week 4.1 - The self Embedded in Culture

• Culture - The total way of life of a particular group of people
• Self - Our identity is our beliefs about our self and others, which is influenced by our culture.
• Language is a system of symbols that allow members of society to communicate with one another.
• Symbols - anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share culture.
• Values - culturally defined standards of desirability, goodness, and beauty that serve as broad guidelines for social living.
• Beliefs - specific statements that people hold to be true
• Norms are rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members
• Mores refer to a society’s standards of proper moral conduct. They tell us what is right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate.
• Folkways refer to a society’s customs for routine, casual interactions. Have less moral significance than mores.