Chapter Preview · Section 4
Beliefs and Material Culture (pages 92–94)
Besides norms and values, beliefs
and physical objects make up culture.
Ideal culture includes the guidelines
we claim to accept, while real culture
describes how we actually behave.
Besides norms and values, beliefs and physical
objects make up culture. Ideal culture includes
the guidelines we claim to accept, while real
culture describes how we actually behave.
Which do you think is a more
accurate representation of our
culture?
A. Nonmaterial culture
which includes beliefs,
ideas, and knowledge
B. Material culture
which includes tangible
objects
C. None of the above
0%
A
A. A
B. B
0%
C. C
B
0%
C
Beliefs and Physical Objects
• The nonmaterial culture involves beliefs,
ideas, and knowledge.
• The material culture is about how we
relate to physical objects. It consists of the
concrete, tangible objects within a culture.
Beliefs and Physical Objects (cont.)
• Beliefs are ideas about the nature of reality.
• People base their behavior on what they
believe, even if their belief might not be true.
• The uses and meanings of physical objects
can vary among societies depending on the
beliefs, norms and values people hold with
regard to the object.
All of the following are representative
of material culture EXCEPT
A. Books
B. Art
C. Religion
D. Cars
0%
A
A. A
B. B
0%
C. C
B
0%
C
Ideal and Real Culture
• A gap exists between cultural guidelines and
actual behavior, captured by the following two
concepts:
– Ideal culture refers to cultural guidelines
publicly embraced by members of a society.
– Real culture refers to actual behavior
patterns, which often conflict with these
guidelines.
Do you believe that a gap exists
between ideal and real culture?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure
0%
A
A. A
B. B
0%
C. C
B
0%
C
• nonmaterial culture
• beliefs
• material culture
• ideal culture
• real culture
nonmaterial culture
ideas, knowledge, and beliefs that
influence people’s behavior
beliefs
ideas about the nature of reality
material culture
the concrete, tangible objects of a culture
ideal culture
cultural guidelines that group members
claim to accept
real culture
actual behavior patterns of members of a
group