Definition: Culture lag refers to the time it takes for culture to catch up with technological innovations, causing social problems.
Characteristics:
Common in society.
Material culture (physical/technological aspects) changes rapidly.
Non-material culture (ideas, beliefs, values) resists change and remains the same for longer.
Impact: The opposing nature of material and non-material culture makes the adaptation of new technology difficult.
Examples:
When cars were first invented, there were no laws to govern driving (no speed limits, right-of-way rules, lane markers, stop signs, or stop lights).
Resulted in dangerous city streets.
Laws were eventually created to resolve these problems, closing the gap between material and non-material culture.
Computers and email; businesses initially took time to use this technology effectively.
Key Point: Material culture evolves faster than non-material culture, leading to a "lag".
Culture Shock
Definition: Culture shock refers to the feelings of disorientation, uncertainty, or fear when encountering unfamiliar cultural practices.
Causes:
Moving to a different country.
Changing social environments.
Traveling to a different type of life (e.g., moving from a city to a farm).
Experience: Anyone who has lived, studied, or traveled extensively in another country may experience culture shock.
Impact and Symptoms:
Everything becomes unfamiliar: weather, landscape, language, food, values, and customs.
Changes in how business is conducted, store hours, and food types.
Feelings of sadness, loneliness, confusion, homesickness, and questioning the decision to move.
Examples:
Individuals from Islamic countries (e.g., Algeria) visiting Western Europe (e.g., Spain or Italy) may experience culture shock when seeing behaviors like revealing clothing or public displays of affection, which are forbidden or frowned upon in their own cultures.