How Can Culture Be Both Everywhere and Invisible?

This is one of the paradoxes of culture.  

One page 96 in The Practical Skeptic, I quote from Ralph Linton, a famous anthropologist.  He describes the paradox this way:

The last thing which a dweller in the deep sea would be likely to discover would be the water.

Or, as I like to paraphrase it: the last thing a fish would notice is the water.

Here's how Linton explained his point:

He would become conscious of its existence only if some accident brought him to the surface and introduced him to air.  [Likewise] Throughout most of history, [people have] been only vaguely conscious of the existence of culture and has owed even this consciousness to contrast between the customs of [their] own society and those of some other with which [they] happened to be brought into contact. [Ralph Linton, 1945] (pg 95 in The Practical Skeptic)

The fish don't see the water until their environment changes; likewise, humans didn't discover they had culture until they saw different ones!

And, I might add, it was the shock of this discovery that led Europeans to explore their own culture.

Social Class

Does Social Class exist? Blah blah blah let's try to post a video.

What's a Norm?

Sociologists study things called "norms."

For now, note that norms are rules for behavior.  There are norms about really important things, as well as norms about more trivial things.  So, there are norms prohibiting murder, and norms that say you should cover your nose and mouth whenever you cough or sneeze.

How many of you remember to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze?

Another sort of thing that interests sociologists is how norms change.

What did the video we watched in class show you about attempts to change a norm?

All About Discussion Sections

Make sure you check METRO to see which discussion section you are in.

In addition to two lectures each week, you will be attending one meeting of your discussion section.

Note that your discussion section will NOT be meeting in the auditorium.  Room assignments are:

Section 2  Th 2:10-3:00   COLL 123

Section 3  Th 3:10-4:00   COLL 234

Section 4  Fr 9:10-10:00  COLL 345

How do I talk to Dr. McIntyre?

Students often wonder, what should they call me?  There are options:

• Lisa
  
• Ms. McIntyre
  
• Professor McIntyre
  
• Dr. McIntyre (only my mother calls me that!)
  

A great way to talk to me is to visit my office hours.  Please check your syllabus to see my office hours.

If my office hours aren't convenient for you, catch me right before or after class, and we'll arrange a time to meet.

Or, you can email me.

What are all these papers you gave me?

On the first day of class, you should have received THREE things:

1. A copy of the course syllabus (white)
   
2. A copy of the 101 survey (colored paper)
   
3. A copy of the Confidential Student Information Sheet 
   

THE SURVEY

• Please fill out the survey before class on Wednesday.  Bring it with you to class.
  
• Do not put your name on the survey--it is supposed to be anonymous.
  
• There are some personal questions on there--I ask them to provide for some sociological data analysis we will be doing in class.
  

THE CONFIDENTIAL STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET

• Fill this out with a pen.  Then take it--and your student ID card--to a photocopy machine.
  
• Place your ID in the box, and photocopy it.
  
• Once you do that, you will have two copies: one with your photo, one without.
  
• Bring both to your discussion section this week.
  
• Once you do that, you will be able to get grades in this class.
  
• And, if you turn in your sheet in this week's discussion section, you will get one point of extra credit.
  

THE SYLLABUS

• As many of you know by now (or will soon find out), you will get one of these in just about every class you attend at WSU.
  
• The syllabus constitutes a contract between the professor and student.
  
• When we talk about a syllabus, we're talking about: what you ought to expect from us, and what we will expect from you.
• You should always read over your syllabus carefully, as it contains information that turns out to be really important!
  
• Hardly any professor will be sympathetic to students who say they didn't know some important fact because didn't read the syllabus.