DOCSLIB.ORG

Organizational Culture, Subcultures, and Organizational Commitment Taysir M

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Organizational Culture, Subcultures, and Organizational Commitment Taysir M Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1996 Organizational culture, subcultures, and organizational commitment Taysir M. Khatib Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Khatib, Taysir M., "Organizational culture, subcultures, and organizational commitment " (1996). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 11540. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/11540 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly fix)m the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. EBgher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infoimation Company 300 North Zed) Road, Ann Aibor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Organizational culture, subcultures, and organizational commitment by Taysir M. Khatib A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Education (Adult and Extension Education) Major Professor; John P. Wilson Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1996 Copyright © Taysir M.Khatib, 1996. All rights reserved. UMI Number: 9712568 UMI Microform 9712S68 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 II Graduate College Iowa State University This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation of Taysir M. Khatib has met the dissertation requirements of Iowa State University Signature was redacted for privacy. Committee Member Signature was redacted for privacy. Committee Member Signature was redacted for privacy. CommitfeeA^ember Signature was redacted for privacy. Coftinrf^tee Member Signature was redacted for privacy. Major Professor Signature was redacted for privacy. For the N^or Program Signature was redacted for privacy. ill TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES v ABSTRACT viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 Background 1 Statement of the Problem 2 Purpose of the Study 3 Research Questions 3 Significance of the Study 4 Assumptions of the Study 5 Limitations of the Study 5 Operational Definitions 5 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 7 Culture 7 Organizational Culture 8 Values 13 Norms 16 Types of Culture 17 Subcultures 19 Strong Cultures 22 Culture and Change 25 Organizational Commitment 27 Stages of commitment 31 Summary 31 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 34 Research Design 34 Sample Selection 35 Survey Instrument 35 Demographic information 35 Norms of behavior 35 Shared values 37 Organizational commitment 39 Data Collection 40 Data Analysis 41 CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH RESULTS AND FINDINGS 43 General Characteristics of the Sample 43 Demographic characteristics 43 iv Research Questions and Findings 45 CHAPTER 5. SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 86 Summary of the Study 86 Behavioral norms 87 Shared values 87 Organizational commitment 88 Correlations 89 Discussion of the Findings 90 Conclusions and discussion related to behavioral norms 91 Conclusions and discussion related to shared values 93 Conclusions and discussion related to organizational commitment 95 Conclusions and discussion related to some demographic differences 96 Implications 96 Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research 99 APPENDIX A SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND COVER LETTER 101 APPENDIX B. MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, AND PERCENTAGES RELATED TO ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT 114 APPENDIX C. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE RELATED TO ORGANIZATIONAL TENURE 140 APPENDIX D. ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE RELATED TO EDUCATIONAL LEVEL 144 BIBLIOGRAPHY 148 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 155 V LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Statistical tests conducted for the research questions of the study 42 Table 2. Demographic characteristics of the three custodial groups 44 Table 3. Analysis of variance for "Task Support" behavioral norms among the three custodial groups 49 Table 4. Analysis of variance for "Task Innovation" behavioral norms among the three custodial groups 49 Table 5. Analysis of variance for "Social Relationship" behavioral norms among the three custodial groups 50 Table 6. Analysis of variance for "Personal Freedom" behavioral norms among the three custodial groups 50 Table 7. Analysis of variance for "Organizational Climate" among the three custodial groups 54 Table 8. Analysis of variance for "Organization of Work" subfactor among the three custodial groups 54 Table 9. Analysis of variance for "Job Design" among the three custodial groups 55 Table 10. Analysis of variance for "Job Reward" subfactor among the three custodial groups 56 Table 11. Analysis of variance for "Supervisory Leadership" among the three custodial groups 56 Table 12. Analysis of variance for 'Teer Leadership" among the three custodial groups 57 Table 13. Analysis of variance for "Intent to Stay" among the three custodial groups 59 Table 14. Analysis of variance for "Motive to Perform" among the three custodial groups 60 Table 15. Analysis of variance for "Value Agreement with the Organization" among the three custodial groups 61 vi Table 16. Pearson correlation coeflScients for the relationships between behavioral norms and organizational commitment for all custodial groups 62 Table 17. T-test analysis of difference in "Task Support" between females and males 69 Table 18. T-test analysis of difference in "Task Innovation" between females and males 69 Table 19. T-test analysis of difference in "Social Relationship" between females and males 70 Table 20. T-test analysis of difference in "Personal Freedom" between females and males 70 Table 21. T-test analysis of difference in "Organizational Clunate" between females and males 71 Table 22. T-test analysis of difference in "Influence and Control" between females and males 72 Table 23. T-test analysis of difference in "Job Design" between females and males 72 Table 24. T-test analysis of difference in "Job Challenge" between females and males 73 Table 25. T-test analysis of difference in "Job Reward" between females and males 73 Table 26. T-test analysis of difference in "Supervisory Leadership" between females and males 74 Table 27. T-test analysis of difference in 'Teer Leadership" between females and males 74 Table 28. T-test analysis of difference in "Intent to Stay" between females and males 75 Table 29. T-test analysis of difference in "Motive to Perform" between females and males 75 Table 30. T-test analysis of difference in "Value Agreement with the Organization" between females and males 76 Table 31. Analysis of variance for "Task Support" among age groups 77 Table 32. Analysis of variance for "Task Innovation" among age groups 77 Table 33. Analysis of variance for "Social Relationship" among age groups 77 Table 34. Analysis of variance for "Personal Freedom" among age groups 78 vii Table 35. Analysis of variance for "Organizational Climate" among age groups 78 Table 36. Analysis of variance for "Organization of Work" among age groups 79 Table 37. Analysis of variance for "Decision Making Practices" among age groups 80 Table 38. Analysis of variance for "Concern for People" among age groups 80 Table 39. Analysis of variance for "Job Design" among age groups 81 Table 40. Analysis of variance for "Job Clarity" among age groups 81 T able 41. Analysis of variance for "Supervisory Leadership" among age groups 82 Table 42. Analysis of variance for "Peer Leadership" among age groups 82 Table 43. Analysis of variance for "Value Agreement with the Organization" among age groups 83 Table 44. Analysis of variance for "Motive to Perform" among age groups 84 Table 45. Analysis of variance for "Intent to Stay" among age groups 84 viii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine whether three custodial groups in the same organization differ in their behavioral norms and shared values,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Making It in Maine: Stories of Jewish Life in Small-Town America
    Maine History Volume 49 Number 1 The Maine Melting Pot Article 2 1-1-2015 Making it in Maine: Stories of Jewish Life in Small-Town America David M. Freidenreich Colby College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mainehistoryjournal Part of the Cultural History Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, and the Social History Commons Recommended Citation Freidenreich, David M.. "Making it in Maine: Stories of Jewish Life in Small-Town America." Maine History 49, 1 (2015): 4-38. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mainehistoryjournal/vol49/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Maine History by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Winter 2015 for color_Maine History Feb 2005 4/29/15 10:22 AM Page 4 Wolf Lipsky, Bangor, ca. 1900. Wolf Lipsky came to Maine from his native Rus- sia as a teenager and made his living as a peddler. Many Jewish immigrants to Maine during this period ran similar operations before eventually opening sta- tionary storefronts. Courtesy of the Bangor Public Library. Winter 2015 for color_Maine History Feb 2005 4/29/15 10:22 AM Page 5 MAKING IT IN MAINE: STORIES OF JEWISH LIFE IN SMALL-TOWN AMERICA DAVID M. FREIDENREICH1 A fundamental part of the experience of immigrants to the United States has been the tension between incorporating into a new country while maintaining one’s cultural roots. In this article, the author describes the experience of Jewish Americans in Maine, where climate, culture, and remoteness from larger Jewish populations contributed to a unique process of Americanization compared with Jewish populations in more urban areas of the country.
    [Show full text]
  • Examining the Influence of Organizational Culture on Employees' Ethical Behavior in Public Sector Organizations Richard H
    University of Texas at Tyler Scholar Works at UT Tyler Human Resource Development Theses and Human Resource Development Dissertations Fall 11-1-2015 Examining the Influence of Organizational Culture on Employees' Ethical Behavior in Public Sector Organizations Richard H. Afedzie Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/hrd_grad Part of the Human Resources Management Commons Recommended Citation Afedzie, Richard H., "Examining the Influence of Organizational Culture on Employees' Ethical Behavior in Public Sector Organizations" (2015). Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations. Paper 8. http://hdl.handle.net/10950/301 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Human Resource Development at Scholar Works at UT Tyler. It has been accepted for inclusion in Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Works at UT Tyler. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ON EMPLOYEES’ ETHICAL BEHAVIOR IN PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS by RICHARD H. AFEDZIE A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Human Resource Development and Technology Jerry W. Gilley, Ed.D., Committee Co-Chair Judy Y. Sun, Ph.D., Committee Co-Chair College of Business and Technology The University of Texas at Tyler November 2015 © Copyright by Richard H. Afedzie 2015 All rights reserved Dedication I dedicate this work to the two special people in my life, who supported and pushed me through the long arduous days and nights, Freda and Andrew Afedzie. Your fervent belief in me and constant encouragement will forever be remembered.
    [Show full text]
  • Influencing Behavior During Planned Culture Change: a Participatory
    Antioch University AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses Dissertations & Theses 2016 Influencing Behavior During Planned Culture Change: A Participatory Action Research Case Study Michael Valentine Antioch University - PhD Program in Leadership and Change Follow this and additional works at: http://aura.antioch.edu/etds Part of the Industrial and Organizational Psychology Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, and the Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons Recommended Citation Valentine, Michael, "Influencing Behavior During Planned Culture Change: A Participatory Action Research Case Study" (2016). Dissertations & Theses. 322. http://aura.antioch.edu/etds/322 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses at AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR DURING PLANNED CULTURE CHANGE: A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH CASE STUDY MICHAEL VALENTINE A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Ph.D. in Leadership and Change Program of Antioch University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September, 2016 This is to certify that the Dissertation entitled: INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR DURING PLANNED CULTURE CHANGE: A PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH CASE STUDY prepared by Michael Valentine is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Change. Approved by: Elizabeth Holloway, Ph.D., Chair date Mitchell Kusy, Ph.D., Committee Member date Ashley Lackovich-Van Gorp, Ph.D., Committee Member date Stephen A.
    [Show full text]
  • Strong Cultures and Subcultures in Dynamic Organizations
    02-091 The Role of Subcultures in Agile Organizations Alicia Boisnier Jennifer A. Chatman1 1 The second author wrote this paper while a Marvin Bower Fellow at the Harvard Business School and is grateful for their support. We also thank Elizabeth Mannix, Rita McGrath, and an anonymous reviewer for their insightful suggestions. Copyright © 2002 by Alicia Boisnier and Jennifer A. Chatman Working papers are in draft form. This working paper is distributed for purposes of comment and discussion only. It may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Copies of working papers are available from the author. The Role of Subcultures in Agile Organizations Alicia Boisnier and Jennifer A. Chatman1 Haas School of Business University of California, Berkeley May 24, 2002 To appear in, R. Petersen and E. Mannix, Leading and managing people in dynamic organizations. Forthcoming, 2002. 1 The second author wrote this paper while a Marvin Bower Fellow at the Harvard Business School and is grateful for their support. We also thank Elizabeth Mannix, Rita McGrath, and an anonymous reviewer for their insightful suggestions. 2 Organizations face increasingly dynamic environments characterized by substantial, and often unpredictable technological, political, and economic change. How can organizations respond rapidly to such changes or become more agile? Organizational agility, according to Lee Dyer, “requires a judicious mix of stability and reconfigurability” (2001: 4). We consider an unlikely source of agility: organizational culture. This may seem like an odd juxtaposition since strong unitary cultures exert a stabilizing force on organizations by encouraging cohesion, organizational commitment, and desirable work behaviors among members (e.g., Deal & Kennedy, 1982; Nemeth & Staw, 1989; O'Reilly & Chatman, 1986).
    [Show full text]
  • 18 the Concept of Organizational Culture
    1 THE CONCEPT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: WHY BOTHER? Culture is an abstraction, yet the forces that are created in social and organizational situations deriving from culture are powerful. If we don’t understand the operation of these forces, we become victim to them. Cultural forces are powerful because they operate outside of our awareness. We need to understand them not only because of their power but also because they help to explain many of our puzzling and frustrating experiences in social and organizational life. Most importantly, understanding cultural forces enables us to understand ourselves better. What Needs to Be Explained? Most of us in our roles as students, employees, managers, researchers, or consultants work in and have to deal with groups and organizations of all kinds. Yet we continue to find it amazingly difficult to understand and justify much of what we observe and experience in our organizational life. Too much seems to be “bureaucratic,” “political,” or just plain “irrational.” People in positions of authority, especially our immediate bosses, often frustrate us or act incomprehensibly, and those we consider the “leaders” of our organizations often disappoint us. When we get into arguments or negotiations with others, we often cannot understand how our opponents could take such “ridiculous” positions. When we observe other organizations, we often find it incomprehensible that “smart people could do such dumb things.” We recognize cultural differences at the ethnic or national level but find them puzzling at the group, organizational, or occupational level. Gladwell (2008) in his popular book Outliers provides some vivid examples of how both ethnic and organizational cultures explain such anomalies as airline crashes and the success of some law firms.
    [Show full text]
  • Marshall High School Mr. Cline Sociology Unit Four AB * What Is Culture?
    CULTURE Marshall High School Mr. Cline Sociology Unit Four AB * What is Culture? • Integration and Diversity • Imagine that this is the early twentieth century and you are a teacher in a school in New York. Whom would you see around you? Some Irish kids, some Italians, maybe some Armenians, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, African Americans? How do you reach all of these different languages and cultures to facilitate learning when you do not have the time to teach each one individually in their own way? • There are social forces that would state that assimilation is the way to go about this task. Assimilation is merely the process by which newcomers to America, as well as other “outsiders,” give up their culturally distinct beliefs, values and customs and take on those of the dominant culture. • The opposite viewpoint would acknowledge that there is a tendency to preserve cultural diversity, to keep one’s own personal heritage alive and to respect the rights of others to do so. This is known as multi culturalism. * What is Culture? • Integration and Diversity • The tension between assimilation and multi culturalism is evident in many schools and other public institutions throughout the United States. How much multi culturalism is good for society versus how much we want people to identify and share the common culture of America is an ongoing, and often heated argument. • One result of assimilation is cultural integration, that is the degree to which a culture is a functionally integrated system, so that all the parts fit together well. On another level, the elements of culture are functionally integrated with other facets of society, such as social structure and power relations.
    [Show full text]
  • Organizational Culture and Cultural Diversity Strategy (CDS) Is Explored
    The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/2049-8799.htm International Organizational culture and cultural skilled diversity: an explorative study of migrants international skilled migrants in Swedish firms 289 Ali Farashah Received 5 November 2020 € Revised 26 February 2021 School of Business, Society and Engineering, Malardalen University, Accepted 26 February 2021 V€asteras, Sweden, and Tomas Blomqusit Umea School of Business, Economics and Statistics, Umea University, Umea, Sweden Abstract Purpose – This paper empirically explores the types and extent of cultural diversity strategies in Sweden, a developed economy with many migrant workers. The role of organizational culture as the context and the association with diversity strategy and the selection of international skilled migrant workers are examined. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data are collected by surveying 249 Swedish large or medium- sized firms. Cluster analysis is used to explore the configuration of organizational culture, cultural diversity strategy (CDS) and selection and development criteria. Findings – The authors identify five clusters of organizations. Organizational culture is the main contextual factor that influences the CDS and human resource (HR) approaches for selecting skilled migrant workers. The profile of the clusters including organizational culture, diversity strategies, the selection criteria and firm demographics is presented. The empirical results indicate that organizational culture and demographics are associated with the choice of diversity strategy and, consequently, HR processes. Originality/value – This study’s main focus is on international skilled migrants, which is among empirically less-studied areas in global mobility literature. Furthermore, until now more attention has been directed toward studying the consequences of diversity than toward understanding the factors that influence choice of diversity strategies and practices.
    [Show full text]
  • The Culture of Support Services
    The Culture of Support Services After completing this lesson you will be able to: þ Define the terms cultural capital; dominant culture; institutional bias; macro culture; and micro culture. þ Identify key values and views related to the macro culture of the United States. þ Identify key values and views related to the culture of the human services delivery system. þ Describe some differences in definitions and responses to disability based on culture. þ Give an example of cultural bias found in the use of jargon and disability labels. þ Describe ways in which design and delivery of services, including best practices, can conflict with the culture of people receiving supports. © 2004 College of Direct Support Cultural Competence Lesson 3 page 1 of 12 Terms for Understanding the Culture of Services and Supports In the last lesson you learned a lot about the culture in which you were raised. Learning about your culture helped you understand why you have certain views and beliefs. You got to compare your own views with some views from a few other cultures. These comparative activities will help you be more aware of when there are differences between your culture and others. They will help you learn not to make assumptions about others and they will support you to become more culturally competent. Now, take a minute to write your own definitions for these words. þ Macro culture – þ Dominant culture – þ Micro culture – þ Institutional bias – þ Cultural capital – Macro and Micro culture Macro (dominant) culture is the shared cultural perspective of the largest group.
    [Show full text]
  • An Exploratory Study of Acculturation Experiences of Graduate Student Immigrants at the University of San Francisco
    The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Master's Theses Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Winter 12-14-2018 An Exploratory Study of Acculturation Experiences of Graduate Student Immigrants at the University of San Francisco CFoourllowtne thiy Ls amnda radditional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/thes cclamPar@donrt of thes.usfcaAme.edurican Studies Commons, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Cultural History Commons, East Asian Languages and Societies Commons, Ethnic Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Higher Education Commons, Indigenous Education Commons, Indigenous Studies Commons, International and Comparative Education Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Language Interpretation and Translation Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority Commons, Migration Studies Commons, Modern Languages Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Organizational Communication Commons, Other Arts and Humanities Commons, Other International and Area Studies Commons, Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons, Pacific slI ands Languages and Societies Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative,
    [Show full text]
  • Culture and Materialism : Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate
    CULTURE AND MATERIALISM: RAYMOND WILLIAMS AND THE MARXIST DEBATE by David C. Robinson B.A. (Honours1, Queen's University, 1988 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (COMMUNICATIONS) in the ,Department of Communication @ David C. Robinson 1991 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY July, 1991 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME: David Robinson DEGREE: Master of Arts (Communication) TITLE OF THESIS: Culture and Materialism: Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Dr. Linda Harasim Dr. Richard S. Gruneau Professor Senior Supervisor Dr. Alison C. M. Beale Assistant Professor Supervisor " - Dr. Jerald Zaslove Associate Professor Department of English Examiner DATE APPROVED: PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis or dissertation (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Dissertation: Culture and Materialism: Raymond Williams and the Marxist Debate Author : signature David C.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Culture and Culture Change
    2 Culture and Culture Change CHAPTER SUMMARY The second chapter introduces us to culture. What is culture exactly? For most sociologists, culture refers to the knowledge, traditions, values, practices, and beliefs held by members of an organization, community, or society. As Eric Weissman describes, culture is a social force that impacts our daily lives and the choices we make. It can be both material and immaterial and produces “webs of significance” that influence both individual identity and entire societies. One distinction that you should take away from this chapter is that of culture versus structure. Structural elements of society are comprised of the enduring patterns of social relations and social institutions, whereas cultural elements are those that carry meanings. We interpret these meanings and attach them to certain values, ideas, and beliefs. In terms of time and space, culture can cover a vast area of meaning. It can refer to one’s entire social reality, or a particular social or geographical location. Even within Canada, when one thinks of Canadian culture, a few images immediately come to mind—the maple leaf and the game of hockey, for example. Yet within this one nationally unified culture, there exists several different cultures. These can be divided up by province, ethnicity, age, and so on. In terms of time and space, the other important distinction you must remember when looking at culture is that the culture of any people or place rarely stays the same over time. Culture is a fluid object and is always changing. Culture also influences the values and norms of a society.
    [Show full text]
  • Pleistocene Climate Variation and the Origin of Human Culture
    Built for Speed: Pleistocene Climate Variation and the Origin of Human Culture Peter J. Richerson Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California Davis, California USA 95616 [email protected] Robert Boyd Department of Anthropology University of California Los Angeles, California USA 90024 [email protected] Abstract. Recently, several authors have argued that the Pleistocene climatic fluctuations are responsible for the evolution of human anatomy and cognition. This hypothesis contrasts with the common idea that human language, tools, and culture represent a revolutionary breakthrough rather than a conventional adaptation to a particular ecological niche. Neither hypothesis is satisfactory. The “Pleistocene hypothesis”, as proposed, does not explain how Pleistocene fluctuations favor the particular adaptations that characterize humans. The alternative hypothesis does not explain what has prevented many animal lineages in the remote past from evolving a similar adaptive complex of tools, language and culture. Theoretical models of the cultural evolutionary process suggest some answers to these questions. Learning, including social learning, is rather generally a useful adaptation in variable environments. The progressive brain enlargement in many mammalian lineages during the last few million years suggests that climatic deterioration has had the general effect predicted by the Pleistocene hypothesis. Increased dependence on simple social learning was a preadaptation to the evolution of a capacity for complex traditions. The evolution of a costly capacity to acquire complex traditions is inhibited because, initially, complex traditions will be rare. Having the capacity to learn things that are far too complex to invent for oneself is not useful until traditions are common, but traditions cannot become complex before the capacity to acquire them is common.
    [Show full text]