{"id":75,"date":"2016-04-28T00:01:58","date_gmt":"2016-04-28T00:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontosociology-waymaker\/?post_type=chapter&p=75"},"modified":"2016-07-02T19:41:45","modified_gmt":"2016-07-02T19:41:45","slug":"reading-theoretical-perspectives-on-culture","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sanjacinto-introsociology-1\/chapter\/reading-theoretical-perspectives-on-culture\/","title":{"raw":"Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Culture","rendered":"Reading: Theoretical Perspectives on Culture"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n\r\nMusic, fashion, technology, and values\u2014all are products of culture. But what do they mean? How do sociologists perceive and interpret culture based on these material and nonmaterial items? Let\u2019s finish our analysis of culture by reviewing them in the context of three theoretical perspectives: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

Functionalists<\/strong> view society as a system in which all parts work\u2014or function\u2014together to create society as a whole. In this way, societies need culture to exist. Cultural norms function to support the fluid operation of society, and cultural values guide people in making choices. Just as members of a society work together to fulfill a society\u2019s needs, culture exists to meet its members\u2019 basic needs.<\/p>\r\nFunctionalists also study culture in terms of values. Education is an important concept in the United States because it is valued. The culture of education\u2014including material culture such as classrooms, textbooks, libraries, dormitories\u2014supports the emphasis placed on the value of educating a society\u2019s members.\r\n<\/span><\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"310\"]\"A This statue of Superman stands in the center of Metropolis, Illinois. His pedestal reads \u201cTruth\u2014Justice\u2014The American Way.\u201d How would a functionalist interpret this statue? What does it reveal about the values of American culture? (Photo courtesy of David Wilson\/flickr)[\/caption]\r\n

Conflict theorists<\/strong> view social structure as inherently unequal, based on power differentials related to issues like class, gender, race, and age. For a conflict theorist, culture is seen as reinforcing issues of \"privilege\" for certain groups based upon race, sex, class, and so on. Women strive for equality in a male-dominated society. Senior citizens struggle to protect their rights, their health care, and their independence from a younger generation of lawmakers. Advocacy groups such as the ACLU work to protect the rights of all races and ethnicities in the United States.<\/p>\r\n

Inequalities exist within a culture\u2019s value system. Therefore, a society\u2019s cultural norms benefit some people but hurt others. Some norms, formal and informal, are practiced at the expense of others. Women were not allowed to vote in the United States until 1920. Gay and lesbian couples have been denied the right to marry in some states. Racism and bigotry are very much alive today. Although cultural diversity is supposedly valued in the United States, many people still frown upon interracial marriages. Same-sex marriages are banned in most states, and polygamy\u2014common in some cultures\u2014is unthinkable to most Americans.<\/p>\r\nAt the core of conflict theory is the effect of economic production and materialism: dependence on technology in rich nations versus a lack of technology and education in poor nations. Conflict theorists believe that a society\u2019s system of material production has an effect on the rest of culture. People who have less power also have less ability to adapt to cultural change. This view contrasts with the perspective of functionalism. In the U.S. culture of capitalism, to illustrate, we continue to strive toward the promise of the American dream, which perpetuates the belief that the wealthy deserve their privileges.\r\n

Symbolic interactionism<\/strong> is a sociological perspective that is most concerned with the face-to-face interactions between members of society. Interactionists see culture as being created and maintained by the ways people interact and in how individuals interpret each other\u2019s actions. Proponents of this theory conceptualize human interactions as a continuous process of deriving meaning from both objects in the environment and the actions of others. This is where the term symbolic comes into play. Every object and action has a symbolic meaning, and language serves as a means for people to represent and communicate their interpretations of these meanings to others. Those who believe in symbolic interactionism perceive culture as highly dynamic and fluid, as it is dependent on how meaning is interpreted and how individuals interact when conveying these meanings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\r\n

Think It Over<\/h3>\r\nConsider a current social trend that you have witnessed, perhaps situated around family, education, transportation, or finances. For example, many veterans of the Armed Forces, after completing tours of duty in the Middle East, are returning to college rather than entering jobs as veterans as previous generations did. Choose a sociological approach\u2014functionalism, conflict theory, or symbolic interactionism\u2014to describe, explain, and analyze the social issue you choose. Afterward, determine why you chose the approach you did. Does it suit your own way of thinking? Or did it offer the best method to illuminate the social issue?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

Practice<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

1. A sociologist conducts research into the ways that Hispanic American students are historically underprivileged in the U.S. education system. What theoretical approach is the sociologist using?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  1. Symbolic interactionism<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Functionalism<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Conflict theory<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    [reveal-answer q=\"689209\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"689209\"]c[\/hidden-answer]<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    <\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n

    2. The Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 grew to be an international movement. Supporters believe that the economic disparity between the highest economic class and the mid to lower economic classes is growing at an exponentially alarming rate. A sociologist who studies that movement by examining the interactions between members at Occupy camps would most likely use what theoretical approach?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

      \r\n \t
    1. Symbolic interactionism<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Functionalism<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. Conflict theory<\/li>\r\n \t
    4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
      \r\n
      [reveal-answer q=\"141922\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"141922\"]a[\/hidden-answer]<\/div>\r\n
      <\/div>\r\n
      \r\n
      3.\u00a0What theoretical perspective views society as having a system of interdependent inherently connected parts?<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n
      \r\n
      \r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. Sociobiology<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Functionalism<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. Conflict theory<\/li>\r\n \t
      4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
        \r\n
        [reveal-answer q=\"420909\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"420909\"]b[\/hidden-answer]<\/div>\r\n
        \r\n
        <\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n
        \r\n
        \r\n

        4. The \u201cAmerican Dream\u201d\u2014the notion that anybody can be successful and rich if they work hard enough\u2014is most commonly associated with which sociological theory?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

          \r\n \t
        1. Sociobiology<\/li>\r\n \t
        2. Functionalism<\/li>\r\n \t
        3. Conflict theory<\/li>\r\n \t
        4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
          \r\n
          [reveal-answer q=\"843889\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"843889\"]c[\/hidden-answer]<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"
          \n

          Music, fashion, technology, and values\u2014all are products of culture. But what do they mean? How do sociologists perceive and interpret culture based on these material and nonmaterial items? Let\u2019s finish our analysis of culture by reviewing them in the context of three theoretical perspectives: functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

          Functionalists<\/strong> view society as a system in which all parts work\u2014or function\u2014together to create society as a whole. In this way, societies need culture to exist. Cultural norms function to support the fluid operation of society, and cultural values guide people in making choices. Just as members of a society work together to fulfill a society\u2019s needs, culture exists to meet its members\u2019 basic needs.<\/p>\n

          Functionalists also study culture in terms of values. Education is an important concept in the United States because it is valued. The culture of education\u2014including material culture such as classrooms, textbooks, libraries, dormitories\u2014supports the emphasis placed on the value of educating a society\u2019s members.
          \n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

          \"A<\/p>\n

          This statue of Superman stands in the center of Metropolis, Illinois. His pedestal reads \u201cTruth\u2014Justice\u2014The American Way.\u201d How would a functionalist interpret this statue? What does it reveal about the values of American culture? (Photo courtesy of David Wilson\/flickr)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

          Conflict theorists<\/strong> view social structure as inherently unequal, based on power differentials related to issues like class, gender, race, and age. For a conflict theorist, culture is seen as reinforcing issues of “privilege” for certain groups based upon race, sex, class, and so on. Women strive for equality in a male-dominated society. Senior citizens struggle to protect their rights, their health care, and their independence from a younger generation of lawmakers. Advocacy groups such as the ACLU work to protect the rights of all races and ethnicities in the United States.<\/p>\n

          Inequalities exist within a culture\u2019s value system. Therefore, a society\u2019s cultural norms benefit some people but hurt others. Some norms, formal and informal, are practiced at the expense of others. Women were not allowed to vote in the United States until 1920. Gay and lesbian couples have been denied the right to marry in some states. Racism and bigotry are very much alive today. Although cultural diversity is supposedly valued in the United States, many people still frown upon interracial marriages. Same-sex marriages are banned in most states, and polygamy\u2014common in some cultures\u2014is unthinkable to most Americans.<\/p>\n

          At the core of conflict theory is the effect of economic production and materialism: dependence on technology in rich nations versus a lack of technology and education in poor nations. Conflict theorists believe that a society\u2019s system of material production has an effect on the rest of culture. People who have less power also have less ability to adapt to cultural change. This view contrasts with the perspective of functionalism. In the U.S. culture of capitalism, to illustrate, we continue to strive toward the promise of the American dream, which perpetuates the belief that the wealthy deserve their privileges.<\/p>\n

          Symbolic interactionism<\/strong> is a sociological perspective that is most concerned with the face-to-face interactions between members of society. Interactionists see culture as being created and maintained by the ways people interact and in how individuals interpret each other\u2019s actions. Proponents of this theory conceptualize human interactions as a continuous process of deriving meaning from both objects in the environment and the actions of others. This is where the term symbolic comes into play. Every object and action has a symbolic meaning, and language serves as a means for people to represent and communicate their interpretations of these meanings to others. Those who believe in symbolic interactionism perceive culture as highly dynamic and fluid, as it is dependent on how meaning is interpreted and how individuals interact when conveying these meanings.<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n

          Think It Over<\/h3>\n

          Consider a current social trend that you have witnessed, perhaps situated around family, education, transportation, or finances. For example, many veterans of the Armed Forces, after completing tours of duty in the Middle East, are returning to college rather than entering jobs as veterans as previous generations did. Choose a sociological approach\u2014functionalism, conflict theory, or symbolic interactionism\u2014to describe, explain, and analyze the social issue you choose. Afterward, determine why you chose the approach you did. Does it suit your own way of thinking? Or did it offer the best method to illuminate the social issue?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

          \n

          Practice<\/h3>\n
          \n
          \n
          \n

          1. A sociologist conducts research into the ways that Hispanic American students are historically underprivileged in the U.S. education system. What theoretical approach is the sociologist using?<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Symbolic interactionism<\/li>\n
          2. Functionalism<\/li>\n
          3. Conflict theory<\/li>\n
          4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
            \n
            \n
            Show Answer<\/span><\/p>\n
            c<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
            \n
            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
            \n
            \n
            \n

            2. The Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 grew to be an international movement. Supporters believe that the economic disparity between the highest economic class and the mid to lower economic classes is growing at an exponentially alarming rate. A sociologist who studies that movement by examining the interactions between members at Occupy camps would most likely use what theoretical approach?<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Symbolic interactionism<\/li>\n
            2. Functionalism<\/li>\n
            3. Conflict theory<\/li>\n
            4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
              \n
              \n
              Show Answer<\/span><\/p>\n
              a<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
              <\/div>\n
              \n
              3.\u00a0What theoretical perspective views society as having a system of interdependent inherently connected parts?<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
              \n
              \n
              \n
                \n
              1. Sociobiology<\/li>\n
              2. Functionalism<\/li>\n
              3. Conflict theory<\/li>\n
              4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
                \n
                \n
                Show Answer<\/span><\/p>\n
                b<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
                \n
                <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
                \n
                \n
                \n

                4. The \u201cAmerican Dream\u201d\u2014the notion that anybody can be successful and rich if they work hard enough\u2014is most commonly associated with which sociological theory?<\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Sociobiology<\/li>\n
                2. Functionalism<\/li>\n
                3. Conflict theory<\/li>\n
                4. Ethnocentrism<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
                  \n
                  \n
                  Show Answer<\/span><\/p>\n
                  c<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\t\t\t
                  \n\t\t\t

                  Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
                  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t
                  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
                  CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>