Class: Culture, Part 2

Class Notes

Culture can be separated into dominant culture and subcultures. Dominant culture includes the values, norms and practices of a group that is the most powerful in terms of wealth, prestige, status, influence, and so on. Dominant culture of Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s was the Nazi party-- not because it had a massive following, but because it had power.

Subcultures are smaller cultures within a culture, or a group within society that is differentiated by its distinctive values, norms, and lifestyles. Imagine a stereotypical high school movie with "jocks," "preps," "druggies," "goths," and so on.  Those smaller groups are subcultures within the school.

Watch Monster's Ball (2001) -  Look for examples of subcultures in the movie-- perhaps tied to region, ethnicity, occupation, and so on.  Document the material and symbolic culture of these groups, including its values and norms and the sanctions that occur when one violates these.

Required Reading: 

"Winning is Everything," Ruane and Cerulo (Second Thoughts, pp. 15-21)

"The Melting Pot," Fadiman (Sociology Reader, pp. 61-70)

"English-Only Triumphs, But the Costs are High," Portes (Sociology Reader, pp. 71-75)

Recommended Reading: 

"Building Order: Culture and History," Newman (Sociology, pp. 91-123)

Keywords: dominant culture, subculture, hegemony, cultural value, strategies of action, prejudice, culture against people.