Readings in Culture

Chapter 1:

What is Culture:
Definitions and Characteristics
 I-Definitions
• Culture is notoriously a difficult term to
define. Some American anthropologist
Researchs such as Kroeber and Kluchahn listed
a number of definitions throughout histroy
 1- Arnoldian intepretation
(Mathew Arnold, Culture and Anarchy 1867)
• Culture refers to special intellectual or what is called
‘high culture’

• Only some people have culture

• European culture is high, civilized
• Non-european is low and babric
• High culture: refers to the set of cultural
products held in the highest esteem by a
culture. It is the culture of the elite such as the
aristocracy or intelligentsia.
• low culture: refers to that of the less well-
educated or the masses, encompassing such
• things as popular music…… Traditionally, the
term ”low culture” has been regarded
• synonymous with popular culture.
 2-Tylorian Interpretation
(Edward Tylor, Primitive Culture 1870)
• Culture is a complex whole. It includes
knowledge, belief, art, moral, law and customs
acquired by people in society.
• Every society/ individual has or his her own
culture
• 3- Boasian Interpretation
(Franz Boas)
He reacted to Arnold’s and Tylor's perceptions
of culture and reject their value judgment . For
him, one should never refer to culture as
savage or civilized.
• Culture is antithesis to nature
• Culture is:
specific
acquired
learned
constructed
shared
 General definition
• Culture is a set of beliefs, customs, behaviors,
and morals passed down from one generation
to another.
• Culture is a way of life of a group of people in a
society. Ways of life are learned and acquired
through instruction or immitation
(Moroccan child learn table manners from
his parents:saying ‘Bismlah’ eating with the
right hand…etc)
• Human Nature
universal
innate/ inborn
• Eating is a human nature
Culture is What and How we eat
What differentiate cultures from each other

Cultural Artifacts
• Symbols
• Values
• Stereotypes
 1.Artifacts
• everything from the physical layout, the dress
code, the manner in which people address each
other, the smell and feel of the place
2- Symbols
culture is symbolic, these symbols are unique
to group of people)
 Culture is verbal and Non-verbal

• Verbal

• Non-verbal
• 3-Cultural Values
• Are common standards of what is acceptable,
unacceptable or right wrong in a community.

Hospitality
appoitment /rendez –vous
commitment
• Bye verbal

Non-verbal
THANK YOU