Elements of Culture: Material, Nonmaterial, and Folk

Elements of Culture

• Culture includes the beliefs, behaviors, norms, and institutions shared by a group

Culture

• Is the beliefs and traditions of a group of people
• Religion is one kind of culture

Mentifacts

• These are the ideas and beliefs that express a culture
• Are intangible, involving thought processes rather than physical objects
• Examples are religion, language, and folklore

Popular Culture

• Involves elements found in large, diverse (heterogeneous) societies that unify subcultures

Folk Culture/Folkways

• Culture that is traditionally practiced by small, similar (homogeneous) groups isolated from others

Material Culture

• Encompasses physical things people create and give meaning to, like clothing, food, tools, and architecture
• Refers to physical objects that a culture creates, that attach meaning to
• Natural objects become part of this when humans assign meaning to them

Nonmaterial Culture

• Includes creations and abstract ideas not embodied in physical objects
• Encompasses intangible aspects like social roles, rules, ethics, and beliefs

Culture vs. Nation vs. Society

• Culture is a people's shared way of living, which can exist within or across societies
• A nation is a territory with designated borders
• A society is a population interacting and sharing common interests within a nation

Anthropology Definition of Culture

• Sets of human behavior passed down from one generation to the next

Culture & Groups

• Culture requires people acting in groups, and does not exist without them
• Its function is to enable people to work together
• Is vital for human survival, by learning from others

Cultural Behavior

• Concerns any physically visible phenomenon consisting of actions undertaken by people
• Involves ethnography, which records behavior to discover why it's performed
• Best studied by observing it, relying on artifacts when direct observation is not possible

Culture: Roles, Beliefs & Morality

• Includes the roles of people in society
• Includes belief systems like religion
• Includes moral actions deemed acceptable

Culture: Adaptive

• Enables people to work in groups to survive
• Aids people in surviving their environment through shared beliefs

Ideal Culture

• Encompasses the values and norms a culture claims to have
• Is an idealized, uncompromising value system dictating perfect behavior without exceptions

Real Culture

• Encompasses the values and norms actually followed
• Is an adaptable value system that acts as a guideline for preferred behavior, where exceptions can exist

Ethnocentrism

• Is having the attitude that one's own culture is superior to others
• Measuring the validity or morality of other cultures based on one's own
• Historically, imperialism and colonization are rooted in ethnocentrism
• Hinders effective communication and collaboration across cultures

Cultural Relativism

• Is understanding and judging a culture from the viewpoint of that culture, not one’s own
• Promotes the idea that there is no universal "right or wrong"
• Behavioral norms and values should exist in another culture based on our own cultural standards

Culture Shock

• The feelings of confusion and uncertainty from contact with a vastly different culture

Stages of Culture Shock

• Honeymoon Phase: Initial excitement and fascination
• Distress: Differences between home culture and new culture become apparent, leading to crisis and difficulty
• Reintegration: Understanding of the new culture increases, but dissatisfaction and resentment emerge
• Autonomy: Acceptance of the new culture and finding effective ways to deal with problems
• Independence: Biculturalism and comfort in both cultures

Reverse Culture Shock

• Disorientation from returning home after adapting to a new culture which can cause re-experiencing the stages of culture shock

Cultural Examples

• Saudi Arabian Culture: Islamic religion and Arabic language are nonmaterial culture -In comparison, American culture includes the English language and individualism as nonmaterial culture
• Kabsa, a common food in Saudi Arabia, is an example of popular culture, whereas arykah is folk culture;
• Tacos are an example of Mexican popular culture, whereas specific traditional dances are folk culture.
• Saudi Arabian Culture, the Arabic language, and traditional Saudi folklore stories represent the intangible beliefs and ideas of that culture
• In comparison, Hindu beliefs, languages like Hindi and regional folklore such as tales from the Mahabharata or Ramayana, are examples of Indian Culture

Explore the key elements of culture including beliefs, behaviors, norms, and institutions shared by a group. Learn about mentifacts, material culture encompassing physical creations, and nonmaterial culture with abstract ideas. Understand folk and popular cultures.