Cultural Change

On the 2nd week of our class, we designed posters on types of cultural change and discussed how it effects our society.

WEEK 2 CULTURE CHANGE

WEEK 2

 CULTURE CHANGE

OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the ideas of what , when and why the culture change.

      2.  Discuss how language, culture and society are inter-related.
      3.  Identify and describe the process of change in culture- diffusion, assimilation, acculturation, culture loss and maintainance. 
      4.  Analysis issues related to the language, culture and society.

WHAT ACTUALLY CHANGES WHEN CULTURE CHANGE?

By the 1940’s, anthropologists began to realize that ideas, tools and other artifacts generally are not invented or change in isolation. They are the product of particular cultural settings. Cultures are organic wholes consisting of interdependent components. Invention often occur in response to cultural change.

Likewise, invention can affect all cultural institutions. Beginning in the 1950’s for instance, televisions in American homes affected how and when members of families interacted with each other. Less time was available for direct conversation. The size of houses in more affluent areas of the US are now usually 2-3 times larger than they were in the 1950’s.As a consequence, family members often have their own rooms and become more isolated.

By the early 1960’s, it was evident to some anthropologists that cultures do not exist in isolation. When culture change, they can have major impacts on environment. Similarly, when environment changes, there are likely to be impacts on culture. For example, global warming at the end of the last ice age, 10 000 years ago, very likely was a major contributing factor leading to the invention of agriculture.

PROCESS OF CHANGE

Three general sources of influence or preassure that are responsible for both change and resistance to it:       1.Forces at work within society
 2.Contact between societies
 3.Changes in the natural environment.

DIFFUSION, ACCULTURATION AND TRANSCULTURATION
1.  Diffusion: the movement of things and ideas from one culture to another
2.  Acculturation: What happens to an entire culture when alien traits diffuse in on a large scale and substantially replace traditional cultural patterns.
3. Transculturation: What happens to an individual when he/she moves to another society and adopts the culture.

CAUSES OF CULTURAL CHANGE
 Invention- creating new cultural elements
Discovery- involves recognizing and understanding more fully something in existence.

What makes one culture different from one another

Group 4 from IpthoTeslJune2013

Can more than one culture exist harmoniously together?

Group 5 from IpthoTeslJune2013

Elements of Culture

Elements of culture from IpthoTeslJune2013

Etymology - Origin of Words

Etymology from IpthoTeslJune2013

WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

WEEK 1

INTRODUCTION TO LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

OBJECTIVES:
1.  Explain the concepts and definitions of culture, society and socialization.
2.   Elaborate on the components of culture: symbols, values, language, norms and objects and the origin of words.
3.  Analyse issues related to language, culture and society.
 4.   Select, organise and present relevant information pertaining to issues on language, culture and society.

WHAT IS CULTURE?

Culture  is the ways of thinking, the ways of acting and the material objects that together form a people’s way of life.

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

1       -SYMBOLS
       - Anything that carries a particular meaning recognize by people who share a culture.

2      - LANGUAGE
       - The key to the world of culture.
       - A system of symbols that allows people to communicate with each other.

                 - VALUES AND BELIEFS
       -  Culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desireable, good, beautiful and that                  serve as broad guidelines for social living.

4        -  NORMS
       - Rules and expectations by which a society guides the behaviour of its member.