Class, in this second class discussion, we are studying the concept of culture, which is a very important part of the discipline of sociology.
Culture is broken down by sociologists into two broad components – material culture and non-material culture. Material culture represents the important “objects” of the culture, those used often and those highly valued. For example, in our nation, we highly value technology, which has many different forms – it is a significant part of our material culture. In contrast, non-material culture is made up of the values, beliefs, traditions, and social norms of a national culture. For example, in this discussion we are discussing values, those beliefs, like symbols, that represent our nation and what it stands for. Values are a significant part of our non-material culture. They can change over time with changes within a nation. |