Amoud University

Presentation: Culture
 Members of group 1

1. Asma siyad Derie 14880

2. Idil Sh. Ali Jowhar 15915
3. Mohamed Jama Cali 16071
4. Nouh Sulaiman Yousuf 16766
Objectives

 Defining culture
 The elements of culture
 The culture diversity
 The mass media and popular culture
 The theoretical perspectives on culture
 The culture change
 Culture
 Is the complex system of meaning and behavior that
defines the way of life for a given group or society includes
beliefs , values ,knowledge habits and dress .
 Is the design of living that is acquired through learning.
 Is shared understandings that people use to coordinate their
activities.
 Culture is that invisible bond, which ties the people of a
community together.
 No matter where people live in the world, they share these
universal traits.  Examples of such "human cultural" traits
include:
1. communicating with a verbal language consisting of a limited
set of sounds and grammatical rules for constructing sentences.
2. using age and gender to classify people (e.g., teenager, senior
citizen, woman, man)
3. classifying people based on marriage and descent relationships
and having kinship terms to refer to them (e.g., wife, mother,
uncle, cousin)
4. raising children in some sort of family setting.
 What is ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism is using one’s own culture as the benchmark to judge
other cultures so creating bias. Ethnocentrism occurs when one has the
belief that their own cultural group is superior to others.
 Ludwig Gumplowicz is believed of ethnocentrism in the 19th century.
 what is Cultural relativism
Cultural relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs and
practices should be understood based on that person's own
culture. As Somalis we judge other cultures for example
clothes foods especially the Asians
 What is a cultural shock.

Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one

moves to a cultural environment which is different from
one's own.
 Characteristic of culture
 Culture is learned and shared.
 Culture is material and non-material.
 Culture is symbolic and creates meaning.
 Culture is used to generate behavior.
 Culture is used to interpret experiences.
 Culture is a means of adaptation.
 Culture is both internal and external to the individual
 Culture diversity
 Cultural diversity is about appreciating that society is made up many
different groups with different interests, skills and needs it also means
that you recognize that People in society can have different religious
belief

Importance of culture diversity

1. Recognizing that there is large amount of culture’s that exist
2. Respecting each other’s differences
3. Able to understand and more respect others religion and belief
4. cultural diversity makes our society a more interesting place to live
 Dominant culture
Dominant culture is the culture of most powerful group in society
Example:
 Schooling system
 The culture of marriage has changed since the western culture come into
it.

Subcultures
 Subcultures are social group or group of individuals who share similar
lifestyles belief system and common interests and experiences Joined
by younger people
Example
 Accents in language
 Food
 High school jocks
 Environmental activity’s
 Counterculture
A group within a culture that has its own distinctive characteristics
that are in apposition to the dominant culture

Example
 Dress
 Hair
 Music/ show
 Globalization of culture
 Is the process through which the idea’s and experience of specific culture
are transmitted through the world

Factors causing cultural globalization

 Tourism
 Social media
 Traditional media
 Education
 Entertainment
The Mass Media and Popular Culture

The term mass media refers to the channels of communication that are
available to wide segments of the population— the print, film, and
electronic media. The mass media have extraordinary power to shape
culture, including what people believe and the information available to
them. If you doubt this, observe how much the mass media affect your
everyday life.
 The Organization of Mass Media

The organization of the mass media as a system of economic

interests means that there is enormous power in the hands of a few
to shape the culture of the whole society. Sociologists refer to the
concentration of cultural power as cultural hegemony, defined as
the pervasive and excessive influence of one culture throughout
society.
 The Media and Popular Culture
Because the mass media pervade the whole society, the media influence
such things as popular styles, language, and value systems. Popular culture
refers to the beliefs, practices, and objects that are part of everyday
traditions, such as music and films, mass-marketed books and magazines,
newspapers, and Internet websites. Popular culture is produced for the
masses and thus has a huge impact on the nations’ culture.
Popular culture is distinct from elite culture, which is shared by only a
select few but is highly valued. Unlike elite culture (sometimes referred to
as “high culture”), popular culture is mass-consumed and has enormous
significance in the formation of public attitudes and values. Popular
culture is also supported by mass consumption, as the many objects
associated with popular culture are promoted and sold to a consuming
public. The distinction between popular and elite culture means that
various segments of the population consume culture in different ways. This
is affected by patterns of social class, race, and gender in the society.
Theoretical Perspectives on Culture
 Cultural change
 culture is a conservative force in society. Culture tends to be based on
tradition and is passed on through generations, conserving and regenerating
the values and beliefs of society. But it can be changed or it may be
delayed.

Cultural lag
 Cultural lag or delay occurs between a change in material culture
(technology) and changes in nonmaterial culture (norms, values, and
beliefs)
 Sources of cultural change
1. Cultures change in response to changed conditions in the society.
2. Cultures change through cultural diffusion.
3. Cultures change as the result of innovation, including inventions and
technological developments.
4. Cultural change can be imposed.