Have you ever stopped to consider why we need culture? Not why we have it, but why we NEED it? Culture, the socially learned and shared ideas, behaviors, and material components of a society, is arguably the most important characteristic of our species. We need it because it helps us get along with one another. For example, we have all heard of American Sign Language (ASL), the communication system used by deaf people that involves gestures and signs. However, did you know there is a Black Sign Language and a Honduran Sign Language? The former was created by deaf African-Americans during segregation because they were excluded from schools that taught Whites ASL and they needed a way to converse. The latter was created by Honduran deaf students 5-10 years ago because they were not being taught how to sign by their schools. The African-American and Honduran experiences reminds us that language consists of words and symbols used to communicate. Whether spoken, written, signed, or whistled, language is one of the aspects of culture that helps us get along with one another.
In addition to language, norms, established guidelines and expectations of behavior, are crucial to the culture of a society. Norms cover a range of behaviors, including everything from folkways to laws. Folkways are informal and common norms that guide everyday behavior and include things like facing the door when riding in an elevator or covering your mouth when you sneeze. While typically adhered to by members of society, folkways are less serious than laws, formal and legal rules enforced by the state. Laws are encoded norms that society takes very seriously. Laws are also the basis of a society’s criminal justice system. Why do we NEED norms? To tell us what behavior is acceptable or unacceptable in society; something that helps us get along with each other.