CULTURE & SOCIETY

UNIT 2
UNIT 2 CULTURE AND SOCIETY
• Importance of Culture and Social identity with reference to architecture.
• Evolution of civilization and cultures, groups, society, culture, environment and time.
• Levels of social organization & the evolution of various social groups over time,
• Human habitat to be related with culture and various contexts with examples in different eras,
• Research on cultural anthropology.
 CULTURE

CIVILISATION

SOCIETY
 CULTURE

?
“Culture, on one hand, is an outcome of
society and, on the other hand, society
is able to survive and perpetuate itself CIVILISATION
because of the existence of culture.”

“By the most minimal, literal

definition, a "civilization" is
a complex society.”

SOCIETY
EVOLUTION OF GROUPS SOCIAL GROUPS SOCIETY

EARLY Weather/ • Shelter

climate • cloth
HUMANS
PROTECTION
• defence
Human/Animals
• Tools/
weapons

ASSETS
• FORM GROUPS
• CLAIM TERRITORY (FORMATION OF ROLES)
(FORMATION OF SOCIAL GROUPS) PROTECTOR (P1) &
PROTECTED (P2)
EVOLUTION OF GROUPS SOCIAL GROUPS SOCIETY

EVOLUTION OF SOCIETY EVOLUTION OF ROLES

• Hunter / Gatherer P1
SOCIAL GROUPS of
EVOLUTION

• Caretakers
hunter/ gatherers (nomadic)
• Children
Learn about
P2
land/soil/water while
moving from one place
to another

Grow small plant/herbs

Eat plants,
how to eat
• Hunter / Gatherer
• Farmers P1
Grow plants in small scale
• Animal keepers
(clear → plant → harvest → move) • Caretakers
• Healers
• Children P2
EVOLUTION OF GROUPS SOCIAL GROUPS SOCIETY
• Protectors
P1
Learn about soil
• Administrator
fertility, irrigation • Farmers
• Animal keepers
Grow plants in large scale • Healers
EVOLUTION

(growing food in excess – storing • Caretakers P2

food; not all people need to • Children
farm)
• Defence (trained)
P1
• Administrator
GROWING FOOD,
TRADING FOOD AND • Farmers
OTHER GOODS,
UTILITIES, CLOTHES,
• Animal keepers
GEMS, JWELLERY • Traders P2
• Builders
AGRICULTURE & TRADE
• Art & craft
based society
• Thinkers/Teachers
• Healers
• Caretakers
• Children
SOCIAL ORGANISATION
( H I E R A R C H Y )
INDIVIDUAL Highest level of biological organization, and the smallest
visible unit in social organization.
IN-GROUP • Refer to all of the many different social groupings that an individual
participates in and identifies with. Family, polity and culture can be
considered in-groups.
• Can thrive or fail, and so are subject to evolutionary pressure
OUT-GROUP • Out-group is defined by negation to be everything outside the in-group.
• It is a construct of the in-group, and doesn't have any actual social
reality
Dynamics of in-group/out-group conflict and social enforcement of boundaries between the in-
group and out-group seem to be a basic aspect of human nature present at all levels of social
organization.
FAMILY Family is the smallest unit of social organization.
POLITY It is the highest level of effective political organization, which
in ancient times would be the village or tribe, and in modern
times is the nation-state.
SOCIAL HIERARCHY
(ORGANISATION)
 CULTURE

CIVILISATION

SOCIETY
WHEN DID CIVILSATION START ??
Anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture.

“ Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken
and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from
danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a
broken leg long enough for the bone to heal. broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken
time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the

“
person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts. We are at our
best when we serve others. Be civilized.
CIVILISATION
EVOLUTION ??

DEFINITION ??

WHAT CHARACTERIZES CIVILIZATION ??

C I V I L I S A T I O N vs C U L T U R E

W H AT I S C U LT U R E W. R . T C I V I L I S AT I O N ? ?

IS CULTURE & CIVILISATION SIMILAR ??

DISTINCTION B/W CIVILSATION & CULTURE…

CIVILISATION + CULTURE + SOCIETY

NAME/LOCATION & ERA Name of Civilization; Location of any archaeological site

TANGIBLE I ARCHAELOGICAL

(c. 5500 BCE and 30 BCE; eg)

PHYSICAL FEATURES • Geographical context – near water body??

• Nature of settlements – urban ?
EVIDENCE

• City planning – grid ??

• Agricultural, trade (port)

TECHNOLOGICAL • Building, Monuments

CHARACTERISTICS • Tools/ Machinery/ Weapons
• Utilitarian Items – Pottery, etc
• Crafts (technology based) – jewellery, textiles, not
artworks like sculpture or painting
• Other technologies uses – metal works etc.
CIVILISATION + CULTURE + SOCIETY
TANGIBLE & INTANGIBLE
ANALYTICAL EVIDENCE

CULTURE • Religion / spiritual practices

• Beliefs, value system
• Dressing, jewellery

SOCIETY • Social Structure / hierarchy

• Any system followed ? – like tax collection –
government.

NOTES - Culture – more importance to GOD in India, temple in the centre of settlement
Egypt – king is god so focus towards palace.
 EXAMPLE
CIVILISATION + CULTURE + SOCIETY

Egyptian Civilization; Egypt

TANGIBLE I ARCHAELOGICAL

NAME/LOCATION & ERA (c. 5500 BCE and 30 BCE)

• Geographical context – near NILE RIVER

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
EVIDENCE

• Building, nature of settlements – PYRAMIDS ETC.

• City/Urban planning – GRID LIKE

• Tools/weapons – USE IMAGES

TECHONOLOGICAL
• Utilitarian Items – Pottery
CHARACTERISTICS
• Crafts–
o GLASS-WORK OF FAIENCE

o FAIENCE