Culture is a broad concept that sociologists typically divide into concepts associated with material culture and symbolic culture. List and describe the major components of symbolic culture.

The elements of symbolic culture fall into two groups, each consisting of three parts. The first group includes signs, gestures, and language. Signs are symbols that are designed to meaningfully represent an idea and to convey information. Gestures refer to body language and nonverbal communication. Good answers will emphasize that gestures are culturally specific. Language is probably the most significant component of culture because it is the basis of all symbolic culture. It is what allows us to communicate and to pass culture from one generation to the next. The best answers might mention the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which argues that language does not just reflect culture but actively structures thought and perception.
The second group of elements includes values, norms, and sanctions. Values are a set of shared beliefs about what is good and bad, norms are the rules and guidelines for carrying out those beliefs, and sanctions are the means of enforcing norms. Norms may be formal, like laws, or informal, like folkways and mores. Sanctions may be positive or negative.