Question
| So I spoke with the professor and got the assignment which is: “Durkin and Carrothers (2015) defines culture as “the traditions of a people.” After reading Chapter 3 in the text, summarize some of the ways that the role of culture can shape our expectations about how people are supposed to behave. Moreover, discuss how culture is involved in the consequences when a person does not behave as one is supposed to. Be sure to use the following terms in your explanation: values, norms, material culture, status, groups, and roles. Your initial post should be at least 280 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7. |
Answer
Sociology Assignment
Different people across the world practice different cultures. Durkin and Carrothers (2015) and Vissing (2011) describe culture as the tradition of a people. Culture therefore entails a people’s way of life such as mode of dress, food, religious practices, dances and folklore, initiation rites and even values and norms. Culture plays a crucial role in shaping one’s expectations of how people are supposed to behave in many ways as summarized in this paper. Similarly, culture is also involved in the consequences that arise when an individual fails to behave as expected.
Culture can shape our expectations about how people are supposed to behave. Cultural values that postulate beliefs about what regards to be correct and good shape our expectations about how we expect people to live. American societies also value hard work, human rights and democracy which could explain why they engage in many activities that promote human rights and democracy across the world. Similarly, people who ascribe to certain social groups in a given society are bound to behave according to certain expected standards. With advances in technology, acquisition of certain electronic devices is increasingly becoming a social expectation.
Cultural norms specifying what one should do or not do also shape our expectations of how we expect others to behave. For instance, many societies across the world prohibit incestuous relationships and people who engage in them are frowned at or even receive harsh penalties. As such, we tend to expect people not to engage in incestuous affairs. Socially defined roles often based on gender also shape our expectations about people. Women for instance are expected to nurture their young ones while the men provide and protect for their families. A woman who neglects her offspring tends to be harshly judged. A person’s status in society also shapes our expectations of how they should behave. The Indian caste system, for instance, expected people to respect the hierarchy structures embedded in their cultures.
Culture is often involved in the consequences that arise when people fail to behave as supposed to. In Islamic states for instance, individuals who failed to behave as expected have been stoned to death citing their cultural beliefs (Kepel, 2002). Similarly, African cultures believe that curses tend to befall people who fail to behave as they are supposed to do.
References
Durkin, K. &Carrother, R. (2005). Sociology: Beyond Common sense. London: Routledge.
Kepel, G. (2002). Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam. London: I.B. Tauris
Vissing, Y. (2011). Making Connections: Introduction to Sociology. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
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