AN INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE
Watching Mean Girls is like taking a microscope and viewing the workings of society. As you watch the film be aware of the sociological terms from the vocabulary list below. After watching the movie, you are to write a response paper of at least 400 words to answer the questions below, using the vocabulary terms and the concepts we have gone over in the last week. The paper must be typed, double spaced, and maximum 12 font. If you wish to add any ideas or concepts we went over, feel free.
Mean Girls is based on a sociological book titled Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Boyfriends, and Other Realities Of Adolescence by Rosalind Wiseman. This film is not only entertaining but is an excellent tool to take a look at our first unit on Culture. Again, please use some words from your vocabulary and examples from the film to explain concepts you cover.
Culture Vocabulary
Culture- values beliefs, behavior, and material objects that constitute a people’s way of life
Subculture- segments of a culture that share characteristics that distinguish it from the broader culture
Counterculture- a subculture with values and norms in opposition to the dominant culture
Ethnocentrism- the tendency to evaluate one’s own culture as superior to others
Multiculturalism- the concept that different cultural groups exist side by side within the same culture and the belief that the heritage of each should be understood and respected.
Norms- rules of conduct that guide people’s behavior in specific situations
Sanction- a penalty for norm violation as well as approval or disapproval for norm adherence
More (more-ays)- society’s standard of proper moral conduct
Folkways- informal norms that lack moral significance and suggest customary ways of behaving
Laws- formal norms that are enforced by the legal power authorities
Symbol- anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people in a society
Values- culturally defined standards that serve as broad guidelines for social living
QUESTIONS ON BACK
Guide Questions
1. Describe the culture at Cady’s school (look at definition of culture to help answer)?
2. Give three examples of subcultures at Cady’s school and describe each of them. How important are language, gestures, and values to these cultural groups?
3. Give an example of a norm that dictates behavior. What type of norm is it (folkway, more, or law)? What is (are) the sanction(s) for breaking that particular norm?
4. How do the Plastics illustrate ethnocentrism?
5. Describe how being immersed in a new culture guided Cady’s values, way of thinking, and actions?
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