Culture And Society: Chapter Analysis

In the first section of this chapter, it discussed the differences between culture and society. Culture is when people share different beliefs, practices, and values. Society is when people lived in a community together and share a culture. Although cultures are unique to each society, all cultures have elements that can be seen in every culture. I never thought about how cultures are so similar. People only focus on the differences in cultures, what makes the culture unique, instead of looking for similarities. The example in the book was a family unit. Every culture recognizes the family unit as a prominent element. A part of this section talked about ethnocentrism, the belief that one's country is better than other countries. Americans are often perceived as ethnocentrism. I think it's healthy to have pride in one's country, but not an excessive amount to wear one can not appreciate others countries. The best part about traveling to a new country is the ability one has to immerse themself in a new culture for a period of time. Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism.

Values are a standard set in a culture that discerns what is right in society. One the other hand, beliefs hold people to be true though the use of tenets or convictions. Values and beliefs differ from each society. All societies has values and beliefs that are unique to their society. I find it interesting that the world has so many different societies and each society has their own values and beliefs. I think it would be exciting to be a sociologist and discover new differences and similarities between different societies. This section also talked about norms. I think of norms as the unwritten rules in society that people feels obligated to follow. For example, when girls go to a formal it's the norm to wear heels. That norm has changed, sandals and canvas style shoes have become part of the new