1. Be related to a concept or subject we have discussed in this course 2. Be something that you are interested in researching in an academic fashion 3. Ask a specific question that you’ll try to answe

A clear statement of purpose: “=n this paper, = argue/examine/discuss…” be clear, be specific.

Give a brief overview of how you’re going to do this:

“Through an examination of [insert types of sources or materials you’re going to study here], = will…” You’re setting out to answer a question or construct a well -supported argument. History Give me the historical (and social) context of the thing you’re studying. No phenomena or subject emerges from a vacuum When you are supporting your position or providing empirical evidence of a claim, use the strongest possible sources . Don’t cite whatever ’s on the first page of Google, unless it also happens to be the best possible research. Discussion Here is where you talk about the data you’ve gathered from the sources you’ve chosen to investigate Identify major themes, concepts or patterns in the literature, and interpret them – tell me what they mean Why should we care about what you’ve uncovered? What are its implications?

If you could conduct more research, what would you do to obtain stronger data? Summary Here is where you revisit your original question or statement, and provide your reader with a final, informed opinion This opinion is supported by the data you’ve collected, and the research you’ve sourced Take a few lines to reflect on your own position; how might your own biases or perspectives influenced your work here?

How could you work to address them? A quick guide to Academic Sources Not all information is equal. In university, there is a pretty strict hierarchy of acceptable material At the top are peer reviewed articles from recognized academic journals As you move away from that gold standard, the material you’ll encounter is less reliable and therefore less useful.

News articles are good for reporting on events, but bad for any sort of analysis or empirical claims.

For academic work, it’s best to treat everything else as invalid. Where can I find the best materials? The Library databases at Uvic • Statistics Canada • US Department of Labour Statistics • Centres for Disease Control (Like the BCCDC or the CDC) Government websites Google Scholar (if you’re very careful) What is Culture? Definition:

Culture: a system of values , beliefs , norms , and expressive symbols (material and cultural objects that express values, norms, etc.), shared by groups of people, transmitted over time. Let’s break that definition down… Values Beliefs Norms Expressive Symbols What are some of the defining features of culture?

Culture is learned: Humans are not born knowing how to act in their respective societies; we are taught through family, media, school, etc.

Culture is shared: No one is a culture on their own. Culture is a shared experience manifested in culture -specific objects, patterns of behaviour, etc.

Culture is transmitted: Interactions between people transmit culture; interactions between different cultures transmit elements of each to the other; one generation transmits culture to the next Culture is cumulative: No culture is static. Each generation shapes and reshapes culture to suit their own needs/desires. The culture of our parents will not be the culture of our children Different levels of cultural influence on behaviour Folkways: These are informal patterns of practice or norms that we are all encouraged to follow, but don’t provoke much outcry if we don’t Mores: These are norms that carry a fair amount of social pressure and condemnation if they are not followed Taboos: Actions that are so offensive to morality, that they are absolutely forbidden – even unthinkable; almost always forbidden by law and convention Different cultures have different systems of values, norms, and mores Ethnocentrism is when we assume that our culture is: The ‘default’ culture against which all others must be judged Cultural Relativism: We examine other cultures on their own terms, recognizing they have their own systems of belief, practice, and values =t ’s important to note: We do not – and probably should not – take this to mean we shouldn’t judge other cultures at all . Some elements of culture are objectionable after all – like say, gross violations of human rights, genocide, etc.

We just need to acknowledge that different cultures operate with different logics. Questions? Subcultures & Countercultures Complexities of Culture Cultures are not monolithic There is no such thing as “Asian” culture, or “African” culture, or “European” culture. Some of these groups share certain basic similarities (shared history, related language groups, etc.), but that’s about it Many countries have multiple cultural mosaics or patterns present Quebecois in Canada; Indigenous Nations all over North America Even within these smaller groups, there are distinct subcultures and even countercultures Subcultures Definition : A subculture is a distinct group within a larger culture with different mores, values, norms or folkways Such groups are often formed around common interests, hobbies, religions, or ideologies They can be explicit – like breakdancing/B -boy – or they can be more diffuse, like rural subcultures For the most part, subcultures are not interested in opposing dominant culture; they just want to follow their own practices Counterculture Countercultures, like subcultures, are organized around shared values, beliefs, or ideologies Countercultures are opposed to dominant cultural patterns and seek to radically alter them Countercultures range from violent extremist movements to youth countercultures Youth cultures are both countercultural and the most significant source of cultural change Why? Because they are a response to the social forces that pressure young people to act in “socially approved” ways A culture you didn’t help to build is a culture you don’t have much ownership in =f a generation’s parents look like the top picture, perhaps its only natural that their children choose to be different.

Rebellion is normal; not rebelling would be weird. 21 Questions? How does culture change? Cultures change over time Cultural systems are dynamic. As people interact in new ways, their interpretations of cultural symbols change too.

These systems are also open to new influences as people from outside the culture bring their own systems of practice, which can influence mainstream cultures to change So, how does culture change?

Discovery Technological Innovation Diffusion/Radiation Environmental Change Cultural Change:

Discovery The discovery of new, previously unknown phenomena, places, or concepts can have dramatic impacts on culture E.g. “Discovering” new continents; discovering universal laws like gravity or heliocentrism; discovering a way to make clean, limitless energy (like, say, fusion power) Cultural Change:

Technological Invention & Innovation Invention: Creating something new – something that had not existed before. E.g. The airplane Innovation: Adapting an existing technology for a purpose other than the one it was originally invented for. E.g. The Internet (originally developed as the ARPANET, a military information sharing system) Cultural Change: Diffusion/Radiation Diffusion : the transmission of values or cultural practices from one group to another Trade War Colonization Cultural Change: Environmental Change or crisis Culture is socially constructed, but it reacts to the environment around it Cultures change in response to environmental pressures; the greater the pressure, the more dramatic the change Consider how rapid – and drastic – societies have changed in response to the COVID -19 pandemic: Mass economic changes (rent & wage payments; freezing fees and interest rates; mass closure of businesses) Dramatic social changes: Social distancing; self -isolation; work - from -home; virtual classrooms Environmental changes: cities seeing less pollution Questions? Socialization The Basics What is “socialization” Definition: Socialization is the process by which individuals come to learn about culture – its values, beliefs, and expectations.

But: Is socialization a result of biologically determined characteristics (“Nature”), or the result of life -long social processes acting on us (“Nurture”)?

I will argue that the answer to this question is: Yes.

Socialization and the business of becoming human is a complicated and messy interaction of biology and social forces. Agents of Socialization Agents of Socialization Definition: Organizations, institutions, groups or individuals who together help shape others, over their life -course , into functioning members of society There several such agents of socialization in any given society: Families Peer -groups Schools/Education systems Media (everything from film to social media) Agents of Socialization:

Families Often the first group to begin the process of socializing tiny humans Begins even before birth Gender reveal parties Painting the nursery Gender -specific blankets, toys, clothing (like any of it matters, like at all) Until children are old enough to go to school, the family often remains the single most important element in socialization Until adolescence (and even beyond), the beliefs of the family will often be the beliefs of the child Agents of Socialization:

Peers A child’s friends are incredibly important in shaping social attitudes about nearly everything.

This is at least part of the reason why parents are often so curious about their children’s friends – and why they might want to influence those relationships Peer groups can determine: Social status – especially in hierarchical environments like high -school Attitudes about gender, sex, race, religion, or morality more generally Social capital and access to social capital Sub -cultural or counter -cultural affiliations Agents of Socialization:

Education Systems In most societies in the Global North, children are enrolled in some form of education from ages 5 or 6, until around 16 to 18.

Education systems are designed to impart information that a society deems valuable (reading, writing, math, basic science, etc.) As a result, education also tells us what sorts of things we ought to think are valuable The hidden curriculum teaches students how to act, who to defer to, and other social mores. Agents of Socialization: Mass Media & Social Media Media products reflect our cultural values; media reproduces culture, rather than challenges it Media offers distorted or exaggerated accounts of our selves and our beliefs User -generated social media allows individuals to effectively control how others view them New status hierarchies emerge in online spaces which require specific cultural knowledge to navigate (i.e. memes, and the dankness thereof) Social media “influencers” What, precisely, are they “influencing” us to do?

Are there any patterns to the sorts of things influencers promote? Class interests?

Gendered interests?

Social/cultural ideals? What role does consumerism play in influencer accounts/posts?

So who’s really doing the influencing? 39 Resocialization: Total Institutions Some social institutions are designed to completely re -socialize individuals People in such institutions are isolated from society & constantly supervised There are two phases to this process: Mortification of the self Resocialization Total institutions are fairly rare in most societies Questions? Socialization over the life course The “Life course” is what we call the pattern of socialization across a person’s life Birth Cohorts/generations Groupings of people into groups corresponding to specific spans of time. Phases of the life Course Birth -childhood: 0 -8 years Adolescence: 9 -18 years (Though some argue this stage is growing much longer) Adulthood: 19 – 50 years or so Old Age: 51 -70 years “Old” Old Age: 71+ Life Course: Childhood 0 - 10 years Early life is filled with learning the basics of social life: morality (right and wrong), manners, and basic communication This is where we begin the process of gendering children along culturally accepted lines Milestones of socialization:

Potty -training; Baby’s first words Learning to read/write Going to school for the first time Other cultural rituals include baptism/first communion, first “sleep -overs”, etc. 44 Life Course:

Adolescence & adulthood Socialization continues, but with new elements added that are “age appropriate” Gender Intensification:

Preparation for entering the labour force & post -secondary Milestones: Learning to drive; first job; graduation; college; finishing college; beginning & raising a family 45 Life Course: Old Age & “Old” Old Age In 1900 Canada, average life expectancy was around 50 years old By 2000 it was almost 80 years By 2050 it’ll be about 81 years for men & 86 years for women “Retirement” was set at 65 in the early 1950s, when average life expectancy was about 66 years in Canada As people lived longer, healthier lives, the retirement age became controversial Life Course: Death and Dying Death is a social process as much as a biological one When a person dies, their social networks remain, and people come together to grieve Societies ritualize death, and we can learn some of what a society values by examining their beliefs about death and dying Culture and socialization:

Questions to reflect on… Do you follow any influencers? What makes their feeds interesting?

How does your social media feed influence your own desires?

If you could build an ideal culture, what would it look like?

Now consider the following: imagine that when you “turned on” your culture, you’d find yourself transported into it, but until you arrived, you’d have no idea about your social position. You could arrive as a different gender, sexual orientation, social class, race, religion, or with a physical or mental disability. Would you change anything about your culture? =t’s going to be awkward. Hust letting you know… Next Week: Sexualities