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,IGCSE Sociology 2.1 What is the relationship between the individual and society?
2.1.1 Elements of Culture: Symbols, Language, Values, Beliefs, Norms
Culture the way of life of a society
Beliefs statements that hold to be true
5 Elements of Culture
Symbols
These are anything that carries particular meaning recognised by people who share the same culture
or are part of the same culture.
Anything that meaningfully represents something else.
● someone wearing a cross necklace → christian/catholics
● someone wearing a football jersey with an English flag → fan of the England football team
Language
A system of symbols, sounds and words carrying meaning and expressing ideas, allowing people to
communicate with each other.
As long as we commonly agree on how to interpret words, a shared language and hence, a society is
possible.
Language is essential to communication and a society's culture, in forms of thinking and interactions.
Our capacity for language provides the opportunity for complex cultures
● In English, the word chair means something we sit on.
● In Spanish, the word silla also means – chair
Values
Meaning / Explanation Example
Values are standard of what is considered good or bad and ● fundamental rights
right or wrong in a specific culture - acting as guides for
● equality
what people should think and believe.
● democracy
- How people should act
- Many may have their own values but many of these are
shared with others too.
Beliefs
Beliefs are statements in which people hold to be true and are more specific than values.
● American Dream - those who work hard enough will be wealthy and successful
○ Underlying: the American value that wealth is good and important, leading people to work for
it.
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, IGCSE Sociology 2.1 What is the relationship between the individual and society?
Norms
Meaning / Explanation Example
Norms are the kinds of behavior that a society expects of its Mores:
members in particular situations. - Stealing is bad.
- Raising your hand to speak in class.
Mores Norms that are widely observed and carry more - Swearing is not polite.
of a sense of what is right or wrong, which may
carry consequences. Folkways:
- Table Manners (e.g. not talking
Folkways Norms for routines and causal social
when you are chewing food)
interactions.
- Letting people out of the MTR first
Widely accepted norms and remain over time are called before entering.
customs.
Customs:
Some norms are even given extra weight by being used as - Giving children red packets during
the foundation for rules, laws and other regulations. CNY
The laws are established formally, norms are established
informally.
Norms may differ from different cultures, country to
country and place to place, from time-to-time in history.
Overview of Concepts
Value, Beliefs and Norms are not always easy to distinguish in reality and everyday life.
Values can include things like personal space and privacy
Some modern industrial societies highly value these, making it wrong to move into a close proximity of
someone’s personal space
On the contrary, some places on the other hand value human touch and talking to other in a close
proximity
These values then help shape the norms in the society
For example, norms would then include how far away or how close you would stand next to a person
when they talk, or in public spaces such as on a bus or on trains
Norms can usually be traced back to their underlying beliefs and values that shape them in the
society you’re in.
But because we know norms and values differ from society to society, we also know that they are
social constructions shaping human behaviour and thinking.
Conclusion of the Chapter
As people in the same society share values and norms, most of the time this leads to an orderly and
predictable social life.
But, not everyone may agree and share the values of a society, and there may be consequences or
signs
of disapproval to those who break such norms.
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