Culture studies - 2022. Class 1

Class outline
Class overview
Attendance and grading policy
Course topics
Presentation requirements
Definition and elements of culture
Culture video

Class overview

Class Assessment
Weekly quizzes
Quiz 1 – lecture
Quiz 2 – presentation and home assignment
Presentations (2 per semester)
Class presentation
PPT to be submitted by weeks 7 & 14
Midterm test (week 7)
Final test (week 15)
Examination test

Presentation requirements

Topics to be covered in class
Groups 1& 12 - Culture of ancient Egypt, Overview of the world religions
Groups 2 & 11 - Culture of ancient China, History of coins
Groups 3 & 10 - Culture of ancient Japan, Ancient stone carving
Groups 4 & 9 - Culture of ancient India, Early writing
Groups 5 & 8 – Culture of ancient Greece, Culture of the Americas
Groups 6 & 7 – Culture of ancient Rome & Culture of ancient Maya

What is culture?
Write your own definition of culture

What is culture?
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
Culture is a shared model of behavior and interaction learned by socialization.

What is culture?
Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
Culture embraces all the manifestations of social habits of a community, the reactions of the individual as affected by the habits of the group in which he lives, and the product of human activities as determined by these habits.

What is culture?
Culture is what makes you a stranger when you're away from home. ~ Philip Bock
Culture is the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another. ~ Geert Hofstede

Main elements of culture culture
Social Organization
Customs and Traditions
Language
Arts and Literature
Religion
Forms of Government
Economic Systems

Social Organization
Society creates social structure by organizing its members into small units to meet basic needs
Family Patterns:
Nuclear family
Extended family
Social classes: grouping people in order of status, depending on what is important to the culture (money, job, education, ancestry, etc.)

Customs and Traditions
Rules of Behavior
Enforced ideas of right and wrong
Often these ideas are part of the culture’s written laws

Language
Language is a cornerstone of culture
All cultures have a spoken language (even if there are no developed forms of writing)
People who speak the same language often share the same culture
Many societies include a large number of people who speak different languages
Each language can have several different dialects

Arts and Literature
Products of the human imagination
Help us pass on the culture’s basic beliefs
Examples: fairy tales, folk tales

Religion
Answers basic questions about the meaning of life
Supports values that groups of people feel are important
Religion is often a source of conflict between cultures
Monotheism: Worship one God
Polytheism: Worship more than one God

Forms of Government
Reasons for forming governments: provide for the common needs, keep order within society, and protect the society from outside threats
Definition of government: 1. Person/people who hold power in a society; 2. Society’s laws and political institutions
Democracy: people have supreme power, government acts by and with consent
Republic: people choose leaders who represent them
Dictatorship: ruler/group holds power by force; usually relying on military support for power

Economic Systems
Patterns of using limited resources to satisfy wants and needs
Traditional Economy: people produce most of what they need to survive (hunting, gathering, farming, herding cattle, make own clothes/tools)
Market Economy: buying and selling goods and services
Command Economy: Government controls what/how goods are produced and what they cost. Individuals have little economic power
Mixed Economy: Individuals make some economic decisions and the government makes others