TOPIC 5-7: Anthropological and Sociological Perspectives on Culture and Society

Perspectives of Culture:
Culture: refers to "that complex whole which encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes,
laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of
society.

Characteristics of Culture:
1. CULTURE IS SOCIAL: it is a product of behavior. Develops through social interactions.
2. CULTURE VARIES FROM SOCIETY TO SOCIETY: every society has a culture of its own
that differs from each other.
3. CULTURE IS SHARED: customs, traditions, beliefs, ideas, morals are all shared by people of
a group or society.
4. CULTURE IS LEARNED: Learned culture based on education/reading.
5. CULTURE IS TRANSMITTED: transmitted from one group to another. It was made possible
by the LANGUAGE-main vehicle of culture.
6. CULTURE IS CONTINUOUS AND COMULATIVE: culture exists as a continuous process.
sub-culture: cultural patterns which are both related to the general culture of society and yet
distinguishable from it.
7. CULTURE IS GRATIFYING AND IDEALISTIC: culture provides proper opportunities for the
satisfaction of our needs and desires.

Types of Culture:
Material Culture: clothes, food, arts, technology
Non-Material Culture: beliefs, language, religion

Elements of Culture:
1. Norms: standard and expected behavior within society.
Formal Norms:
Mores: moral and ethical behavior
Laws: Ordinance of reason enacted to protect the people from the bad effects of outdated
mores.
Informal Norms:
Folkways/Customs: less importance yet still influence our behavior.
2. Symbols: These are anything that carries a meaning recognized by people who share a
culture.
3. Values: culturally defined standards that serve as broad guidelines for social living.
4. Beliefs: specific statements that people hold to be true.
5. Language: form of communication using words either speaking/gestured with the hands and
stractured with grammar.
6. Taboos: norms that are crucial to the society's moral center. Forbidden/Prohibited.

Perspectives of Society:
Society: describes a group of people who share a common territory and culture
Territory: sociologists refer to a definable region-as small as a neighborhood.