African society contains hundreds of
  ethnic groups such as the San

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Anthropology

• Anthropology is the study of human cultures
• The most famous anthropologist being Louis Leakey

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Key Components of Culture

• Norms
• Folkways
• Mores
• Values

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Norms

• Norms are social rules and guidelines that define
  what is appropriate behavior
• AKA what is considered normal
• Two more specific types of norms

Mores
Folkways
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Folkways

• Folkways are a long established practice by a
  group of people
• AKA customs
• If you dont do it, you may be looked at funny or
  people may get mad
• A folkway can be to not do something

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Mores

• Mores are norms with moral significance that are
  central to the functioning of society and whose
  violation can result in serious punishment.
• Ex stealing is wrong
• Mores usually laws
• Laws are different in different places because
  the cultural mores are different

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Ways to describe a culture

• Patriarchal situation where father or eldest
  male is head of the household
• Matriarchal situation where mother or eldest
  female is head of the household
• Polygamy Having more than one spouse

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Family Structure

• Extended family Having many generations or
  levels of family living together.
• Nuclear Family Husband, wife and children only
  live together. Husband, wife and children only
  live together.

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Subculture

• A subculture is a group with a distinct set of
  behaviors or beliefs that differentiate them from
  the larger culture of which they are a part.

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