Culture

= Day 1: Culture = - Discuss reading on culture and time
 * Do Now:** How can understanding cultural implications of time make you more sociological mindful? Think of a specific example to illustrate your point.

Culture determines how people act in a society. But where does culture come from? And can culture be changed? Do you have to follow cultural norms?
 * New Unit Intro:**
 * Questions to answer this unit:**
 * 1. How is culture a social construction (Social Construction of Reality)**
 * 2. How is your world view affected by culture?**
 * 3. How can you use cultural relativism (part of Sociological Mindfulness!) to examine other cultures?**

Rules: Each table shares the following rules:
 * Activity 1: Card Game**
 * Players are dealt 5 cards each
 * Whoever wins the most tricks will move clockwise to the next table
 * Whoever loses the most tricks will move counter clockwise to the next table
 * Everyone else stays at the same table
 * Ties are resolved by paper rock scissors
 * Each round will be about 5 minutes long (longer if time allows) and each round will consist any number of games that the time allows.
 * After the initial round, players will not be allowed to see the rules or speak to each other. Gestures and pictures are allowed, but players are not allowed to use words.
 * The game “winner” will be the person who has won the most tricks in total.
 * Players can keep track of scores with popsicle sticks (one stick per trick won).
 * The dealer can be anyone at the table, the person who plays first will be to the right of the dealer.
 * The first player for each trick may play ANY suit. All other players must follow suit (play a card of the same suit). For each round, each player plays one card.
 * If a player does not have that suit, a card of any suit must be played. The trick is won by the person with the HIGHEST card of the ORIGINAL suit


 * Debriefing**


 * Follow Up Questions:**
 * If you could describe the game in one word, what would it be?
 * What did you expect at the beginning of the game?
 * When did you realize that something was wrong?
 * How did you deal with it?
 * How did not being able to speak contribute to what you were feeling?
 * How does this activity connect to culture and ethnocentrism? Cultural relativism?

What makes up a culture? Where does the culture of gangs come from? Brainstorm list
 * Activity 2: Review Culture of Gangs**

How can Sociological Mindfulness help people in society to fix the problem of gangs/drug dealer prevalence in society?

Freakonomics of Gangs/Drug Dealers media type="custom" key="25923432"

As you watch, answer the following: 1. How does the particular aspect of the culture of gangs in America influence the school experience/the lives of gang members? 2. How does the overall gang culture influence American society? (this is a harder question to answer) 3. Additionally, take note of what especially resonated with you? What surprised you? 4. What is the overall message about gangs in America?

Discussion: How can you relate what you've learned in this ted talk to Sociological Mindfulness?

1. Give an example of a time in your life where you experienced a culture with different norms than your own. 2. Explain the difference between folkaways, mores and laws. 3. What is the difference between material and nonmaterial culture. Give an example of each.
 * Homework:** Review sections 3 and 4 of chapter 3 in your book (pp81-94) and answer the following questions:

= Day 2 = Now think about the first question you saw after the game last class: One of you said "hate" was the first word that came to mind. What do you think that might indicate about how people feel when they are in a culture that is unfamiliar to them? Now, individually answering the following: What word would YOU use to describe your experience with the game? What do you think that might indicate about another way people might experience culture shock?
 * Blogpost Option!**
 * If you could describe the game in one word, what would it be?


 * Discuss**


 * Do Now Part 2:** What is culture shock? Why does it exist? Give an example from your life.

1. Give an example of a time in your life where you experienced a culture with different norms than your own. 2. Explain the difference between folkaways, mores and laws. 3. What is the difference between material and nonmaterial culture. Give an example of each.
 * Discuss HW Questions**

1. How did the Lost Boys experience culture shock? How does the culture of Sudan differ from the culture of the US? (Be sure to discuss: specific norms,nonmaterial culture/material culture, mores, folkaways and/or laws) 2. What sanctions do the lost boys face in the US and how do they impact the lost boys' behavior? Give 2 specific examples.
 * Activity 1:** Watch the Lost Boys of Sudan (full movie or clips below) and answer the following:

media type="youtube" key="6-R5YNZxj2E" width="560" height="315"media type="youtube" key="3Qct_fDjiQE" width="560" height="315"

Fishbowl Metaphor [|(Sociology Sal)] One metaphor for culture that we use is a fishbowl. All of the stuff in the fishbowl is material culture. But what you can't see (the water) is just as important (if not more so): the ph value of the water, the temperature, whether it is salty or not, etc... This is called nonmaterial culture. Additionally, the fish has never known life out of water just like we have been surrounded by culture from the moment we are born. And lastly, the fish must look through the water to see the world just as we always look through our culture to understand the world. We are limited and shaped by our cultural experiences. If the water in the bowl is blue then the whole world looks blue to the fish.
 * Some help to understand culture:**

[|Icelandic Perspective]
 * Homework:** Read about two different perspectives on [|this incident]

Answer the following: //Could sociology have helped all of the participants to be more understanding of each other? Have you ever been to a foreign culture and experienced culture shock? //

Also, read your textbook chapter 3, section 5 and answer the following: 1. Why and How does culture change? 2. What are subcultures and counter cultures? Explain the difference between the 2.

= Day 3: = 1. What American cultural norm plays a role in the reaction to the Danish mother in the reading? 2. In America, would the mother and fathers' behavior be considered a folkaway, more, or taboo? (could be more than one) Explain your response to this. 3. How do the Danish view the situation differently? What does this say about their culture?
 * Do Now: Quiz**


 * Activity 1:** **[|AES as a subculture?]**


 * Activity 2: Do Nothing Experiment**

We will discuss the following when you return:

1. How did you feel when you were doing nothing?

2. How did others react to you

3. How did your behavior go against the "culture" of AES?

4. What IS culture and where does it come from?

5. How is the culture of your home country different from that of India? (If you are from India, how is Indian culture different/similar to the culture of AES?)


 * Activity 3:**
 * Explore culture posts from [|this site]**


 * OR**


 * Finish Lost Boys**

AND do Blogpost #3: Reminder of what we have discussed: Background (Edited from the work of Chris Salituro) We react to different cultures with culture shock and ethnocentrism. Sociologists seek cultural relativity when understanding other cultures. There are different components of culture: Material culture, and non-material culture: gestures, language, norms (folkways, mores, taboos), and finally values. Finally, within cultures there are subcultures.
 * Homework:** Read Kohl's American Values reading and Bemused in America
 * Choose to write about one of the Essential Questions from this unit:**
 * 1. How is culture a social construction (Social Construction of Reality)**
 * 2. How is your world view affected by culture?**
 * 3. How can you use cultural relativism (part of Sociological Mindfulness!) to examine other cultures?**

= Day 4: = Read 2 blogposts by your classmates and comment on their ideas.
 * Do Now:**


 * Activity 1:** Discuss homework readings about American Values/If you didn't read them, go through them now

=[|Culture Assessment]=
 * Activity 2:**

Another idea: media type="youtube" key="oHv6vTKD6lg" width="560" height="315"
 * Activity 3: What does our culture teach us about how to become happy?**

How should we change our values/norms if we REALLY want to be happy?


 * Activity 4: Read //Thrive//** and prepare to discuss next class


 * HW: Finish** //Thrive//

= Day 5 = =**Wrap-up**= and watch soul pancake clip to discuss happiness in culture.
 * Activity 1: Discuss** //**Thrive**//


 * Activity 2:**Whole class discussion on unit

**Death ** Are Americans afraid of death? Is death a taboo topic? Why do you think this is the case? How might our feelings about death be related to our materialism? I also think that our feelings about death are rooted in our culture's individualism. See [|this post about the way our culture associates individualism with grieving one's death] . That is why I think most students would say the movie was a sad movie (at least parts of it) even though those same students would admit that Morrie doesn't want them to be sad. Morrie himself explains,"Don't be so sad because I'm going to die Mitch...Death ends a life but not a relationship..." And Morrie explains, I'll still love you and you'll always love me.
 * Activity 3:** Introduce Tuesdays With Morrie with a discussion on death (fun, I know)

media type="youtube" key="E463tZdAGn4" width="420" height="315"
 * Movie! Tuesdays With Morrie: YOUR HOMEWORK IS TO DO A BLOGPOST RESPONSE TO THE MOVIE! SEE GUIDELINES AND TIPS BELOW:**

After you watch, you will write your response to the movie as another post to the community.

Here is a summary of the movie, how it relates to class and what you can choose to write about as taken from [|Chris Solituro's class blog:]

The movie reflects on both American norms and taboos and on American values. The following prompts each relate the movie to American culture. Here are some links that might help you think about the movie: [|Here is a list of quotes from the book] . And here is a [|link to a story about priorities] . Here are some prompts to help you apply the movie to sociology and write about it. Remember to apply it to a unique example from your own life:


 * Death (see above) **

What are some ways that Mitch values hard work, achievement, success? Is this true for you or your parents? Does this start in high school or even sooner? What ways? Is it possible to obtain a different type of success? Think about [|(click here for more info) the Nothing assignment]  and how we connect what we do to who we are as people. Our culture constructs a reality where we are not allowed to just be. We must be doing at all times; it is valuing personal achievement, time, work, competition, materialism and success. Note that happiness is never a apart of the equation. The hegemonic assumption is that happiness simply comes with those values. See this post about happiness <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;"> and it's relationship to money. Contrast these values with t <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px; text-decoration: none;">he values that Michael Buettner writes about in his book Thrive <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">. What are the lessons you learned from Thrive? How would you like to live your life differently after reading this? What would be a message you would like to share with the rest of your classmates who don't have the privilege of being in our class? This value cluster also reminds me of <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px; text-decoration: none;">[|this joke about an American businessman and a Mexican fisherman] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">Work **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">Close your eyes. Think of someone influential in your life. Now write down who thought about and why you thought about that person. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">When you are finished, call them and read it to them! Why not? Check out <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px; text-decoration: none;">this video from Upworthy <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;"> on how this creates happiness:
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">Dependency **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">In what ways are Americans afraid of being dependent on others? Do you think that this is related to our value of independence and freedom? In what ways do you depend on other people? Does this bother you? Both the prompt above about love and this prompt about dependency remind me of the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #6699cc; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px; text-decoration: none;">[|TED talk by Brene Brown. She speaks about vulnerability and our cuture] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 14.545454025268555px;">. We want to numb our feelings of vulnerability, but in doing so we also numb our feelings of connection to others and our sense of worthiness which allows us to feel love and happiness.