MODULE TWO:THE COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

Module 2: The Components of culture

Symbols
Language
Values
Norms,
Art ,
sanctions etc
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LET’S REFLECT
How would you feel if the customs
and traditions you grew up with were
replaced with the culture or values of
another country?
How might you protect your culture?
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The term components of culture used
interchangeably with the elements of
culture
It is also observed as non-material culture
These components of culture shape the way
the members of society live
The following are some of the components
of culture:-
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Symbols
The human world is grounded not in objects and
action, but in symbolic meaning
A symbol is anything that carries a particular meaning
recognized by members of a society
A symbol is anything that meaningfully represents
something else (kendal,2001)
Culture could not exist without symbols because there
would be no sharing of meanings among people
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Whistles, a wall of graffiti, red cross, red crescent, zebra crossing,
traffic lights etc. are all symbolic
The human have capacity to create and manipulate symbols that
convey interest,understanding,insult etc.
 the power of symbol is also recognized when we enter an
unfamiliar culture
Symbols influence loyalty and animosity, love ,hate and even
conflicts(the Ku Klux Klan it symbolizes “white supremacy",
Hitler Sign of salutation-symbolizes brutal regime and Jews
mass Killing.
They help us to communicate ideas such as patriotism, love
because they express abstract concepts with visible objects
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Symbol affect our thoughts about gender
 The color of clothing, for example ,has different symbolic
meaning for female and males. The study done in 1985 in
USA found that 90% of the infants they observed were
dressed in colors indicating their sex-Most boys were
dressed in blue or red while girls were dressed in pink or
yellow
Symbols can transmit other types of ideas
 a siren is a symbol that denotes an emergency situation
Symbols may also affect our beliefs about race and
ethnicity
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Symbols not only bind people together but also
separate who live in various societies of the world
 How do we attach meaning to dog (animal, beloved
household pet-in developed countries, but regular
meal to millions in China) ,cows(sacred to Hindus in
India, and meal/food to many across the world)
 What about flag symbolize what?-patriotism ,unity etc
 What about coffee in sociological imagination(Broader
perspective)?-socialization,colonialism,division of
labor, capitalist economy etc.
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Symbolic meaning also vary in different societies
 The fur coat-means a prized symbol of success, but may
also exemplify the inhumane treatment of animal to those
who are protecting animals rights
 Opening a door for a woman may signify a common
courtesy(polite behavior/action) in the minds of some
men yet may symbolize male condescension and
dominance to many women
 Slim, tall women are seen as sign of beauty in a women
while to others the bigger the size the more beautiful a
woman is!!! .Similarly to color, race etc.
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Language (Verbal and Non Verbal, Body)
How would it be possible culture without language?
Culture is transmitted through language (verbal and
non verbal)
Language is ,in fact, the foundation of every culture
Language is an abstract system of word meanings and
symbols for all aspects of culture
It includes speech, writing characters , numerals ,
symbols , and gestures and expressions of nonverbal
communication
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Language is a cultural universal, but differences in the
use of language are evident around the world
 Example to say “I’ll ring up” in UK might be the same
as I’ll call you telephone in USA,Swahili word
“kuchuna” and “kuchuma” means differently in
Tanzania and Kenya
 The same applied to nonverbal gestures vary from one
culture to another-ie.thumbs up may means different
in different culture
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Systems of writing are culturally variable: societies in
the West write left to right, those in North Africa and
Western Asia write right to left, and people in eastern
Asia write from top to bottom
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The role of language/#Features
Language does more than simply describe reality
It also shape the reality of a culture
Language interpreting our world(since people can
conceptualize the world only through language
Language precedes thought
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis holds the view that
language is not a “given”.Rather,it is culturally
determined and leads to different interpretations of
reality by focusing our attention on certain phenomena
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Language may color how we see the world, different
society due cultural orientation in their languages
differ in the number of colors that are recognized
 Eg.In the Dugum Dan language of New Guinea’s West
Highlands, there are only two basic color terms-Modla
for “white” and Mili for “black”. By contrast ,there are 11
basic terms in English
 Russian and Hungarian, though have 12 color terms
 What about Tanzania?
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The feminist perspective has noted that gender related
language can reflect the traditional acceptance of men
and women in certain occupations
 Each time we use a term such as
policeman,fireman,chairman etc we are implying
(especially to young children) that these occupations
can be filled only by men/males
 Recently there is increase in recognition and
awareness through the use of such nonsexist language
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Language can also transmit stereotypes related to race
(how a certain race described in a certain language
eg.White vs. Black)
Language can also transmit stereotypes related to
gender
 The meaning of marriage in English language and the
meaning of marriage in Swahili language- “to marry” ,
“kuoa au kuolewa” etc.
 Fighting, cheating,smoking,acrobatic,magician-mostly
associated with which gender?
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Language can shape how we see, taste, smell, feel and hear
It also influences the way we think about the people,
ideas, and objects around us
Language communicates a culture’s most important
norms, values, and sanctions to people-thus why the
introduction of a new language into a society is a sensitive
issue in many parts of the world
The same applied to nonverbal communication every
aspects has its meaning depending on a certain culture or
society
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For instance when you see a colleague in tears, you
may give a quick hug. After wining a game you
probably high-five your teammates,
The use of gestures, facial expression(sadness ,
happiness, shame , distress , angry etc) and other
visual images to communicate means something
different or the same depending on the level how such
sign popularly shared
Language not only facilitates communication, but it
also ensures continuity of culture
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Language is a cultural heritage in coded form
Conflict theorists view Language is the effective
instrument of control ,power, domination, oppression and
exploitation
From the functionalist perspective, a shared language is
essential to a common culture; language is a stabilizing
force in society
Language is an important means of cultural
transmission(through language children learn about their
cultural heritage and develop a sense of personal identity
in relationship to their group
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2. Norms
Norms refers to established standards of behavior maintained by
a society
A rule that enforced by members of a community that guide
behavior
Informal guideline about what is considered normal (what is
correct or incorrect) social behavior in a particular group or social
unit
Norm as an accepted standard or a way of behaving or doing
things that most people agree with
The norm a situation or type of behavior that is expected and
considered to be typical
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Norms form the basis of collective expectations that
members of a community have from each other, and
play a key part in social control and social order by
exerting a pressure on the individual to conform. In
short, "The way we do things around here."
Example. one child for family is fast becoming the
norm in some developed countries
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Cultural Norms. Norms are the agreed‐upon
expectations and rules by which a culture guides the
behavior of its members in any given situation. Of
course, norms vary widely across cultural groups.
Norm' refers to attitudes and behaviors that are
considered normal, typical or average within that
group. All societies have cultural norms.
Norm as an accepted standard or a way of behaving or
doing things that most people agree with
Do’s and don’ts and standard of behavior
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“Wash your hands before eating”, “thou shalt not kill”,
“Respect your elders”
Expected Party costume? And what if you come
differently as what expected?
What other good examples of norms in different
cultures?
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All societies have ways of encouraging and enforcing
what they view as appropriate behavior while
discouraging and punishing what they consider to be
improper behavior
In order for a norm to become significant, it must be
widely shared and understood
In general norms are thus of the symbolic road map of
culture, guiding us through countless social situations
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Types of Norms
Sociologists distinguish in two ways
Formal norms
Informal norms
Formal norms
These generally have written down and specify strict
punishments of violators
 Law are just one example of formal norms
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Informal Norms
These are generally understood but they are not
precisely recorded
Standards of proper dress are a common example of
informal norms
Norms are also classified by their relative importance
to society
When classified in this way, they are known as mores
and folkways
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Mores
Are norms deemed highly necessary to the welfare of a
society, often because they embody the most
cherished principles of a people
Mores are strongly held norms with moral and ethical
connotations that may not be violated without serious
consequences in a particular culture
Mores are based on cultural values and considered to
be crucial for the well-being of the group, violators are
subject to severe negative sanctions
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Each society demands obedience to its mores;
violation can lead to severe penalties eg.Murder,
treason, impresonment,riducule etc
The strongest mores are referred as taboos
Taboos are mores so strong that their violation is
considered to be extremely offensive and even
unmentionable
 Example –incest taboo(prohibits sexual or marital
relations between certain categories of kin)
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Folkways
Folkways are informal norms or everyday customs that may
be violated without serious consequences within a particular
culture
Are norms governing everyday behavior
Folkways play an important role in shaping the daily
behavior of members of a culture
Society is less likely to formalize folkways than mores, and
their violation raises comparatively little concern
 eg. Ignoring washing hands before eating, Entering a
certain office without knocked
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In many societies around the world, folkways exist to
reinforce patterns of male dominance
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Example Buddhist areas of South Asia-women do not sleep in
upper berth above men, women’s attire is hung lower than that
of men(Bulle, 1987)
Acceptance of norms ,what norms to accept and what norms
not to accept?
Acceptance of norms is subject to change as the political,
economic, and social conditions of a culture are transformed
 For example ,traditionally norms in African countries called for
a women to marry, real children and remain at home,
knowingly husband could support the family without her
assistance ,However, these norms have been changing in recent
decades as a result of feminist movement.
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Also norms are violated in some instances because one
norm conflicts with another
 Example norm of minding your own business vs. norm
of assisting a victim of violence.
Laws are formal, standardized norms that have been
enacted by legislatures and are forced by formal
sanctions
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Sanctions
Sanctions are penalties and rewards for conduct
concerning a social norm
Sanctions are mechanisms of social control. As opposed to
forms of internal control, like cultural norms and values,
sociologists consider sanctions a form of external control.
Sanctions can either be positive (rewards) or negative
(punishment), and can arise from either formal or
informal control.
This refers to a penalty, or coercive measure intended to
ensure compliance to a certain behavior or act
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Conformity to a norm can lead to positive sanctions
such as a pay raise, a medal, a word of gratitude
Negative sanctions include fines, threats,
imprisonment etc.
Sanctions for violations of a certain norm, values may
vary in different society e.g.not attending to funeral etc
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Norm Sanctions
Positive Negative
formal Salary bonus Demotion
Testimonial Firing from a job
Dinner
medal Jail sentence
award expulsion
informal Smile frown
compliment Humiliation
Cheers Belittling
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Values
Cultural values these are collective conceptions of what is
considered good, desirable, and proper-or bad, undesirable, and
improper-in a particular culture.(Williams,1970)
Sociologists define values as standards by which members of a
culture define what is desirable and undesirable, good or bad,
beautiful or ugly in a given culture.
We each have our own personal set of standards which tend to
abide to most of them are the result of culture
Cultural values they indicate what people in a given culture
prefer as well as what they find important and morally right or
wrong
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Values may be specific (honoring one’s parents,
owning a home) or may be more general such as
health, love ,democracy etc
Sometime members of a society may not uniformly
share its values (debate on same sex marriages , the
family)
Values influence people’s behavior and serve as criteria
for evaluating the actions of others
There is often a direct relationship among the values,
norms and sanctions of a culture
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For example, if a culture highly values the institutions of
marriage, it may have norms and strict sanctions that
prohibit the act of adultery or make divorce difficulty
If a culture views private property as a basic value, it will
probably have stiff laws against theft and vandalism
If a culture value children, childless women are looked
down at/abused and mistreated-and men are often forced
to marry other women who can produce children. At
times women are forced to “marry” other women to
produce children they can lawfully call their own.
‘Nyumba ntobo’
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What about the acts like kutakaswa-in
Ukerewe?
What about acts like inheriting widow and
widower?
What about the society who value much
about king and queen things?-King Mswati
III-Swaziland
How do we value children? Are children
family property of society property?
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The values of culture may change, but most remain relatively stable
during any one person’s lifetime.
Also values is socially shared
Values tend to give order, exposure , venues and promotion
Value must be discussed , celebrated, molded , rewarded and
embedded
Values are implicitly or explicitly desirable to an individual or a group
and influence selection from available modes means or ends of actions
Values affect reward systems, communication, leadership ,and
selection
Values may contradict each other eg.Morality and Humanitarian
vs .death penalty
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What are typical values in our society?
 Achievement
 Efficiency/practicality
 Material comfort
 Status
 Power
 Helping others vs. individualism
 Equality vs. inequality
 Morality and Humanitarians
 Freedom and Liberty
Reference:T.Schaefer ,2004 (Sociology a brief introduction 5th Edition)
Diana kendal(2001)(Sociology in our Times)
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A burning question that arises at this juncture is can one
speak of African/Tanzanian values in this era of rapid
change and globalization where the world is said to be
moving towards a single global village?
If so what are these values?
It is apparent that Africans like other societies have values,
however, these values are undergoing rapid changes and
are likely to become more and more universal
The values are in these circumstances to be largely
influenced by the demands of capitalism
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Ideal culture versus real culture
Ideal culture refers to the values and standards of
behavior that people in a society profess to hold
Real culture refers to the values and standards of
behavior that people actually follow
 Example-we may claim to be law-abiding(ideal
cultural value) but smoke marijuana (real cultural
behavior) or may regularly throw plastics bottles on
road but think of ourselves as “good citizens”
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What about untold/missing components of culture
Stories
Histories
Myths/ideologies
Jokes
Heroes
Beliefs (Beliefs are the tenets or convictions that
people hold to be true)
attitude