Culture: Definition, Functions, Characteristics, Elements of Culture.pptx

Culture: Definition, Functions, Characteristics, Elements of Culture
Culture consists of all learned, normative behavior patterns – that is, all shared ways or patterns of thinking and feeling as well as doing.
Word ‘culture’ comes from the Latin word ‘cultura,’ related to cult or worship. In its broadest sense, the term refers to the result of human interaction.

Society’s culture comprises the shared values, understandings, assumptions, and goals that are learned from earlier generations, imposed by present members of society, and passed on to succeeding generations.
Sometimes an individual is described as a highly cultured person, meaning that the person in question has certain features such as his/her speech, manner, and taste for literature, music, or painting, which distinguish him from others.

Culture, in this sense, refers to certain personal characteristics of an individual.

However, this is not the sense in which the word culture is used and understood in social sciences.

Sometimes culture is used in popular discourse to refer to a celebration or an evening of entertainment, as when one speaks of a ‘cultural show.’ In this sense, culture is identified with aesthetics or the fine arts such as dance, music, or drama.

This is also different from the technical meaning of the word culture.

Culture is used in a special sense in anthropology and sociology. It refers to the sum of human beings’ lifeways, behavior, beliefs, feelings, and thoughts; it connotes everything acquired by them as social beings. Culture has been defined in several ways.

There is no consensus among sociologists and anthropologists regarding the definition of culture.

Some writers add to these definitions some of the important” other capabilities and habits” such as language and the techniques for making and using tools.

1. CULTURE By Roshni Kumari Roll no. A25

2. Introduction Culture consists of all learned, normative behavior patterns – that is, all shared ways or patterns of thinking and feeling as well as doing. Word ‘culture’ comes from the Latin word ‘cultura,’ related to cult or worship and Sanskrit word ‘Samskar’ which denotes Social Channel and Intellectual Excellence. Culture is a way of life.

3. Introduction (Cont.) Culture is used in a special sense in sociology. It refers to the sum of human beings’ lifeways, behavior, beliefs, feelings, and thoughts; it connotes everything acquired by them as social beings. Sometimes an individual is described as a highly cultured person, meaning that the person in question has certain features such as his/her speech, manner, and taste for literature, music, or painting, which distinguish him from others. Culture, in this sense, refers to certain personal characteristics of an individual.

4. Meaning of Culture Culture is a comprehensive and encompassing terms like:- History Morals Arts Habits A culture is “the complex of values, ideas, attitudes, and other meaningful symbols created by people to shape human behavior and the artifacts of that behavior as they are transmitted from one generation to the next .”

5. Definition of Culture Edward Taylor, “Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as. a member of society”. Phatak and Bhagat, “Culture is a concept that has been used in several social science disciplines to explain variations in human thought processes in different parts of the world.”

6. Aspects and Components of Culture Three Aspects of Culture are:- culture is a pattern of behavior, culture is learned, and culture is transmitted from one generation to the next. Three Components Of Culture are:- cognitive component, material component, and normative component.

7. Characteristics of Culture Culture Includes Attitudes, Values, and Knowledge. Culture also Includes Material Objects. Culture is Shared by the Members of Society. Culture is a Way of Life. Culture is Idealistic. Culture is Transmitted among Members of Society. Culture is Continually Changing. Language is the Chief Vehicle of Culture. Culture Varies from Society to Society.

8. Functions of Culture It has a boundary-defining role; it creates distinctions between one organization and another. It conveys a sense of identity for organization members. Culture facilitates the generation of commitment to something larger than one’s individual self-interest. It enhances the stability of the social system. Culture is the social glue that helps hold the organization together by providing appropriate standards for what employees should say and do. Culture serves as a sense-making and control mechanism that guides and shapes behaviour.

9. Elements of Culture There are some elements of culture about which the managers of international operation should be aware of. Languages, Symbols, Values, Attitude and Rituals, Customs and Manners, Material Culture, Education Stories, Myths, and Legends, Ceremonies and Celebrations, Behavioral Norms, and Shared Beliefs and Values.

10. Factors Affecting the Culture Here are some specific examples where the culture of a society can directly affect management approaches: Centralized vs. Decentralized Decision Making Safety vs. Risk Individual vs. Group Rewards Informal vs. Formal Procedures Cooperation vs. Competition Short-term vs. Long-term Horizons Stability vs. Innovation Goals and Objectives

11. Final Words … Culture is a comprehensive concept that includes almost everything around us and influences an individual’s thought processes and behavior. Culture is Something that unites People. Culture is the total of human achievements, material and non-material, capable of transmission, sociologically, i.e., by tradition and communication, vertically as well as horizontally.

12. Thank You The End