What is Culture?

Material vs. Non-material Culture

• Material culture refers to the physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture. These include homes, schools, churches, mosques, offices, tools, goods and products, stores, and so forth.

• Non-material culture refers to the nonphysical ideas that people have about their culture, including beliefs, values, rules, norms, morals, language, organizations, and institutions

Symbols

Languages

Values

Norms

● representations of something that has meaning

● a system of verbal and written representations that are culturally specific and convey meaning

● collective ideals of what is right or wrong

● are the agreed upon expectations and rules by which a culture guides the behaviour of its members in any given situation

Canadian Example How it defines our culture

Symbols

Languages

Values

Norms

Cultural Identity

• is the feeling of belonging to a group

• is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture

• is both defined by the individual but also by the group of members sharing the same cultural identity

Cultural Transmission

• the means in which a culture learns and passes along information

• is not passed down biologically but is experienced by watching others around us

• Due to cultural transmission, symbols, norms, and values are usually never spoken out loud- they are seen, experienced and repeated by members of that culture

What are some examples of Canadian symbols, languages, values and norms in these videos?

I am Canadian commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pASE_TgeVg8

Stuff Canadians Say

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0EsYiNA76Q

Time Capsule Project:Students will be expected to form groups of 3-5 and create a time capsule that they believe represents Canadian culture. This capsule should include things that represent Canadian people and the significant aspects of Canadian culture as defined by the 2010s. Students should consider aspects of Canadian culture that are important enough to be remembered 50 years from now when these capsules would be opened.

The capsule should hold 10-15 items. The items can be anything- a physical object, a living thing, a place, a person or an idea. Provide either the physical object, a picture, or any visual or written representation of each of the items. Get creative!

This project will be due on Wednesday December 9. All items and the justification for including each item will be handed in to be graded.

Rick Mercer talking to Americans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZE0TuKTpo4

Cultural Variation

• the differences in social behaviors and beliefs that different cultures exhibit around the world

• Something may be considered a norm elsewhere, but differently in Canada

• Ex: Polygamy is legal and practiced Uganda, Namibia and other nations.

• Something may be considered a norm in Canadian culture and considered differently in another.

• Ex: It’s rude not to tip in Canada and the US, but in Japan and South Korea it is considered offensive as it implies a business is not supporting their workers.

Activity

There are six different aspects of culture we are studying today: marriage, home life, government, work, religion, and education.

Find 3-4 examples for each aspect of culture from different countries that are different than here in Canada.

Write down which country you are discussing, and then write 1-2 explaining how this aspect of culture in that country differs from Canada.

Ethnocentrism

• the evaluation of other cultures according to standards, values and customs of one's own culture

• It has developed a negative connotation as it creates a sense of bias in one’s view of others which can cause a sense of superiority over another culture

Cultural Relativism

• the belief that a culture’s beliefs and values should be understood and defined in terms of that specific culture and not the bias of another individual’s culture

Is Canada a multicultural

nation?

“Many people think multiculturalism just means showing respect and tolerance to other cultures

and faiths. If that were so, it should be unarguable. We should all support respect and

tolerance. But that's not simply what multiculturalism is. It holds that all minority values must have equal status to those of the

majority.”

Multiculturalism vs. Pluralism

Multiculturalism• the existence, acceptance, or promotion of multiple cultural traditions and identities within a single system

Pluralism• used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities, and their values and practices are accepted by the wider culture provided they are consistent with the laws and values of the wider society.

Is Canada a multicultural

nation?