Culture and Social Behavior

Each of us is an individual with our own goals and desires but we are also members of groups and these groups guide us, support us, sustain us and when necessary constrain us. By joining a group we satisfy our need to belong, gain information through social comparison, define our sense of self, and achieve goals that we couldn’t if we worked alone. We often turn to groups when important decisions must be made, and this choice is reasonable and justified as long as we avoid issues like infrahumanization, negative stereotypes and discrimination.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the chapter, you should be able to:

1. Explain why humans form groups using on the perspectives provided in the textbook.
2. Explain how groups influence individual behavior.
3. Explain the role of culture in group formation and membership.
4. Distinguish between ingroup and outgroup membership
5. Explain how ingroup and outgroup membership contributes to infrahumanization
6. Explain how cross – cultural differences in ingroup and outgroup behaviors.
7. Identify the possible explanations for human cooperation.
8. Explain how culture influences human cooperation.
9. Explain the relationship between trust, sanctions and cooperation.
10. Compare and contrast prejudice and discrimination.
11. Explain how stereotypes may contribute to prejudice
12. Describe the role of culture, prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination.
13. Distinguish between, conformity, compliance and obedience.
14. Explain cross-cultural differences in conformity.
15. Explain cross-cultural differences in obedience.