CULTURAL CONCEPTS

ETHNOCENTISM

• IT IS A EELING THAT ONE’S OWN

PARTICULAR WAY OF LIFE IS SUPERIOR AND
RIGHT AND THAT ALL OTHER CULTURES ARE
INFERIOR AND DEFECTIVE.
• IT TENDS TO JUDGE OTHER CULTURE
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
• IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF ETHNOCENTRISM.
• THE CONCEPT REFERS TO THE NOTION THAT
EACH CULTURE SHOULD BE EVALUATED
ACCORDING TO ITS OWN MERITS AND
STANDARDS RATHER THAN FROM THE
STANDPOINT OR BASES OF A DIFFERENT
CULTURE.
XENOCENTRISM
• IT IS THE BELIEF THAT WHAT IS FOREIGN IS BEST
IN TERMS OF ONE’S LIFESTYLES, PRODUCTS OR
IDEAS.
TEMPOROCENTRISM

• IT IS THE BELIEF THAT ONE’S OWNTIME IS MORE

IMPORTANT THAN THAT OF THE PAST OR
FUTURE.
SUBCULTURE
• IT IS A GROUP OR CATEGORY WITHIN A SOCIETY
THAT SHARES IN THE GENERAL CULTURE BUT
MAINTAINS DISTINCTIVE WAYS OF THINKING,
ACTING AND FEELING.
• THIS KIND OF GROUP IS USUALLY FOUND IN A
BIG AND COMPLEX SOCIETY.
COUNTER-CULTURE

• IT IS A SUB-CULTURE THAT HAS VALUES AND

NORMS THAT SHARPLY CONTRADICTS THOSE OF
THE LARGER SOCIETY.
CULTURE UNIVERSAL

• THIS REFERS TO COMMON CULTURAL ELEMENTS

THAT ARE FOUND WITHIN ALL KNOWN
SOCIETIES.
• THEY INCLUDE NORMS, LAWS, LANGUAGE,
BELIEFS, AND VALUES.
CULTURE LAG

• IT IS THE INABILITY OF A GIVEN SOCIETY TO

ADAPT IMMEDIATELY TO ANOTHER CULTURE AS
A RESULT OF THE DISPARITY IN THE RATE OF
CHANGE BETWEEN THE MATERIAL AND NON-
MATERIAL ELEMENTS OF CULTURE.
CULTURAL INTEGRATION
• IT IS CONCERNED WITH ADOPTION OF A MASS
CONSUMER CULTURE WHERE EVERYTHING
FROM FASHION TO SPORT, MUSIC TO
TELEVISION, BECOMES INTEGRATED IN TO THE
NATONAL CULTURE, OFTEN WITHOUT
CHALLENGE.
CULTURE SHOCK
• IT IS THE EXPERIENCE OF DISORIENTATION AND
FRUSTRATION THAT OCCURS WHEN
INDIVIDUALS FIND THEMSELVES AMONG THOSE
WHO DO NOT SHARE THEIR FUNDAMENTAL
PREMISES.
MODES OF ACQUIRING CULTURE
• IMMITATION
• INDOCTRINATION
• CONDITIONING
• ACCULTURATION
• AMALGAMATION
IMMITATION

• IT IS A HUMAN ACTION BY WHICH ONE TENDS

TO DUPLICATE MORE OR LESS EXACTLY THE
BEHAVIOR OF OTHERS.
INDOCTRINATION
• THIS TAKES THE FORM OF FORMAL TEACHING
AND TRAINING WHISH MAY HAPPEN
ANYWHERE.
• THE FORMAL TEACHING TAKES INTO ACCOUNT
THE CULTURAL COMPONENTS OF SOCIETY
WHERE THE LEARNING INDIVIDUAL LIVES.
CONDITIONING
• THROUGH NORMS PREVAILING IN ONE’S SOCIAL
AND CULTURAL MILIEU, AND THROUGH THE
PROCESS OF CONDITIONING, THE INDIVIDUAL
ACQUIRES CERTAIN PATTERNS OF BELIEFS,
NORMS, VALUES, BEHAVIOURS AND ACTIONS.
THIS PROCESS IS FUTHER REINFORCED BY A
SYSTEM OF REWARD AND PUNISHMENT
PRACTICED IN THE CULTURAL INVIRONMENT.
ACCULTURATION

• IT IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH SOCIETIES WITH

DIFFERENT CULTURES ARE MODIFIED THROUGH
FAIRLY CLOSE AND LONG CONTINUED CONTACT.
AMALGAMATION

• IT IS THE INTERMARRIAGE OF PERSONS COMING

FROM THE DIFFERENT CULTURAL GROUPS
RESULTING IN SOME KIND OF BIOLOGICAL
FUSION.
WHAT ARE THE DISTINCTION
BETWEEN FOLKWAYS, MORES AND
LAWS?
THREE FORMS OF NORMS
• MORES – THESE ARE STRONG IDEAS OF RIGHT
OR WRONG, STANDARDS OF CONDUCT THAT
ARE HIGHLY RESPECTED AND VALUED BY THE
GROUP, THE GROUP DEMANDS THAT THEY ARE
FOLLOWED WITHOUT QUESTIONS.
• THEY REPRESENT OBLIGATORY BEHAVIOR
BECAUSE THEIR INFRACTION RESULTS IN
PUNISHMENT, FORMAL OR INFORMAL.
• FOLKWAYS – THESE ARE SIMPLY THE
CUSTOMARY, NORMAL, AND HABITUAL WAYS A
GROUP DOES THING.
• THESE CUSTOMARY WAYS ARE ACCUMULATED
AND BECOME REPEATITIVE PATTERNS OF
EXPECTED BEHAVIOR, WHICH TENDS TO
BECOME PERMANENT TRADITIONS.
• THERE IS NO STRONG FEELING OF RIGHT OR
• LAWS – THESE ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE
FORMAL NORMS. THEY ARE THE RULES THAT
ARE ENFORCED AND SANCTIONED BY THE
AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THANK YOU!!!!!