Cultural Norms And Folkways In American Culture

Culture can be just about anything passed down from one generation to the next. It can also be categorized as a norm, value, body of knowledge, behavior pattern, and/or an artifact. This cultures are said to be unique to each society with no two culture holding exact resemblance (Appleby, 2011).
Norms are easily defined as something that typical and considered standard. What is considered usual for one culture may considered disrespectful within another culture. A larger number of people who immigrate to the United States have difficulty determining the difference between what is acceptable and the home of origin. Among these norms, folkways are the most often violated (Appleby, 2011). Folkways are traditional behaviors that are unique to one particular community or group of people. Mores are characteristic customs of a set community that set standards for behaviors. Mores general carry intense consequences, however they are not immune

to change. One most also understand that SES or class plays a role in what is considered acceptable and what punishments are handed out (Appleby, 2011).
Values are what someone considers to be important.

Smith and Preston believed that what society values is shown through its norms chosen to lead behavior. Values reflect what the community considers to be quality. This country was founded on the basic value of freedom, however it also acts upon one person’s freedom may possess the ability to limit another persona’s freedom both figurative and literal. Another value dear to American’s is equality despite the constant fight among many to obtain both equality and freedom. The value of achievement has been over idealize while success on several different levels has become the ultimate goal of many (Appleby,2011).
Culture and language are intertwined and somewhat inseparable. Language determines how culture is delivered and passed down from generation to generation. The book suggest that language is the glue that holds self-perception, experiences, attitude and knowledge together (Appleby, 2011). This means that in order to fully grasp one’s culture you must first understand the

language.
Change in culture occurs when cultural borrowing takes place. Culture borrowing occurs when one culture takes the ideas, practices, beliefs and/or values from another culture, ethnic group, or religion. Chapter two refers to it as being a trade of both nonmaterial and material culture from one society to the next (Appleby, 2011). The United States has and continue to use this concept, and this increases immigrants lack of understanding of norms. Cultural borrowing results in subcultures which are cultural group with distinct patterns of behavior that may vary from the mainstream group. Understanding cultures and subcultures helps the comprehension of PIE.
Social Class is the division of society based on economic or social status. It is one of many demographic terms used to categorize people. Western culture, notably America, use social class as a method of claiming superior and controlling those who are categorized as inferior (Appleby, 2011). This division causes inequality, oppression, power struggle. According to chapter two, middle class is 50% of the population and working class is about 35% of the population (Appleby, 2011). This clearly identifies those in power as the minority. Education is thought be a component an individual’s social class and helps determine the idea of what class the individual is categorized in (Appleby, 2011).
Identity Development is the process in which a person goes through to discover who he or she is. This development reflects how he or she views them self as an individual and how they fit within society. Self –categorizing is influenced by one’s own culture and cultures of majority (Appleby, 2011).