CULTURE

DEFINITION
 Ralph Linton: the way of life of its
members; the collection of ideas and habits
which they learn, share and transmit from
generation to generation.

 Clyde Kluckholm: a ‘design for living’ held

by the members of a society.
 Key Characteristics
 It is shared
 It is learned
 It is dynamic
 Components of Culture
 Symbol
 Values
 Beliefs
 Norms:
 Mores
 Folkways
 Prescriptive
 Proscriptive
 Material culture
 Types of Culture
 High culture: the elite
 Popular culture: common to the wider society.

 Subculture: shares some elements with the

general culture but still maintains unique
elements.
 Counter culture: “Outright rejection of
conventional ideas or behaviour” Macionis
 Cultural Change
 Invention: new objects, ideas and social
patterns are created.

 Discovery: new purposes are found for

existing resources.

 Diffusion: This refers to the spread of a

cultural trait, ideas or behaviour
from one society to another.
 Cultural Variability
 Cultures vary around the world, some are
similar, some are different.

 Difficulty adjusting to a new culture is known

as culture shock.
Responses to Cultural Variability
 Ethnocentrism:
 Individuals cast judgment on another’s culture on
the basis of their own value and belief systems.
This can lead to segregation, discrimination and
oppression.

 Cultural Relativity:
 Objectivity should be applied to understanding
cultures. As such cultural practices must be
understood within the context and environment
that it occurs.
 Theoretical Perspectives of Culture
 Functionalism:
 Society is a stable system comprised of
interdependent and interrelated parts.
 Culture functions to maintain this order and
stability.
 It acts as the ‘glue’ between members of a society
 Cultural Universals: traits that are characteristic of
every society. Eg. Family (Murdock), funeral rites
and jokes
Critique:
 Cultural stability ignores the impact of change

 Cultural universals ignore the relevance of

cultural diversity
 Some cultural patterns dominate others
reflecting the constant power struggle in
society.
 Conflict theory:
 Inequality and conflict are characteristic of
society.

 One group usually dominates all others in

society.

 ‘Common” values reflect the culture of the

dominant class.
 “Culture in its many forms may thus serve as a
mechanism for encouraging people to accept the
existing social order uncritically: as a means of
winning consent” (Macionis)

 Inequality allows for change.

Critique:
 Fails to identify the areas in society that promote
integration.