Examining Society and Culture
How people from differing cultures interact
Sociologists study the way people learn about their own society’s cultures and how they discover their place within those cultures. They also examine the ways in which people from differing cultures interact and sometimes clash—and how mutual understanding and respect might be reached.
#1 What is a Society? According to sociologists, a society is a group of people with common territory, share interaction, and share a common culture.
|
|
Territory |
Interaction |
Most countries have formal boundaries and territory that the world recognizes as theirs. However, a society’s boundaries don’t have to be geopolitical borders, such as the one between the United States and Canada. |
Members of a society must come in contact with one another. If a group of people within a country has no regular contact with another group, those groups cannot be considered part of the same society.
|
Example: The Navajo Nation occupies portions of the Southwestern United States. It is the largest land area assigned primarily to a Native American jurisdiction within the United States. |
Example: The Gods Must Be Crazy is a movie about the Bushman of the Kalahari Desert whose band has no knowledge of the world beyond until the gods shared an unexpected piece of material culture. |
#2 What is culture? People of the same society that share common language, values, beliefs, behavior, and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life. Culture is a defining element of society.
Example: Some features of American culture are the English language, a democratic system of government, cuisine (such as hamburgers and corn on the cob), and a belief in individualism and freedom.
#3 HOW DO YOU BECOME PART OF A CULTURE?
Assimilation - Some practices that are common in other societies will inevitably offend or contradict the values and beliefs of the new society.
Immigrants transform what it means to be American!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html
HENGSTERMAN's OF TROY
http://apushcanvas.pbworks.com/w/page/63320107/Hengstermans%20of%20Troy
The Melting Pot Theory |
The Salad Bowl Theory |
|
|
|
|
Immigrant Cultural Ties
FORCED ASSIMILATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY
Dawes Severalty Act (1887)
Cultural absorption of American Indians in white America by forcing Native American to abandon their traditional appearance and dress like “Americans”
Carlisle Indian School (Pennsylvania)
The goal was to eliminate customs, rituals, and way of life of Native Americans Young children taught the white man’s way
IMMGRANTS TRANSFORM AMERICA
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html
First, a Muslim girl was barred from a soccer match for wearing a hijab. Then, five Muslim girls were ejected from a tae kwon do tournament for the same reason. It was 2007, at a time when Quebecers were preoccupied with how far they should go to "accommodate" the religious and cultural differences of immigrants in a secular and multicultural society.
SOURCE LINK
http://muslimwomeninsports.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html
The Culture Kite Notes (page #57)
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.