Amish Culture vs. Mainstream American Culture
1. List the 5 concepts you are using and give the sociological definition of each and then do the analysis. Please make sure all five terms are correctly defined and identified and described the social occasion. Some concepts you might use:
(A) Norms (Folkways, Mores) (B) Subcultures (C) Argot (D) Ethnocentrism (E) Cultural Relativity (F) Culture Shock (G) Values (H) Beliefs (I) Sanctions
(1) Compare the Amish with " mainstream American culture" in terms of:
(a) Norms (b) Values (c) Beliefs (d) Symbols (e) Language
(2) Now think about social construction- What is social construction? Would you have a different sense of reality if you came from this heritage compared to "mainstream American"?. In what ways?
(3) Is one more right than the other? Why or why not?
(4) How does your answer portray either ethnocentrism or cultural relativity?
Section 3:
(1) Is culture an all powerful, inevitable force which makes puppets of people? Are we prisoners of our culture? How or how not?
(2) What functions, positive and negative does a culture perform for a society?
(3) If language is so important in keeping a culture together what are the implications of having more than one language?
(4) How has technology, especially communication technology, contributed to cultural diffusion and cultural retention? Give examples.