Overview of Culture and Its Definitions

Culture Overview

• Culture encompasses all aspects of a group's way of life, including behavior, philosophies, ethics, morals, manners, customs, traditions, and various activities like religious, political, and economic ones.
• Humans are born and raised within a cultural environment, unlike other animals.
• Culture is a learned system of behavior shared among group members and passed down through generations.
• Culture is essential to understanding society; the two are inseparable.
• Culture shapes social interaction, maintains order, and influences everyday actions and experiences within a society.

Definitions of Culture

• Tylor defines culture as the complex whole encompassing knowledge, beliefs, art, law, customs, and other capabilities acquired by humans as members of society.
• Roberty defines culture as the body of thoughts and knowledge, theoretical and practical, unique to humans.
• North defines culture as the tools and instruments humans create to satisfy their needs.

Nature of Culture

• Culture is an acquired trait, not inherent.
• It is a social inheritance, not individual.
• Culture is idealistic, representing the values and norms of a group.
• Culture comprises the collective social heritage of a group, transmitted across generations.
• Culture fulfills specific needs and is an integrated system, its parts interconnected so that new elements are integrated.
• Language is a crucial vehicle for transmitting and perpetuating culture across time.

Characteristics of Culture

• Culture is shared, acquired at birth, and passed down through generations.
• Culture, like a blueprint, guides a society in daily life.
• Culture is learned, not innate. Unlearned behaviors are physiological, while learned behaviors are cultural (e.g. shaking hands).
• Culture is social, not an individual phenomenon. Culture is developed through interactions with other people.
• Culture is shared by more than one person. Its existence relies on group interactions.
• Culture is transmitted through language, which encompasses oral, written, and other expressions. Culture can be transmitted through imitation or instruction.
• Culture is continuous and progressive, building upon past achievements and adapting to future needs.
• Culture is dynamic and adaptable, always changing and evolving.
• Culture varies from society to society; it is not uniform.

Types of Culture

• Material culture comprises the tangible objects produced and used by a society.
  • Examples: clothing, food, furniture, buildings.
• Non-material culture includes intangible elements of culture.
  • Examples: beliefs, habits, rituals, practices, thinking, feeling, acting, language

Evolution of Culture

• Specific cultural evolution can be difficult to trace, but it is clear that culture is as old as man.
• Discoveries and inventions help in understanding cultural changes.

Diversity and Uniformity of Culture

• Culture is a set of behaviors within a group; the diverse cultures are often grouped together through shared languages, customs, and traditions.
• Cultural diversity arises from variations within groups in beliefs, traditions, etc. and across different societies.
• Geographical location, behavior imitation, flexibility, technological advancements, religious beliefs, lifestyles, and languages are diverse cultural factors.

Culture and Civilization

• Culture refers to the ideas, customs, and social behaviors of a particular group.
• Civilization encompasses society, culture, and way of life of an area.
• Culture is an end, without specific measurement parameters; it is internal. Cultural change is a gradual process.
• Civilization is external and has set measurement standards; it progressively develops over time through technology, devices, and infrastructure.

Culture and Socialization

• Culture encompasses beliefs, values, behaviors, and material objects shared by a group.
• Socialization is a process shaping and defining people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, instilling societal values and norms.
• Socialization teaches human beings societal norms and values, influencing their everyday lives.
• Individuals are born without culture; they are transformed into culturally adapted humans, or through socialization.

Transcultural Society

• Transculturalism describes seeing oneself through the lens of another culture, or combining different aspects of cultures.
• Transcultural society involves the transfer of cultural traits through various means (direct contact, media, etc.) and transcends geographical boundaries and generations.
• Cultural traits are transmitted through language and social interaction.

Culture and Modernization

• Most modern societies are multicultural, encompassing various cultures and a mutual respect for different perspectives and methods of life.
• Modern society generally embraces cultural differences without dominance of any one culture.