Foundation of Society

1. Status
 The position of an individual in relation to
another or others, especially in regard to social
or professional standing.
 Ascribed
Two Types
Status
of Status
Achieved
Status
 ASCRIBED STATUS
 Status assigned at birth
 Gender
 Nationality
 Religious Affiliation
 Social Class
 ACHIEVED STATUS
 Status you acquire
 Occupation
 Education level
 Widow
 Drug addict
TAKE NOTE!
 Ascribed status can
affect achieved status
Foundation of Society

2. Role
 is the set of norms, values, behaviors, and
personality characteristics attached to a status.
OVERVIEW OF
CULTURE
It is an umbrella term which encompasses the
social behavior and norms found in human
societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts,
laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the
individuals in these groups. In the practice of
religion, analogous attributes can be identified in a
social group.
Different Aspects of Culture
1. Symbols
 are the basis of culture.
A symbol is an object, word,
or action that stands for
something else with no
natural relationship that is
culturally defined. Everything
one does throughout their
life is based and organized
through cultural symbolism.
2. Language
 A particular language
points to the culture
of a particular social
group. Learning a
language, therefore,
is not only learning
the alphabet, the
meaning,
the grammar rules
and the arrangement
of words, but it is also
learning the behavior
of the society and its
cultural customs.
3. Values
 are core beliefs and
practices from which
people operate.
Each culture possesses
its own
particular values,
traditions, and ideals.
Integrity in the
application of a
“value” over time
ensures its continuity,
and this continuity
separates a value from
simple beliefs,
opinions, and ideals.
4.
 Characteristics of Culture

1. Culture is Learned
 We learn culture from families, peers, institutions and
Media. It is not biological; we do not inherit it. Much of
learning culture is unconscious. The process of learning
culture is known enculturation.
2. Culture is dynamic
 all culture change, otherwise they would have problems
adapting changing environments.
 And because cultures are integrated, if one component of
the system changes, it is likely that entire system must
adjust.
 Most cultures interact with other different cultures, they
tend to exchange ideas and symbols.
 Concepts of Culture
Culture is continually changing. In sociological terms, it is
dynamic rather than static. New materials objects constantly are
being introduced, as are new words, expressions and ideas.

Question
If culture is so vast and complicated and are constantly changing,
how do sociologist study them?
Culture can be divided
 Sociologist examine a culture into:
by breaking it down into levels
and studying each level Culture Traits
separately from the standpoint
of complexity. Culture Complexes
Culture Patterns
Culture Clash.
 A conflict arising from the interaction of people with different
cultural values.
Ethnocentrism, Judging another Culture
The Principle of Cultural Relativism
 What is the Goal of Cultural Relativism?

 The goal of this is promote understanding of

cultural practices that are not typically part of
one’s own culture.
 Using the perspective of cultural relativism
leads to the view that no one culture is
superior than another culture when compared
to systems of morality, law, politics, etc.