Ontario Grade 12 HSC4M World Cultures (Grade 12, University/College Preparation)
Chapters: 4
1. A. Research and Inquiry Skills
A1 Exploring · A2 Investigating · A3 Processing Information · A4 Communicating and Reflecting
- Anthropology and Culture – Anthropology is the study of human beings as a whole: our bodies, our past, our languages and our ways of life. Culture is the shared, learned way of life of a group: what people make, do, say and believe. Culture is learned, shared, symbolic, connected and always changing. Anthropologists study it by living with people (participant observation) and try to understand each culture on its own terms (cultural relativism) instead of judging it by their own (ethnocentrism).
- World Cultures: How Cultures Express, Change and Belong – Culture is a group's shared way of life. Like an iceberg, a small part is visible (food, dress, music, festivals) and a big part is hidden (values and beliefs). Cultural expressions such as art, festivals and rituals do jobs for people: identity, joy, memory and belief, and many cultures use similar forms. Big events like trade, migration and colonisation change cultures; some languages and customs are lost and later revived. Countries use policies such as assimilation, integration or multiculturalism, and newcomers often meet systemic barriers. Social action follows a cycle: find a need, plan and gain support, act, evaluate. All of it is studied with careful research.
2. B. The Concept of Culture
B1 Understanding Culture · B2 Cultural Dynamics · B3 Theoretical Analysis of Culture
- Anthropology and Culture – Anthropology is the study of human beings as a whole: our bodies, our past, our languages and our ways of life. Culture is the shared, learned way of life of a group: what people make, do, say and believe. Culture is learned, shared, symbolic, connected and always changing. Anthropologists study it by living with people (participant observation) and try to understand each culture on its own terms (cultural relativism) instead of judging it by their own (ethnocentrism).
3. C. Cultural Expressions
C1 Art, Philosophy, and Religion · C2 Cultural Expressions in Context · C3 Contributions and Influences
- Ethics: How to Decide What Is Right – Ethics (moral philosophy) asks what we ought to do and why. Values such as honesty, kindness, fairness and respect guide choices. Three main theories help: consequences (utilitarianism, Bentham and Mill: most good for most people), duty (Kant: act on rules you could want everyone to follow; treat people as ends, never only as means) and virtue (Aristotle: build good character; virtue is the mean between extremes). Conscience is our inner sense of right and wrong. Freedom brings responsibility. Meta-ethics asks what "good" means and whether values are universal or relative. Applied ethics deals with the environment, animals, work, friendship and peace.
- World Cultures: How Cultures Express, Change and Belong – Culture is a group's shared way of life. Like an iceberg, a small part is visible (food, dress, music, festivals) and a big part is hidden (values and beliefs). Cultural expressions such as art, festivals and rituals do jobs for people: identity, joy, memory and belief, and many cultures use similar forms. Big events like trade, migration and colonisation change cultures; some languages and customs are lost and later revived. Countries use policies such as assimilation, integration or multiculturalism, and newcomers often meet systemic barriers. Social action follows a cycle: find a need, plan and gain support, act, evaluate. All of it is studied with careful research.
- Anthropology and Culture – Anthropology is the study of human beings as a whole: our bodies, our past, our languages and our ways of life. Culture is the shared, learned way of life of a group: what people make, do, say and believe. Culture is learned, shared, symbolic, connected and always changing. Anthropologists study it by living with people (participant observation) and try to understand each culture on its own terms (cultural relativism) instead of judging it by their own (ethnocentrism).
4. D. Critical Cultural Issues
D1 Power Relations · D2 Policies and Issues · D3 Social Action and Personal Engagement
- Anthropology and Culture – Anthropology is the study of human beings as a whole: our bodies, our past, our languages and our ways of life. Culture is the shared, learned way of life of a group: what people make, do, say and believe. Culture is learned, shared, symbolic, connected and always changing. Anthropologists study it by living with people (participant observation) and try to understand each culture on its own terms (cultural relativism) instead of judging it by their own (ethnocentrism).
- World Cultures: How Cultures Express, Change and Belong – Culture is a group's shared way of life. Like an iceberg, a small part is visible (food, dress, music, festivals) and a big part is hidden (values and beliefs). Cultural expressions such as art, festivals and rituals do jobs for people: identity, joy, memory and belief, and many cultures use similar forms. Big events like trade, migration and colonisation change cultures; some languages and customs are lost and later revived. Countries use policies such as assimilation, integration or multiculturalism, and newcomers often meet systemic barriers. Social action follows a cycle: find a need, plan and gain support, act, evaluate. All of it is studied with careful research.