Culture

Culture is a way of life. The food you eat, the clothes you wear, the language you speak in and the God you worship all are aspects of culture. In very simple terms, we can say that culture is the embodiment of the way in which we think and do things. It is also the thing that we have inherited as members of society. All the achievements of human beings as members of social groups can be called culture. Art, music, literature, architecture, sculpture, philosophy, religion and science can be seen as aspects of culture. However, culture also includes the customs, traditions, festivals, ways of living and one’s outlook on various
issues of life.

1. Culture
BoutkhilGuemide
University Mohammed Boudiaf, M’sila
Algeria

2. Introduction
DefinitionoftheConcept
Theelementsofculture
Theimportanceofculture
Howtorecognizeaculture?
Thecharacteristicsofculture
Culture&Society
Culture: An Overview

3. Thehumanbehaviorisgovernedbycustoms,
traditions,attitudes,values,norms,ideasandsymbols,
Themembersofsocietynotonlyendorsethem;they
moldtheirbehavioraccordingly,
Throughsocialization,thesetraditionsandcustoms
arepasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration,
Thesecommonpatternswhichhumanbeingsusein
theirsocialrelationsdesignateculture;
Nohumansocietycanexistanddevelopwithoutits
culture;
AnimalVs.humansocieties;
Animalsociety:Noculture;Theydonothavesystems
oflearningandtransmittingsocialexperiences.
Introduction

4. What exactly is meant by culture?
Thereisnofixed,universalunderstandingoftheconcept“Culture”;
Cultureisusedinaspecialsenseinanthropologyandsociology;
Culturehasbeendefinedinnumberofways.Thereisnoconsensusamong
sociologistsandanthropologistsregardingthedefinitionofculture.
“Culture”isappliedsobroadly,merelyas“socialpattern”.
“Ahighlyculturedperson”:thepersonhascertainfeatures;suchas,
speech,manner,traits,aspects,andtasteforliterature,ormusicwhich
distinguishhimfromothers.
Culture:certainpersonalcharacteristicsofanindividual.However,thisis
notthesenseinwhichthewordcultureisusedandunderstoodinsocial
sciences.
Populardiscourse:Itreferstoacelebrationoraneveningofentertainment;
a‘culturalshow’.
Culture:aestheticsorthefinearts;suchas,dance,music,ordrama.Thisis
alsodifferentfromthetechnicalmeaningofthewordculture.
Itreferstothesumofhumanbeings’lifeways,theirbehavior,beliefs,
feelings,thought;itconnoteseverythingthatisacquiredbythemassocial
beings.

5. Edward Burnett Tylor
1832-1917
Cultureorcivilization,taken
initswideethnographic
sense,isthatcomplexwhole
whichincludesknowledge,
belief,art,morals,law,
custom,andanyother
capabilitiesand habits
acquiredbymanasamember
ofsociety.
E.B.Tylor1871
Definition of Culture

6. Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit,
and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols,
constituting the distinctive achievement of human groups.
The essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas,
their attached values, and systems
(Kroeber and Kluckhohn, 1952)
Culture is a complex whole that consists of all the ways we
think and do and everything we have as members of society
(Robert Bierstadt, 1974)

7. `The sum total of knowledge, attitudes and habitual behaviour
patterns shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society'
Ralph Linton (1940).
The pattern of life within a community, the regularly recurring activities
and material and social arrangements characteristic of a particular group'.
Ward Goodenough (1957)

8. “Culture is the framework of beliefs, … and values
in terms of which individuals define their feelings
and make their judgements”
(Geertz 1957 American Anthropologist 59:32-54).
“Cultures are traditions and customs, transmitted through learning,
that form and guide the beliefs and behaviour of the people exposed to them.
Cultural traditions include customs and opinions developed
over the generations about proper and improper behaviour”
(Kottak 2008)

9. The collective programming of the mind
that distinguishes the members of
one category of people from another
(Geert Hofstede)

10. Culture is a way of life
Material
Objects
Ideas
Attitudes
Values
Behavior
Patterns
“Everythingthatpeoplehave,think,anddoas
membersofasociety”(Ferraro,2008)
Cultureisnotonlythewaywedothings.Itisalsoour
attitudes,thoughts,expectations,goalsandvalues.Itis
therulesofoursociety–thenormsthattelluswhatis
andwhatisnotacceptableinsociety.

11. Thebeliefsandbehaviorsofasociety.
Cultureconsistsofabstractideas,
values,andperceptionsoftheworld
thatinformandarereflectedin
people’sbehavior
Cultureisthelensthroughwhichwe
viewourworld,it“invents”ourreality.

12. YOU CAN SEE
WHY IS CULTURE SOMETIMES COMPARED TO AN ICEBERG ?
YOU CAN’T SEE
1.Facialexpressions
2.Religiousbeliefs
3.Foods
4.Eatinghabits
5.Paintings
6.Conceptofself
7.Workethic
8.Stylesofdress
9.Literature
10.Conceptoffairness
11.Childraisingbeliefs

17. 1. Material Culture
Materialandphysicalobjects.
House,road,vehicles,pen,table,radioset,booketc.
Thesearetheproductsofhumaneffortstocontrol
hisenvironmentandmakehislifeconformableand
safe.
2.Non-materialculture
Non-materialobjects.
Forexamplereligion,art,ideas,customs,values
system,attitudes,knowledgeetc.donothave
physicalshape.
Itisveryimportantindetermininghumanbehavior
andhasstrongholdonanindividual.
Bothpartsareinter-relatedwitheachother.

18. RealCulture:
Observedinoursociallife,
Thecultureonwhichweactuponinourdailylife,
Thepartsofculturewhichthepeoplecanadoptin
theirsociallife,
Ifaperson/saysthathe/sheisMuslim,willbe,
whenfollowedalltheprinciplesofIslamisthereal
andwhendoesnotfollow,isnotarealone.
IdealCulture:
Theculturewhichispresentedasapatterntothe
people,
Itisthegoalofsocietyandneverachievedfully
becausesomepartsremainoutofpractice,
Thiscultureisexplainedinbooks,speechesetc.

19. THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE

20. a.Importancetotheindividual:
(1)Culturedistinguishesmanfromanimal:
Itistheculturethatmakesthehumananimalaman.
Itregulateshisconductandprepareshimforagrouplife.
Withoutculturehewouldnotbeabletofindhisownway.

21. (2)Cultureprovidessolutionforcomplicatedsituations:
Cultureprovidesmanasetofbehaviorfordifficultsituations.
Intheabsenceofculturemanwouldhavebeenbaffledevenat
thesimplestsituations.
Culturenotonlydefinesbutalsodetermineswhatweeatand
drink,whentosleep,whentolaughetc.

22. (3)Cultureprovidestraditionalinterpretationtocertain
situations:
Throughculturemangetstraditionalinterpretationsformany
situationsaccordingtowhichhedetermineshisbehavior.

23. (4)Cultureshapespersonality:
Nochildcandevelophumanqualitiesintheabsenceofcultural
environment.
Culturepreparesmanforgrouplife.
Itisculturethatprovidesopportunitiesforthedevelopmentof
personality.

24. (1)Culturekeepssocialrelationshipintact:
Culturehasimportanceforthegroup:Culturepreparesmanfor
grouplife.
Grouplifewouldhavebeenpoor,nasty,andshortiftherehad
beennoculturalregulations.
Groupsolidarityrestsonthefoundationofculture.
b. Importance for the group:

25. (2)Culturehasgivenanewvisiontotheindividual:
Culturehasgivenanewvisiontotheco-operationof
individuals.
Cultureteachesanindividualtothinkofhimselfasapartofthe
largerwhole.
Itprovideshimwiththeconceptsoffamily,state,nationetc.
andmakespossiblethecoordinationanddivisionoflabor.

26. (3)Culturecreatesnewneeds:
Culturealsocreatesnewneedsanddrives:Thirstforknowledge
andarrangesfortheirsatisfaction.
Itsatisfiesthemoralandreligiousinterestsofthemembersof
thegroup.

27. HOW TO RECOGNISE A CULTURE?

28. 1.SocialOrganization
Whenacultureorganizesitsmembersintosmaller
groupsthatcanbe:
Families
Friends
Religiousgroups
Socialclasses
Elements of Culture

29. -family:themostimportantunitofsocialorganization
Nuclearfamily-husband,wife,children
Extendedfamily-severalgenerationsinone
household
-respectforeldersisusuallystronginextended
families.

30. Social classes: a way to rank people in order of status
What can social class be based on?
Money
Occupation
Education
Race
Etc.

31. 2. Customs and Traditions
-rules of behavior (written and unwritten)

32. 3.Language
Important means of communication and transmitting
customs, traditions, and cultural beliefs.

33. 4.ArtsandLiterature
-teachaboutaculture’svalues
-promoteculturalprideandunity

34. 5.Religion
Monotheism:beliefinonegod
Polytheism:beliefinmorethanonegod
MajorWorldReligions
Islam,Judaism,Christianity,Hinduism,Buddhism

35. 6. Forms of Government
People form governments to provide for their common
needs
Types
Democracy: people have supreme power
Republic: people choose leaders to represent them
Dictatorship: a ruler or group holds power by force
White House
Great Britain’s
Houses of
Parliament

36. 7.EconomicSystems
Fourtypes
1.Traditional:peopleproducemostofwhattheyneedtosurvive
2.Market:basiceconomicquestionsareansweredbybuying/selling
goodsandservices
3.Command:governmentcontrolsanswerstoeconomicquestions
4.Mixed:individualsmakesomeeconomicdecisions,the
governmentmakesothers

37. CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

38. Cultureislearned.
AchildborninthePhilippinesbutwasbroughttotheUSafterbirthmaynotdeveloptraits
characteristicsofFilipinos.
HemaylearnbehaviorpatterncharacteristicsofAmericanchildren,includinglanguage.
1. Culture is learned

39. Forathoughtoractiontobeconsideredcultural,itmustbecommonlysharedbysome
populationorgroupofindividuals.
Evenifsomebehaviorisnotcommonlyappropriate,itisculturalifmostpeoplethinkitis
appropriate.
Theideathatmarriageinvolvesonlyonemanandonewomanisculturalinoursociety.
2. Culture is shared by a group of people

40. Knowledgeisstoredandpassedonfromonegenerationtothenext,andnewknowledgeis
beingaddedtowhatisexisting.
Eachculturehasworkedoutsolutionstothebasicproblemsoflife,whichitthenpassesonto
itschildren.
ThejeepersandtricyclesinthePhilippinesaregoodexamplesofthecumulativequalityof
culture.
Theirinventioninvolvedtheuseofmaterialswhichwereinventedindifferentplacesofthe
world(Huntetal,1995).
3. Culture is cumulative

41. Allculturalknowledgedoesnotperpetuallyaccumulate.
Atthesametimethatnewculturaltraitsareadded,someoldonesarelostbecausetheyare
nolongeruseful.Forexample,mostcitydwellerstodaydonothaveorneedtheskillsrequired
forsurvivalinawilderness.
Mostwouldlikelystarvetodeathbecausetheydonotknowhowtoacquirewildfoodsand
survivetheextremesofweatheroutdoors.
Whatismoreimportantinmodernurbanlifearesuchthingsastheabilitytodriveacar,usea
computer,andunderstandhowtoobtainfoodinasupermarketorrestaurant(O’Neill,2005).
4. Cultures change

42. Thisisacharacteristicofculturethatstemsfromitscumulative
quality.Nocultureiseverinapermanentstate.
Itisconstantlychangingbecausenewideasandnew
techniquesareaddedandoldwaysareconstantlymodified
anddiscarded.
Thisisbecauseoftherapidchangesthatoccurwhichmaybe
introducedfromwithinorwithout.
Italsogrowsbythespreadoftraitsfromindividualandfrom
onegrouptoanotherwhichistermedasdiffusion.
Oneformofdiffusionisthegrowthoflanguage.
Filipinovocabularyhasgrownbecauseofborrowedwords
fromotherlanguageslikeSpanish,ChineseandEnglish.
5. Culture is dynamic

43. Cultureisanidealpatternofbehaviorwhichthemembersare
expectedtofollow.Manassignsmeaningstohisenvironmentand
experiencesbysymbolizingthem.
Theseareinternalizedbytheindividualandseesorapproaches
hisworldfromthestandpointofthisculture(Panopio,1994).
Culture is ideational

44. Thesumtotalofhumancultureconsistsofagreatmanyseparate
cultures,eachofthemdifferent.
Cultureasawhole,isasystemwithmanymutuallyindependent
parts.
Forexample,thechoiceofamarriagepartnerinvolvesmany
differentpartsofcultureasreligion,economicclass,education,etc.
7. Culture is diverse

45. Society & Culture

46. Culture ≠ Society
Culture:traitsofapopulation’sbehavior,values,practices,
beliefsandreligion,
Society:theenvironmentorcommunitythatsurroundsan
individual.
Culture:thetotalpracticesofapeople,
Society:thegeneralhumanity.
Fashion,language,traditionalproducts,music,artandideals
(examplesofculture).
Villages,smalltownsandbigcities(examplesofsociety).
Thetwoarenotthesame,notidentical
Theessentialdifference:
Societyiscomposedofpeople;
Cultureconsistsofknowledge,ideas,customs,traditions,
folkways,mores,skills,institutions,organizationsand
artifacts.

47. Culture = Society
Culturaltraditions,customsandritualsshapesociety.
Societiesaremadeuniquebytheirculture.
Culturecanbeseenastraditionthatcreatescohesionand
continuity.
Society:ourbigger,cooperatingsocialgroupwithanorganized
senseofrelationship.
Thesumofinteractionsandpeople.
Relationship:culturecanaffecthowthepeoplereacttoideas
andchanges.
Culture&societyareco-existent:Onedoesnotorcannotexist
withouttheother;