Culture is shaped by the norms, values, beliefs, behaviors, and objects that make up a group's way of life. It is expressed through both material objects and nonmaterial aspects like ideas and attitudes. Subcultures exist as distinct groups within a larger dominant culture that differ in their values and behaviors. Deviance from cultural norms is a relative concept that depends on time and place, and plays a role in both social change and the reinforcement of social order through systems of social control.

1. CULTURE

2. CULTURE
Humans are social creatures, people have
grouped together into communities in order
to survive. Living together, people form
common habits and behaviors—from
specific methods of childrearing to
preferred techniques for obtaining food.
CULTURE Is shaped by norms and values

3. Culture is defined as the
values, beliefs, behavior,
and material objects
that constitute a people's
way of life.
When people travel
between societies or
even within their own,
they can experience
culture shock, a personal
disorientation that can
come from encountering
an unfamiliar way of life.

4. What are the differences between these two holiday celebrations?

5. DEFINITION OF CULTURE
The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of
a particular people or society

6. HOW IS CULTURE
EXPRESSED?

7. HOW IS CULTURE
EXPRESSED?

8. Material culture refers to the objects or belongings of a group of
people. Metro passes and bus tokens are part of material culture,
as are automobiles, stores, and the physical structures where
people worship. Nonmaterial culture, in contrast, consists of the
ideas, attitudes, and beliefs of a society. Material and nonmaterial
aspects of culture are linked, and physical objects often symbolize
cultural ideas.
But all cultures also share common elements. Cultural universals
are patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies.
One example of a cultural universal is the family unit: every
human society recognizes a family structure that regulates sexual
reproduction and the care of children. Even so, how that family
unit is defined and how it functions vary

9. When considering non-material culture, sociologists
refer to several processes that a culture uses to shape its
members' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, symbols,
language, values, and norms.
Objects we associate with who we are as a person,
family, society, culture: iPods, cars, SUV’s, houses, nice
lawns! ( ha), clothes, etc.

10. VALUES AND BELIEFS
•Values are defined as the standards by which people assess
desirability, goodness, and beauty; they are broad principles
•Beliefs - specific statements that people hold to be true. Beliefs
are learned through socialization and help shape how we
perceive our surroundings and how our personality develops.

11. NORMS, FOLKWAYS, MORES,
TABOOS & LAWS
Norms are defined as
rules that guide
behavior.
Proscriptive Norms:
mandate what we should
not do
Prescriptive Norms:
stating what we should
do.
They can change over
time, as illustrated by
norms regarding sexual

12. Norms vary in their degree of
importance. Mores distinguish between
right and wrong
Folkways distinguish between right and

13. WHAT IS IDEAL CULTURE?
Values and norms are not descriptions of actual
behavior but rather reflect how we believe members
of a culture should behave.
Give an example of this…for example, smoking is
unhealthy and leads to health problems. Nobody
should smoke.

14. WHAT ARE SUBCULTURES?
Subcultures are groups within a group whose
values and behavior are distinctly differently
from the dominant culture.
Different way of looking at life, but still
compatible with the main culture
Occupations, (police, fire, corrections, medical),
Social interests, (Boy Scouts, hunters,
fraternities), Religions,(Catholics, Muslims,
Jehovah Witnesses), Politics, (gun rights, pro-
life, environmentalists. Ethnicities,(Irish, Native
American, Latino)

15. Folkways
distinguish between right and rude
Proscriptive Norms:
mandate what we should not do
Prescriptive Norms:
stating what we should do.
Ideal Culture:
The way things SHOULD be...not how they are
Deviance:
not conforming to the “norm”. Relative to time
and place.
Subcultures are
groups within a group whose values and behavior
are distinctly differently from the dominant

16. WHAT IS DEVIANCE?
Deviance: deviating from the norm
Deviance is relative to time and place because what is
considered deviant in one social context may be non-
deviant in another (e.g., fighting during a hockey
game vs. fighting in a nursing home).
Killing another human is considered wrong except
when governments permit it during warfare or self-
defense.

17. SOCIOLOGICAL REASONS
FOR DEVIANCE
Deviance Contributes to Social Change
(Durkheim)
Deviance is an important element of
social change because it offers
alternative definitions to what is right.
Sometimes the alternative becomes
acceptable and it may even become the
dominant view. (Same Sex Marriage, Civil
Rights, etc.) Today's crime may be
tomorrow's accepted behavior.

18. DEVIANCE CONTRIBUTES TO
SOCIAL ORDER
Durkheim emphasized the importance of deviance in
society as a tool for boundary maintenance.
The media, who reports on deviance and the
accompanying punishment, educates the public by
restating society's rules.

19. WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF
DEVIANCE?
It calls into question our basic beliefs and
ideas: It threatens us.
At a social level it challenges the social
order: the existing web of relationships,
values, reality and meaning
Some form of Control is necessary to help
maintain Order:
Internal/socialization.
External: a system of norms, sanctions
and enforcement

20. SOCIAL CONTROL
Rewards conformity and
punishes deviance.
Through socialization we
internalize cultural norms and
impose constraints on our own
behavior.
The "breaking" of an
internalized norm results
in guilt and shame.
You’re

21. DEVIANCE IS RELATIVE TO
PLACEAsian United States Canada United States United States
Avoiding eye
contact is
considered
polite
The O.K.
signal
expresses
approval
Thumbs up-
used for
hitch hiking,
or approving
of
something
Someone
may whistle
when happy.
Whistling
can express
approval, as
in cheering
at a public
event.
United States Japan United States Nigeria Europe
When saying
hello or
talking to
someone it
is impolite
to not look
directly at
the person.
The O.K.
signal means
that you are
asking for
money.
Using your
middle
finger is very
offensive.
Used in
place of
inappropriat
e language.
This is a
rude gesture
in Nigeria.
Whistling
may be a
sign of
disapproval
at public
events.

22. What is Deviance?
deviating from the norm
Is the process of being “deviant” mean the same thing
everywhere and in every situation?
No...it varies due to situations and places. Killing is wrong, but
in war it’s a soldier’s job. Fighting in hockey is a norm,
fighting in Shoprite…not so much
What was one reason Emile Durkheim thought deviance was
necessary in society?
It would trigger needed changes, or serve to warn others
through media.
What are some forms of control necessary to help maintain
social order?
Internal: values, beliefs, socialization – family/friends
External: rules, sanctions and enforcements
Social control rewards________________ and ____________
deviance.

23. SUBCULTURES

24. SUBCULTURES
Subculture, a concept from the academic fields of sociology and cultural
studies, is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the
parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding
principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural,
political and sexual matters. Certain subcultures are immersed in the society
more than others while keeping their specific characteristics intact, such is the
case with hippies, goths and even bikers. Subcultures differ from
countercultures.

25. The study of subcultures often consists of
the study of symbolism attached to
clothing, music and other visible
affectations by members of subcultures,
and also of the ways in which these same
symbols are interpreted by members of
the dominant culture. Dick Hebdige
writes that members of a subculture
often signal their membership through a
distinctive and symbolic use of style,
which includes fashions, mannerisms and
argot

26. SUBCULTURES

27. WHAT ARE
COUNTERCULTURES?Countercultures include groups of people whose values and
norms are in opposition to the dominant culture.
Challenge the dominant culture – often confrontational. Some
are negative:
Satanists, Skinheads, Hell’s Angels, KKK
Some are positive: Hippies contributed to civil rights,
environmental reforms while being criticized by the dominant
culture by their “deviant” appearance.

28. COUNTERCULTURES

29. CAN YOU THINK OF ANY
COUNTER CULTURES YOU’VE
COME IN CONTACT WITH?

30. WHAT IS A CULT
Studies performed by those who believe that some
religious groups do practice mind control have
identified a number of key steps in coercive
persuasion
People are put in physical or emotionally distressing
situations;
Their problems are reduced to one simple
explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized;
(mantras)
They receive what seems to be unconditional love,
“Love Bombing”, acceptance, and attention from a
charismatic leader or group;
They get a new identity based on the group;
They are subject to isolation from friends, relatives
and the mainstream culture and their access to
information is severely controlled

31. CULTURAL APPROPIATION
Cultural appropriation is a concept in sociology dealing with the adoption of
the elements of a minority culture by members of the dominant culture. It is
distinguished from equal cultural exchange due to the presence of a colonial
element and imbalance of power. Cultural appropriation is often portrayed
as harmful in contemporary cultures, and is claimed to be a violation of the
collective intellectual property rights of the originating, minority cultures,
notably indigenous cultures and those living under colonial rule. Often
unavoidable when multiple cultures come together, cultural appropriation
can include using other cultures' cultural and religious traditions, fashion,
symbols, language, and songs.