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WALT: Outline different

theories of Culture.
WILFs:
E Description of the Key Terms of Culture.
C Explanation of the Key Terms.
A Outline and evaluate the different theories
of Culture.
Your Task
In your groups You must firstly work
together to provide definitions for Slides 3
14.
Now divide into pairs One pair will research
Marxist theories of the role of culture the
other pair will research Functionalist theories.
Now as a group Work on the Postmodern
theory of culture.

What is it?
Explain what it says about Culture?
Evaluate it as a theory What do other
sociologists argue?
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second half of the lesson.
What is it?

Society
What is it?

Culture
What is it?

Identity
Differentiation
What is it?
What is it?

Stratification
Deviance What is it?
Primary Socialization
What is it?

How?

Examples
Secondary Socialization
What is it?

How?

Examples
High Culture
The theory that

How?
Mass Culture
The theory that

How?
Folk Culture
The theory that

How?
Global Culture
The theory that

How has it happened?

Do you agree?

Do sociologists?
Sociobiology
Postmodernist Theory on the
role of culture
Post-modernist view is that we are mere machines
and act dress and consume what the media
determines is right for this society.
Overwhelmed by music, TV and media that we are
unable to think for ourselves.
Marxist Theory on the role of
culture
What is:
Bourgeoisie
Capitalism
Industrialized
Conflict theory
Marxist Theory on the role of
culture
Culture in society reflects ruling-class ideology. It
expresses the distorted view of the world put forward by
the dominant class and is important in maintaining the
system of social inequality that exist in capitalist society.

According to Marx, people are not aware that they are


being dominated (False consciousness) meaning that
people hold beliefs that they think promote their best
interest when in fact they are damaging.

Example Hate groups blame certain


people for a societys problems, they
shift attention away from the ruling class.

Look at the Frankfurt School Theory


Functionalist Theory on the role
of culture
Culture of society reflects the shared values of that
society. (Value Consensus) Society needs a shared
culture to run effectively, and various agencies play
their part in socializing members of society.
Functionalism interprets each part of society in terms
of how it contributes to the stability of the whole
society.
Society is more than the sum of its parts; rather, each
part of society is functional for the stability of the
whole society.
The different parts are primarily the institutions of
society, each of which is organized to fill different
needs and each of which has particular consequences
for the form and shape of society. The parts all depend
on each other.
Functionalist Theory on the role
of culture
Strengths:
It focuses on the needs of society and the fact that
stability is essential for a societys continued success.

Weaknesses.
Overemphasizes harmony and cooperation.
Does NOT acknowledge all the societal factors that
contribute to conflict.
Which theory is better?
And Why?
Or are they all good?

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