Understanding Cultural Diversity

Culture Defined

• Culture is the set of learned behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideals that define a specific society or population group.
• Culture encompasses learned norms, values, knowledge, artifacts, language, and symbols shared by people with a common way of life.
• Culture is the sum total of symbols, ideas, expressions, and material products of a societal system.

Factors Affecting Cultural Differences

• History
• Social backgrounds
• Religion
• Technology
• Educational backgrounds
• Ethnic origins
• Ecology

Characteristics of Culture

• Culture is learned.
• Culture is shared by a group.
• Culture is cumulative.
• Cultures change.
• Culture is dynamic.
• Culture is ideational.
• Culture is diverse.
• Cultures have a range of permissible behaviors.

Components of Culture

A. Communication

• Language
• Symbols

B. Cognitive

• Ideas
• Knowledge
• Beliefs
• Values
• Accounts

C. Behavioral

• Norms
• Mores
• Laws
• Folkways
• Rituals

D. Material

• Tools
• Medicines
• Books
• Transportation
• Technologies

Communication Component

• Language defines humanity, forming the core of culture.
• Shared language reveals a condensed, flexible system of symbols and meanings.
• Language enables communication beyond basic forms like grunts and gestures.
• Language supports symbolic interaction and non-verbal communication.

Cognitive Component - Ideas/Knowledge/Beliefs

• Ideas are mental representations (concepts, categories, metaphors) used to understand the world.
• Knowledge is the accumulation of facts, information, and assumptions.
• Beliefs are propositions, statements, or descriptions of facts accepted as true.
• Knowledge is categorized as natural, technological, supernatural, and magical.

Cognitive Component - Types of Knowledge

• Natural Knowledge encompasses biological and physical aspects of the natural world.
• Technological Knowledge is used for practical problem-solving.
• Supernatural Knowledge concerns perceptions of divine forces and spiritual beings.
• Magical Knowledge involves influencing supernatural events using nature's laws.

How Culture is Transmitted

• Enculturation: The process of learning one's own cultural upbringing, including folkways, mores, social traditions, beliefs, and values.
• Acculturation: The process of acquiring traits from another culture, as exemplified by people adapting to urban customs when migrating.

Importance and Functions of Culture

• Culture empowers individuals to reach their full potential.
• Culture helps overcome physical limitations, enabling humans to create shelters, tools, food, and clothing.
• Culture defines standards of conduct within a society.
• Culture shapes concepts of family, nation, and social class.

Cultural Relativism

• Cultural relativism is an approach to understanding cultural values, recognizing that cultures have varying values and beliefs.
• It's an anthropological perspective asserting that all cultures are equally valid and deserve neutral study.
• Cultural relativism acknowledges cultural differences in practices deemed immoral or taboo in some groups but accepted in others.

Key Terms

• Ethnocentrism: The belief that one's own culture is superior to others.
• Xenocentrism: The belief that other cultures are superior to one's own.
• Temporocentrism: The belief that one's own time period is superior to others.
• Culture Shock: Confusion and disorientation resulting from exposure to a new culture.
• Culture Lag: When culture takes time to adapt to technological advancements.
• Subculture: A distinct culture within a larger culture.
• Counterculture: A subculture that challenges or opposes the larger societal culture.