MEETING 1

DEFINITION OF CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION

OBJECTIVES:
1. To be able to define culture
2. To be able to define civilization

A. Culture

Culture is derived from Latin agricultural term

colere.It means to cultivate. The term was then used
by a Roman orator named Marcus Tullius Cicero (163 -
43 BCE). From the term, he introduced the concept of
cultura animi or ‘the cultivation of the soul’ as a
metaphor for the development of a philosophical soul.
The concept refers to the way in which humans
overcome barbarism and become fully citizenry.
Since then, the term has undergone several changes
and developments in meaning. Cicero (Britannica.com)

In the 17th century, by ‘cultured’ European

people mean refined and educated, especially for
theater, music, visual arts and philosophy. Since 19 th
century, anthropologists such as Edward Burnett Tylor
(1832-1917) use the term to describe ‘a group’s
distinctive way of life’. He defined it as a ‘complex
whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, moral,
law, custom and any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of society’.
E.B Tylor (creationmyths.org)

After Tylor’s definition of culture, many other anthropologists and

sociologists such as Geertz, Spradley, Kroeber and Kluckhohn, Schwartz, and
Hofstede defined culture as acquired knowledge, behavior, and attitude about life,
shared in community, influence the characteristics in community and distinguish a
community to another1.
B. Civilization
Civilization is derived from the Roman
word civitas for ‘city’ for it implies a society which
consists of humans who live and are centered in
an area. They interact, and act together so that
they can create and experience the benefits of
living and functioning cooperatively.
Sulaiman (2016) explained, civilization
emerged when:
1. Farming was invented
The farming techniques very depends on the characteristics of the land they inhabit.
People who inhabit dry lands rely on rainfall, while those who inhabit wet lands
maintain their production by making an irrigation. It distinguishes their features,
from their characters, equipment, to life style.
2. People has settled down
When people has settled down in an area, their numbers grow and by the time goes,
they establish their ways, rules, and systems in social, economic and politics to solve
every problems in life.
3. People engaged in specialized activity
People not only produce food to eat. That is why there are other expertise to
support life, such as warriors, craftsmen, merchants, artisans, and any other job
specialization. Since every person has different skills, they are interdependence one
another.
4. Writing was invented
Writing is a facility for communication. It is important media for human to share
their knowledge, experience, and feelings. Also, it help the administrative activity in
government and trade more efficient.
5. Mutual understanding among societies
It happens when people with different background live in the same are peacefully.
They can understand and tolerate the difference because they realize human beings
are interdependence one another.
6. A religious system was introduced
Religion aims to bind people together and as a reference of rules keep doing right
and stay away from doing wrong. it controls people’s behavior and maintain order
in society.
7. Political and economic institutions were invented.

Humans have sense to think and to feel so that they can fulfill their needs, keep
themselves from wrongdoings, and develop themselves to be able to live a better
life. Therefore, actions, knowledge, and habits are created then shared, taught, and
applied continuously so that they become culture.
Budaya terbentuk dari interaksi manusia, baik secara vertikal (hubungan manusia
dengan Tuhan) maupun secara horizontal (hubungan manusia dengan sesama
manusia dan alam). Atas hal-hal itulah maka tercipta tindakan-tindakan,
pengetahuan, dan kebiasaan yang dishare, diajarkan, dan diaplikasikan terus-
menerus sehingga menjadi budaya.
Name Definition of culture
James Spradley (1933-1982) The acquired knowledge people use to
interpret experience and generate
behavior
Roger M. Keesing (1974) Socially transmitted patterns for
behavior characteristic of a particular
social group
Clifford Geertz (1926 - 2006) A system of inherited conceptions
expressed in symbolic forms by means of
which men communicate, perpetuate,
and develop their knowledge about and
attitudes toward life
Alfred L. Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn All those historically created designs for
(1952) living, explicit and implicit, rational,
irrational, and nonrational, which exist at
any given time as potential guides for the
behavior of men.
T.Schwartz (1992) The derivatives of experience, more or
less organized, learned or created by the
individuals of a population, including
those images or encodements and their
interpretations (meanings) transmitted
from past generations, from
contemporaries, or formed by individuals
themselves.
Hofstede (1994) The collective programming of the mind
 which distinguishes the members of one
group or category of people from
another.
James Peoples and Garrick Bailey (2017) The socially transmitted knowledge and
behavior shared by some group of
people
Linton Consists of the sum total of ideas,
conditioned emotional responses, and
patterns of habitual behavior which the
members of that society have acquired
through instruction or imitation and
which they share to a greater or less
degree.
Spencer-Oatey (2008) A fuzzy set of basic assumptions and
values, orientations to life, beliefs,
policies, procedures and behavioural
conventions that are shared by a group
of people, and that influence (but do not
determine) each member’s behaviour
and his/her interpretations of the
‘meaning’ of other people’s behaviour.