Culture

• Culture


  A 'shared way of life' with its own set of norms and values. Often expressed through knowledge, faith, music and style. For example, in the UK's culture has values of tolerance, equality and democracy
• Culture Study


  Barker and Williams: described culture as a 'shared way of life'
• Norms


  Unwritten rules on the expected behaviour within society. For example, queuing in the UK. They are culturally relative and socially constructed meaning they are made by society and differ between cultures.
• Values


  Key principles and beliefs that society sees as important. For example, in the UK these values are freedom of speech and rule of law. They are culturally relative and socially constructed
• Cultural Diversity


  This refers to the variety and differences found in societies. For example, the UK is multicultural because there are many different cultures all living together.
• Cultural Diversity Study


  Parekh: there are different categories for cultures. There are those who rebel against the authority e.g. Extinction Rebellion. Those who have distinct ways of life e.g. LGBTQ+ and travellers and those who have communal diversity e.g. Bethnal Green is home to lots of Jewish people
• Subcultures


  A 'culture within a culture' which contains its own set of norms and values. These can be religious e.g. scientology or youth e.g. goths
• Subcultures Study


  • Willis: looked at anti-school subcultures and the 'lads'
  • Bennet: looked into middle aged punks who still meet up together.
• Cultural Hybridity


  A cross or merging between two or more cultures. For example, Brasians and Blasians. Also hybridity can be seen in the 'Bend it like Beckham' movie
• Cultural Hybridity Study


  • Johal and Baines: looked into brasians and determined that they have 'dual identities' and 'code switch' according to who they are with so less formal with peers.
  • Nayak: looked into 'white wannabes', white boys who adopted the language and style of black people e.g. Ali G
  • Burdsay: looked at asian footballers and found that amongst peers they talked about drugs, girls and sports
• High Culture


  The cultural products and activities that are seen to have high status. For example, opera, ballet, polo. Often seen as the upper class culture and is socially closed.
• High Culture Study


  • Leavis: stated that the culture is socially closed
  • Mckintosh and Mooney: stated that it is difficult to access due to is exclusivity
  • Bourdieu: stated that a person would need cultural capital to enter e.g. learning Latin, French, Italian for the opera
• Popular Culture


  The activities and products which are enjoyed by the masses. For example, playing football, reading tabloid papers and reality TV.
• Popular Culture Study


  • Adorno: states that popular culture is a way to distract the masses from the exploitation that they face
  • Stinati: popular culture is created by the media through films, the news, tabloids and billboards.
• Consumer Culture


  This is linked to what goods and brands society purchases. It was created due to the increased availability of goods and services and certain brands and goods can be seen as an attempt to gain status.
• Consumer Culture Study


  Polhemus 'supermarket of style': individuals pick and choose their own identity through the clothing they purchase and music they listen to
• Global Culture


  The growing trend of cultural products and activities becoming universal. It links to brands, foods, films and other products.
• Global Culture Study


  • McLuhan 'global village: the world is closer together regarding communication and transport
  • Ritzer 'McDonaldization': the culture globally is becoming more homogenous due to business practices.
  • Hall: stated that the parts of globalised culture are cultural resistance to global culture, cultural homogenisation and cultural hybridity