THE DYNAMICS OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

I. Why is culture so important?

Culture is a design for living, he shared understandings that people use
to coordinate their activities. Human beings learn to be human through the
socialization process but the content of socialization varies from one society
to another and these differences reflect the content of culture. In everyday
conversation culture refers to an appreciation of the finer things in life.

II. What are the basic elements of culture?
All culture consist of six basic elements :
1. Beliefs ( shared knowledge and ideas about the nature of life )
Ex : whereas Americans think of time as marching on, the Vietnamese
conceive of time in cycles.
2. Values ( shared standarts for what is right and desirable )
Ex : The Vietnamese value family loyalty, adaptability, and propriety. In
contrast Americans value individualism, sticking to ones principles.
3. Norms ( norms translate beliefs and values into specific rules for behavior
). Norms vary in intensity from sacred taboos to everyday habits also vary
according to the actor and the situation. Sanctions are the punishments and
rewards that people use to enforce norms.
Ex : young Vietnamese female arent allowed to leave their homes without
chaperone but American females are expected to date when they reach
adolescence.
4. Symbols ( designs or objects that have acquired special cultural meaning ).
The same object may symbolize different feelings in different cultures.
Ex : both American and Vietnamese bury their dead in coffins dan both
may invest a great deal of money in these containers.
5. Language ( a key element of culture ). Whereas other animals
communicate via signs, humans by means of symbols. Language causes
people to pay attention to certain things but ignore others, but theres a
little evidence that language determines the way people think since its
only element of culture.
Ex : English provides only one term for addressing another person,
Vietnamese provides numerous terms indicating degrees of respect.
6. Technology ( sets the tone for culture, influencing not only how people
work but also how they socialize and think about the world ).
Ex : to rural Vietnamese immigrants, the United States may seem as
fantastic as Disneyland appears to be among American children.

III. What is the difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativity?
Ethnocentrismis feelings of cultural superiority peoples who has this
feelings have a high opinion of their own design for living, compared with
those of other peoples.

Cultural relativity refers to the view that behavior must be understood
in terms of its own cultural context, which is the opposite of ethnocentrism.

IV. Cultural inconsistencies and diversities
Cultures vary widely in their degree of cultural integration, the extent
to which different parts of culture fit well together and support one another.
Ideal culture consist of norms and values to which people openly and
formally adhere, real culture consist of norms and values that people may not
openly or formally admit to, but pratice nonetheless. The interplay between
ideal and real culture can result in obvious contradictions.
Subculture exist when a group of people has developed a set of
variations on cultural norms and values that set these people apart from other
members of their society. Subcultures may develop around etnic idetity,
occupation, special interests. when a group opposes a number of widely held
norms and values, it is known as a counterculture.

V. Explaining culture
In recent years, attempts to explain both of role that culture plays in
society and the relationship between individuals and culture have moved to
the forefront of sociology.
Functionalists view culture as a highly integrated system. in analyzing
cultures, they focus on the ways in which beliefs and practices function to
satisfy basic human needs and to reinforce commitment to a social system.
One group of contemporary functionalist sociologists and anthropologist,
called cultural ecologists.
Unlike functionalists, who emphasize the role of culture in promoting
social solidarity and adaptation to the environment, conflict theorists
emphasize the role of culture in the struggle for power and privilege.


VI. Cultural change
No culture is static. There are three main source of large scale cultural
change : natural environment; cultural contact ( between norms, values, and
technology are different ); and discovery and invention. culture change often
occurs in fits and starts, there is delay between a change in technology and
changes in beliefs and values. People require adjustment to change, when
changes are dramatic, adjustment can be extremely difficult. Even when
change is peaceful and welcome, adjusting to a new design for living is
problematic.

Tirza Octaviani : 04120110004
Chrissel Astrid : 04120110018
Monica Christina : 04120110011
Maria Susanti Wijaya : 04120110046
Nefri Safitri : 04120110001