Aspects of Culture

The Complexity of Culture

O Culture is a people’s a way of life.
O According to E. B Taylor describes culture as
“that complex whole, which encompasses
beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws,
norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and
everything that a person learns and shares as a
member of society.”
 Anthropology Sociology
The What The How The Why
Refers to the Refers to the processes Refers to the reasons for compliance and
contents of culture that guarantee the the mechanisms that facilitate
transmission of the performance
contents
Actions Learned Through socialization/enculturation:
Individuals are exposed to and experience
lessons in everyday interactions. The
lessons are practical and address their
basic social needs
Language Shared Through conformity:
Actions of individuals are routinized and
institutionalized in contexts like family,
church, schools, and government. In time,
Attitude they become part of their habits.
Through social control:
Conformity, or its absence thereof, is
meted out through the system of giving
Communicated rewards and imposing of punishments.
 Enculturation and Third
Culture Shock
O Enculturation refers to the gradual acquisition
of the characteristics and norms of a culture or
group by a person, another culture, etc.
O It starts with actual exposure to another
culture and the duration and extent of
exposure account for the quality of the
resulting enculturation
Enculturation and Third Culture
Shock
O Third culture shock is a good example of
enculturation. Individuals who have stayed for
quite a good portion of their lives in a foreign
culture may be shocked by their birth culture
once exposed to it again.
O The shock created by their birth culture is a
product of their enculturation in the second
culture.
 Definitions of Culture
O B. Malinowski defined it as “the
handiwork of man and the medium
through which he achieves his ends.”
O R. Redfield, defined it as “an organized
body of conventional understandings
manifest in art which, persisting through
tradition, characterizes a human group.”
 Definitions of Culture
O De Robert described culture as “the body
of thought and knowledge, both
theoretical and practical, which only man
can possess.”
O E.B Taylor, “that complex whole which
includes knowledge, belief, art, morale,
laws, custom, and any other capabilities
and habits as acquired by man as a
member of society.”
 Characteristics of Culture
Explicit culture refers to similarities in
words and actions which can be directly
observed.
O For example, the adolescent cultural
behavior can be generalized by looking
at the way teens dress, their
mannerisms, and conversations.
 Characteristics of Culture
Implicit culture on the other hand, exists
in abstract forms which are not quite
obvious.
 Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is social because it is the
product of behavior.
O Culture does not exist in isolation. It is
a product of society. It develops
through social interaction. No man can
acquire culture without association with
others.
 Characteristics of Culture
2. Culture varies from society to society.
O Every society has a culture of its own
that differs from other societies. The
culture of every society is unique to
itself. Cultures are not uniform. Cultural
elements like customs, traditions,
morals, values and beliefs are not
uniform. Culture varies from time to
time as well.
 Characteristics of Culture
3. Culture is shared
O Culture is not something that an
individual alone can possess. Culture, in
a sociological sense, is shared.
O For example, customs, traditions, beliefs,
ideas, values, morals, etc. are all shared
by people of a group or society.
 Characteristics of Culture
4. Culture is learned
O Culture is no inborn. It is learned. Culture is
often called “learned ways of behavior.”
Unlearned behavior is not culture.
O The definition of culture indicates that the
learned behavior or people is patterned. Each
person’s behavior often depends upon some
particular behavior is somewhat integrated or
organized with the related behavior of other
person’s.
 Characteristics of Culture
5. Culture is transmitted among members of
society
O The cultural ways are learned by persons from
persons. Many of them are “handed down” by
elders, parents, teachers, and others, while other
cultural behaviors are “handed up” to elders.
O Some of the transmission of culture is among
contemporaries, for example, the styles of
dressing, political views, and the use of recent
labor-saving devices.
 Characteristics of Culture
6. Culture is continuous and cumulative.
O Culture exists as a continuous process.
Sociologist Linton called culture ‘the social
heritage’ of man. It becomes difficult for us to
imagine what society would be like without
culture.
O Culture varies from society to society.
Furthermore, culture varies from group to group
within the same society.
 Characteristics of Culture
7. Culture is gratifying and idealistic
O Culture provides opportunities for the
satisfaction of our needs and desires. Our needs
both biological and social are fulfilled in
cultural ways.
O Culture determines and guides various activities
of man. Thus, culture is defined as the process
through which human being satisfy their wants.