Classroom Activities for the Sociology of Culture

The sociology of culture is an inherently interesting subject that will engage students.

The sociology of culture usually refers to the study of the relationship between human behavior and cultural norms. It is an inherently fascinating topic and one that usually engages students, particularly at the high school level, because it encourages them to look at everyday phenomena in new ways. Teaching it is even easier and more productive if you make use of interactive and educational classroom activities.

Roles, Values and Norms Activity

Start by teaching the differences between roles (positions we take in society, such as parent or student), values (our social responsibilities) and norms (informal rules that govern our behavior). Break the students into groups and ask each group to consider the school or the classroom as its own mini-society. Each group should discuss and come up with the roles, values and norms that exist in the classroom. Provide focus questions for the students to use in the discussion. Do all students play the same role? Where do we learn values that we bring to the classroom? Is following norms always a good thing or are there instances when it is wrong? Have each group present their findings to the class.

Aspects of American Culture

Choose a number of cultural aspects and write them on the board. These can include politics, religion, work, family or anything else. Take each item one at a time and ask students to come up with behaviors and beliefs that they think are typical of American culture. For example, for "work" they might say that American culture values hard work and upward mobility, but also leisure time. Ask the students to consider whether this has always been the case in American culture, or if it has changed over time. Why do they think Americans hold these values? Are there historical reasons or situations that might have contributed to it?

Identifying Constructed Values and Norms

This exercise helps students see that seemingly normal social conventions and rituals are a product of our particular culture, and not universally true across all cultures. Research norms in other cultures that are different from American culture. Ask students to bring in examples of norms from other cultures, especially if you have a multi-ethnic group of students. In some cultures, for instance, it is considered rude to show the bottoms of your feet or shake hands with your left hand. As a group or individually, have students identify aspects of American culture that other people might find equally puzzling. Why, for instance, is it considered impolite to put your elbows on the table? Why are some words considered inappropriate for the classroom?

Role Map

This activity helps students see all the different roles they play in society. Have each student make a list of all of his roles. These might include such things as "student," "child," "brother," "employee," "cousin" or "partner." Ask students to think about which of these roles are permanent ("brother," for example, which lasts almost a lifetime) or semi-permanent ("student," for example, as it lasts for years but eventually changes) and which ones are more temporary ("paperboy," for instance, as it is unlikely to last more than a little while). Ask them to write a paragraph about which of these roles they most closely identify with. Are permanent roles more likely to give them a sense of self? Why do they think this is? How might their lives be different if a temporary role were suddenly to change (for instance, if they quit their job)? How might their lives be different if a more permanent role were to change (for instance, if they became parents)? Ideally, students will come to see that even the most seemingly permanent aspects of social identity do not last forever, and that, as a consequence, our identities are constantly shifting in society.

References

• Online Classroom: Sociology Short Cuts 2

Resources

• Del Mar College: Culture