6.3 Elements of Culture
Up to this point, you may have noticed that culture has a lot of different meanings attached to it. In this section, we are going to explore some of the various aspects of culture sociologists focus on. We will begin with language and symbols, and then discuss values and norms. We will then turn to how we each have a cultural toolkit that helps guide us as we move through society. Finally, we will focus on subcultures and how meaning-making can occur at a group level while still challenging mainstream culture.
Signs, Symbols, and Meaning
Sociologists often distinguish between symbolic culture and material culture. The focus on meaning-making and symbols aligns with the perspective of most symbolic interactionists. Symbolic culture includes ways of thinking, beliefs, values, and assumptions. It also includes ways of behaving, such as norms, habits, and communication. Symbolic culture often does not have a material existence. Symbolic culture allows us to communicate via signs, gestures, and language.
Signs are the building blocks of symbolic culture. Signs are symbols that convey an idea. For example, traffic signals and price tags are both signs that convey information. Numbers and letters are the most common signs, and their meaning is usually taken for granted. Gestures, or body language, are the signs that people make with their bodies. They include things like facial expressions and how much personal space people give each other during an interaction.
Language is a system of communication using vocal sounds, gestures, and written symbols. Language is probably the most significant component of a culture because it allows us to communicate with other people in interaction. Furthermore, language allows culture to be transmitted from one generation to the next.
Even as it constantly evolves, language shapes our perception of reality and our behavior. In the 1920s, linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf advanced this idea, which became known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, or linguistic relativity. It is based on the idea that people experience their world through their language and therefore understand their world through the cultural meanings embedded in their language. The hypothesis suggests that language shapes thought and thus behavior (Swoyer 2003).
Words have attached meanings beyond their definitions that can influence thought and behavior. For example, in the United States, where the number 13 is associated with bad luck, many high-rise buildings do not have a 13th floor. In Japan, however, the number four is considered unlucky, since it is pronounced similarly to the Japanese word for “death.” Overall, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis emphasizes how language filters our understanding of the social world.
Let us now turn to material culture. Material culture includes, art, and artifacts, tools and utensils, machines and weapons, clothing and furniture, and so on (figure 6.3). It is anything physical or tangible that p