Читать книгу Essentials of Sociology - George Ritzer - Страница 103

Values and norms exist within the realm of ideas (see the following section for a related definition and discussion of symbolic, or nonmaterial, culture). However, culture also takes material—that is, tangible—forms. Material culture encompasses all the artifacts, the “stuff,” in which culture is reflected or manifested. A wide range of things can be included under the heading of material culture, including this book, the clothes we wear, the homes we live in, our computers and smartphones, the toys children play with, and even the weapons used by our military.

Culture shapes such objects. For instance, the value that Americans place on economic prosperity is reflected in such material objects as games like Monopoly. This game was first patented in the mid-1930s, and its icon is a well-dressed, economically successful tycoon with a monocle. The goal of the game is to accumulate the most property and money. There are now also nonmaterial games (such as Fortnite and Pokémon Go) that are not only enjoyed by millions of people online but are also played by thousands in material sports arenas for millions of dollars in real and material prize money (Wingfield 2014b, 2014c).

Material culture also shapes the larger culture in various ways. For example, when playing Monopoly, children are learning about, helping support, and furthering a culture that values wealth and material success. To take a different example, the centuries-old American value of individual freedom and individualism has been greatly enhanced by the widespread adoption of such material objects as the automobile, the single-family home, and the smartphone. The last, for example, gives us highly individualized and mobile access to the vast world available on the phone and the internet.