Sociology - Culture

Sociology

Behind the materialistic definition of culture that culture is fine art, dining in costly restaurants, having the money to satisfy ones need, and living a luxurious life, there lays an additional meaning. In a much universal term, sociologists have defined culture as the concept which includes the shared products of human alignments. What do sociologists mean by the term “products”? In sociological manifestation, products not only mean physical objects but it also means their philosophy, morals and values, and different ways of behaving. Material culture is the term used for physical objects that human beings create such as machinery, buildings, clothes, and food. Non material cultures are a group’s theoretical formations such as language, values, beliefs, regulations, and living patterns. There are components of culture such as physical objects, symbols, language, values and norms.

What are symbols? Symbols can be simple signs or words that stand for something else. A symbol has a shared meaning assigned to it. When a picture, word, gesture, sound or any physical object is recognized by the people as a specific meaning, it is used as s symbol. From one generation to the other, symbols help human beings communicate and share components of culture. An example of a picture that symbolizes something is a smiley face which symbolizes happiness or a joyful mood. An example of a word that symbolizes something is the word “hello” which simply symbolizes a greeting. A smile is a gesture that signals a friendly purpose. An example of a sound symbol is the bell ringing in a classroom which symbolizes the beginning or end or a session. A very obvious example of a physical object that symbolizes something is the cross which represents the Christian belief.

Language is basically symbols which are spoken or written into some sort of consistent system. When words are used to explain any thought and follow correct grammar rules, they are expressed through the process of language. How does language create culture? In the country of China, Chinese is the main language used by it’s people. Anyone outside of the Chinese culture who hasn’t learned the language would have much trouble expressing their thoughts using the Chinese language. It is through language that we recognize some of the cultures. In the United States, the national language is English. We use English in our books, newspapers, radio, television, road signs, any type of directions, and for many other things. If a foreigner came to the U.S. and didn’t know the language of English, they wouldn’t be considered a part of the American culture simply because they can not express themselves in the manner Americans do.

Many cultures value some animals and therefore are vegetarians and other cultures value the satisfying their hunger more. Values are a huge part of culture. They define culture in many ways. It is to communicate our values with either that we use symbols and language. Values represent a shared philosophy. People can share their thoughts on what is good or bad, right or wrong, necessary or not, wise or foolish and etc. In many Asian countries, teachers are valued as if they were Gods. Students fear and respect their teachers and must stand up to show them respect when the teacher walks in. In the U.S., freedom and individualism is valued more than the honor of a teacher. If one has to prove to the world that their teacher was wrong, they will do so without worrying about his/her honor. When a foreigner studies a culture, the values of its people help express their character and the type of material or non material culture they‘ve created. For example, the Greeks from Sparta valued war therefore their people were more physically fit and they were ahead in war machinery and military tactics. The Greeks of Athens valued intelligence therefore the Athenians had more schools and a higher literacy rate than the Spartans. Clearly, values of people of a particular culture influence the people’s character and their surroundings.

In a specific situation, how does a person know what is the normal reaction? It is through the concept of norms, another component of culture, that people learn the rules and regulations of acting a certain way in specific situations. The people of a particular culture sometimes don’t follow the rules of norms and don’t react or act a certain way. For example, if a person was driving and hit another person, the normal thing would be to stop and check if the person was alright and call the police. Some people may not follow the norms in this situation and panic and run away from the situation. In this world, there are many norms from the simplest (say excuse me after burping) to the most significant (do not murder anyone). People also have norms for only a