Page 13 - Flipbook: Sociology Shortcuts Issue 3

If societies are mental constructions - they The Social

have no real existence outside of the mind -
it follows that this reality is socially
constructed. To understand how this Construction
occurs, therefore, we need to explore the
concept of culture, something we've
previously referenced as both a distinctive of Reality
“way of life" and something that has to be
taught and learnt through primary and
secondary socialisation. The idea cultural objects can have different
meanings suggests two things:
We can develop this concept to understand
how culture contributes to the social 1. Cultural interaction, especially in
construction of reality by noting that Dahl contemporary societies, is both
(2000) defines culture as "a collectively sophisticated and complex.
held set of attributes, which is dynamic and
changing over time” that structures the 2. The more-sophisticated the interaction in
social world. All cultures, in this respect, any society, the more open it is to
consist of two basic components: misinterpretation.

� Material culture involves the physical Making sense of cultural interaction,
objects (“artefacts”), such as cars, 'phones therefore, involves anchoring it in ways
and books, a society produces and which that create common meanings and provide
reflect cultural knowledge, skills, interests a structure within which behaviour can be
and preoccupations. played-out in predictable ways.

� Non-material culture consists of the For a society to function it must have order
knowledge and beliefs valued by a and stability and for these to exist people’s
particular culture. This includes things like behaviour must display patterns and
religious and scientific beliefs and also the regularities; behaviour must be organised
meanings people give to material objects. and structured and while cultures may
develop differently they are all constructed
Merton (1957), for example, suggests from the same basic materials: roles, values
objects like cars, houses and clothes can and norms.
function in two ways:

their manifest function refers to the
purpose they exist to serve; clothes, for
example, function to keep you warm .

Their latent function, however, may be
hidden or obscured. Material objects can,
for example, function as status symbols -
owning something a culture feels is
desirable says something about you to
others.

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