I. What Is Culture?, continued

When we speak of “baby boomer culture,” we are referring to a subgroup or cohort defined by its place in historical time. There are other names given to generational cohorts, such as “The Greatest Generation,” or “Generation X.” These names relate specifically to the age of the persons within the cohort, as well as to distinctive subcultural characteristics that seem to set it apart from other generations.

Other subcultures center on regional/geographic differences. In the U.S., we recognize these differences by such terms as “Midwesterner,” ”Southerner,” and “Yankee.” These designations signify that there are commonly recognized subcultural differences in norms, customs, and world view that accrue to place of birth or upbringing. Significant variation within a cultural group is often related to regional differences. For example, an African American from a southern state may differ considerably in language expression, customs, and beliefs from one who grew up in California or New York State.

One particular contributor to intra-ethnic variation is the process of acculturation. A Mayan immigrant from Mexico to the U.S. most likely will retain core cultural values from his native cultural upbringing. These will be modified and added to over time depending upon the amount and quality of contacts with the larger U.S. society. His son or daughter will most likely retain some of the parental values and ideations, but will also acquire cultural concepts prevalent in mainstream U.S. society. His grandchildren, raised by U.S.-born parents and schooled entirely in the U.S., may assimilate into the larger society by marrying a non-Mayan and adopting a non-Mayan lifestyle. The process of losing and gaining cultural traits that comprises acculturation and assimilation is uneven and unpredictable depending upon both individual and historical factors. Core cultural values are retained much longer than those that may be considered superficial.

The use of hyphenated designations, such as Mexican-Americans, Polish-Americans, and African-Americans, acknowledges both the enduringness of ethnic culture and a shared national culture. These designations also call attention to the existence of bicultural or multicultural individuals who integrate characteristics of two or more cultures in their way of life.

Social class is also an important source of variation within a cultural group because it is associated with subcultural differences based on education, occupation, and income. Class differentiation in behavior, norms, values, and habits is recognized both by social scientists and the general public. Researchers utilize mechanisms such as Social Economic Status (SES), which are amalgams of education, income, and occupation, to differentiate upper-, middle-, and lower-class levels; the general public uses terms like “Joe-six-pack” or “high society.” Unlike most other subcultures within a culture, social class mediates access to resources and power. It may interact with and cross-cut other subcultural groups, such as those based on ethnicity, gender, and age.