Mr. Crowther
Culture
Transcript of Notes
Culture: customs, institutions, and achievements of a nation, people, or group.
-reflection of who/what we are.
-everything connected with the way humans live in groups.
-passed down from generation to generation.
Culture includes how people respond to their…Physical Environment / How does climate affect people’s behaviour?
History / How has the past shaped the present?
Social Life / How do people within society interact?
Economic Life / How does occupation affect lifestyle?
Political Life / How do people within society organize themselves so they can live together in peace and security?
History: the study of past events.
-HIS/STORY
Anthropologist: a scientist who studies human cultural characteristics.
Cultural Diversity: variety and differences among cultures.
Cultural Similarity: commonality among cultures.
Physical Needs: basic need for items and conditions that sustain life.
e.g.food, water, and shelter
Emotional Needs: basic need for conditions that enrich life.
e.g.Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
This is based on the work of Abraham Maslow
Material Culture: physical objects produced and/or used by society.
e.g.money, pen, toothbrush
Society: people living together in an ordered community.
Non-Material Culture: elements of culture that are not physical.
e.g.spoken language, religious beliefs, and values
Values: ideas, beliefs, and ways of behaving that are valuable to people of a particular culture.
Tradition: customs, beliefs, opinions, and stories passed down from generation to generation.
-the older it is, the more powerful it becomes.
Traditional Culture: culture passed down from 1 generation to the next.
Rite: a ceremony part of a traditional culture.
e.g.confirmation (Christian)
bar mitzvah (Jewish)
Popular Culture: culture shared by many groups around the world.
-AKA Pop Culture.
e.g.television channels & shows
brand-name clothing
fast-food restaurants
The television channel Cable News Network (CNN) debuted in 1980, was the world’s first 24-hour TV news coverage, and is currently available in all English-speaking countries.
The Simpsons debuted on television in 1989 and is the most successful and longest running TV series of all time. This parody of culture, society, and TV paved the way for shows like South Park and Family Guy. The word “D’oh!” is now in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Under Armour athletic gear was originally designed for high-performance professional athletes but its popularity led to the clothing line expanding its market to everyday people.
McDonald’s is the most successful fast-food chain in the world; this perfectly illustrates what consistency and smart marketing can do. There are currently McDonald’s restaurants in over 100 countries.
Popular Culture Cycle
Socialization: process of learning behaviour considered suitable in your culture.
Agents of Socialization: who/what you learn socialization from.
e.g.Family (your learned behaviour begins here)
Peers (“peer pressure” to behave a certain way)
Schools (teaches knowledge, skills, attitudes, & behaviours)
Teams/Clubs (teaches teamwork, dedication, goal-setting, respect, & sportsmanship)
Mainstream Culture: the general culture of the majority of people.
Contributing Culture: cultures of groups within society distinct from, but contribute to and enrich, the mainstream.
-flowing into mainstream Canadian culture are many contributing cultures.
-humans are social creatures; they develop by interacting with each other.
-humans belong to, and interact with, members of many groups.
Family Group: family members, professionals, fellow employees, and volunteer groups.
Ethnic Group: people who share racial background.
-there are over 180 countries people can come from.
Religious Group: bring people together through a common belief of a superior being of some kind.
-there are over 122,000 religious groups in the world.
Linguistic Group: people who share a common language.
-there are over 6,000 languages in the world.
Assimilate: give up your culture and identity and live as part of another culture.
-become absorbed into the mainstream culture.
-in most countries, this is encouraged.
Multicultural: encourage contributing cultures to keep their identities while participating in the economic, political, and social life of society.
-Canada encourages this.
Stereotype: an image that represents all members of a group as being the same.
-does not recognize that members of a group are individuals.
e.g.All teenagers cause trouble.
Prejudice: a belief based on previously held opinions instead of facts or experience.
e.g.Expect any teenager I meet to cause trouble.
Discriminate: treat a particular group differently or unfairly.
e.g.“No teenagers allowed” sign in store window.
Racism: mistreat someone on the basis of race, place of origin, or ancestry.
Jackie Robinson played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and was the first black player in the MLB. It was in his contract that he wasn’t allowed to complain, even when people spat on him.
Racism affects the victim
-may accept racist views as true.
-may fail to achieve full potential.
-may use situation as an excuse to not try.
-may become isolated.
-may become aggressive or violent.
Racism affects society
-socially (tensions can result in violence).
-politically (distracts from other issues).
-economically (limits purchasing power).
Racism affects the racist
-spends life resenting other groups.
-limited ability to learn from other groups.
How to fight racism
-Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms.
-education.
-peaceful protests.
-stand up.
ECMA: East Coast Music Awards.
-awards ceremony celebrating musical talent from Atlantic Canada.
Oral Tradition: the use of storytelling to pass history, morals, and lessons learned over time from 1 generation to the next.
-historically, storytelling served 2 purposes: educate & entertain.
Folk Tale: traditional story originally told orally.
-a “tale” from the “folk.”
e.g.“Rumpelstiltskin”
“Bearskin”
Folklore: traditional beliefs and customs of a community passed on by word of mouth.
Fairy Tale: children’s story about magical and imaginary beings and lands.
Walt Disney’s Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs was released in 1937, was the first feature-length animated film, and changed the culture of “cartoons” forever.
Myth: traditional story about the early history of a people or explaining a phenomenon.
-usually involves supernatural beings or events.
Legend: traditional story popularly regarded as historical but which is not proven.
Urban Legend: story about ordinary people in urban settings in which the events are unusual but could, in theory, happen.
-plays on a common fear.
e.g.“The Vanishing Hitchhiker”
Situation Comedy: acted situations using traditional themes.
-AKA “Sit-com.”
e.g.Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Folk Art: work created by artists who received no formal training.
-usually depicts everyday life and uses a simple style.
Lucy Maud Montgomery: wrote Anne of Green Gables in 1908.
-died in 1942.
L. M. Montgomery Industry
-Anne merchandise is sold worldwide.
-the musical Anne of Green Gables has played in Charlottetown every summer since 1965.
-television series The Road to Avonlea is shown worldwide.
-all merchandise is regulated by lawyers to Montgomery’s heirs.
Anne & PEI
-Anne has become a cultural icon (symbol) for PEI and Canada.
-tourism contributes more to PEI’s economy than fishing.
Japanese love Anne
-book translated in Japanese in 1952.
-they admire Anne’s “oshin,” which means “perseverance.”
-over 25,000 Japanese tourists visit PEI every summer to see the musical and tour the Green Gables house.
-end of notes-
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