Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TCSCOL2
TCSCOL2
TCSCOL2
Topics:
These are social structures and mechanisms of social order and cooperation that
govern the behaviour of its members.
Is a group of social positions, connected by social relations, performing a social
role?
1. Institutions are purposive. Each of them has the satisfaction of social needs as its own
goal or objective
2. They are relatively permanent in their content. The pattern roles and relations that
people enact in a particular culture become traditional and enduring. Although
institutions are subject to change, the change is relatively slow.
3. Institutions are structured. The components tend to band together, and reinforce one
another.
1. The Family- the smallest social institution with the unique function of producing and
rearing the young.
3. Religion- any set of coherent answers to the dilemmas of human existence that makes
the world meaningful. It is also a system of beliefs and practices that binds people
together through shared worship, therefore creating a social group.
Characteristics of cultures
Collective, evolves over time (thin to thick)
Results from interaction by organizational members
Reflects what members agree about
Can create social order
Helps members construct proper attitudes and behaviors
Contributes to socialization of new members
Enhances member feeling of belonging and commitment.
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Communicates the organization’s reason for being, and how it aims to serve its key
stakeholders
Often integrates a summation of the firm’s values
Mission statements tend to be longer than vision statements
Vision Statements
What is culture?
Culture is defined as the set of learned behaviours, beliefs, attitudes, values and ideals
that are characteristics of a particular society or culture.(Ember, 1999)
the learned norms, values, knowledge, artefacts, language and symbols that are
constantly communicated among people who share a common way of life. (Calhoun, et
al.1994)
The set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features of society
or a social group that encompasses lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems,
traditions and beliefs. (UNESCO, 2002).
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Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is learned. A child born in the Philippines but was brought to the United
States after birth may not develop traits characteristic of Filipinos.
3. Culture is cumulative- knowledge is stored and passed on form one generation to the
next, and new learning is added to what is existing.
4. Cultures change- all cultural knowledge does not perpetually accumulate. At the
same time that new cultural traits are added, some old ones are lost because they are no
longer useful.
5. Culture is dynamic- it is constantly changing because new ideas and new techniques
are added and old ways are modified and discarded.
6. Culture is ideational- culture is an ideal pattern of behaviour which the members are
expected to follow. Man assigns meanings to his environment and experiences by
symbolizing them.
7. Culture is diverse- the sum total of human culture consists of a great many separate
cultures, each of them different.
Types of norms:
A. Mores- they are customary behavior patterns or folkways which have taken on a
moralistic value. E.g. respect for authority, marriage and sex behaviour patterns,
religious rituals etc.
B. Laws- are formalized norms, the most formal and important norms. These are
enacted by people who are vested with government power.
C. Folkways- these are behaviour patterns which are organized and repetitive. They are
simply the way people do things, no strong feeling of right or wrong. E.g. the way we
eat, the way we dress etc. (traditional behaviour or way of life)
2. Acculturation- the process of learning some new traits from another culture.
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Manifestations of culture
Rituals and ceremonies provide structure to our daily life and to the routine of a school.
Rituals occur routinely whereas ceremonies are grander, less frequent events
(graduation).
Heroes and heroines are those people whom we look up to as reflecting the
organization’s values – people who are examples of living those values
Stories and tales are recollections of events that are told and retold and play a powerful
role in sharing examples of organizational values. Stories often contain a moral and are
inevitably engaging
Rewards and reinforcements reflect those things that are valued and therefore rewarded.
Is it creativity in the classroom or compliance with established patterns? Is it waiving a
rule so that a student may be successful or adhering to a strict interpretation of policy?
What principals can do? It can be helpful to assess your current culture
Do you routinely reward students and teachers who do things that support your
school’s mission?
How do you recognize and reward people for their work?