Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of cultural materialism?
What is the primary goal of cultural materialism?
Which philosophical perspective argues that culture is used to manipulate the lower classes?
Which philosophical perspective argues that culture is used to manipulate the lower classes?
What is the term for the set of customs, traditions, and values of a society or community?
What is the term for the set of customs, traditions, and values of a society or community?
What is the analytical stance that holds that cultures cannot be objectively ranked or evaluated?
What is the analytical stance that holds that cultures cannot be objectively ranked or evaluated?
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What is the term for the peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between different cultures inhabiting the same territory?
What is the term for the peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between different cultures inhabiting the same territory?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of culture as defined by EB Taylor?
Which of the following is a characteristic of culture as defined by EB Taylor?
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What is the main distinction between high culture and low culture?
What is the main distinction between high culture and low culture?
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What is an example of an immaterial aspect of culture?
What is an example of an immaterial aspect of culture?
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What is the term for the mass-produced and mass-mediated forms of consumer culture of the 20th century?
What is the term for the mass-produced and mass-mediated forms of consumer culture of the 20th century?
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What is a cultural universal, according to the concept of culture?
What is a cultural universal, according to the concept of culture?
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Study Notes
Definition of Culture
- Culture is the complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
- It is the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time.
Aspects of Culture
- Cultural universals are aspects of human behavior found in all human societies, such as language, social practices, expressive forms, and technologies.
- Material culture includes physical expressions of culture like technology, architecture, and art.
- Immaterial culture includes principles of social organization, mythology, philosophy, literature, and science.
Cultural Sophistication
- Cultural sophistication is the degree to which an individual or society has cultivated a particular level of sophistication in the arts, sciences, education, or manners.
- This level of sophistication can distinguish civilizations from less complex societies.
Hierarchy of Culture
- Hierarchical perspectives on culture distinguish between high culture of the social elite and low, popular culture or folk culture of the lower classes.
Other Aspects of Culture
- In common parlance, culture often refers to symbolic markers used by ethnic groups to distinguish themselves visibly from each other.
- Mass culture refers to mass-produced and mass-mediated forms of consumer culture.
- Cultural materialism holds that human symbolic culture arises from the material conditions of human life.
Theoretical Perspectives
- Marxism and Conflict Theory argue that culture is often used politically as a tool of the elites to manipulate the lower classes and create a false consciousness.
- Cultural relativism holds that cultures cannot easily be objectively ranked or evaluated because any evaluation is necessarily situated within the value system of a given culture.
Subcultures and Multiculturalism
- A subculture is a specific practice within a subgroup of a society.
- Multiculturalism values the peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between different cultures inhabiting the same territory.
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Description
Explore the concept of culture, its definition, and its significance in anthropology, including its aspects and phenomena.
