Key Features of Culture

CHAPTER 2: KEY FEATURES OF CULTURE  In multiculturalism, there is also a need to learn 2 the key features of culture that makes it different from other concepts. In article published by the Sociology Group in 2018, culture is different from...

CHAPTER 2: KEY FEATURES OF CULTURE  In multiculturalism, there is also a need to learn 2 the key features of culture that makes it different from other concepts. In article published by the Sociology Group in 2018, culture is different from other concepts because culture……. ▪ Culture is Learned ▪ Culture is Social ▪ Culture is Shared ▪ Culture is Transmitted ▪ Culture is Continuous ▪ Culture is Accumulative ▪ Culture is Integrated ▪ Culture is Changing ▪ Culture Varies from Society to Society  CULTURE IS LEARNED The first teacher of a child is his/her family, especially those who interact with the child closely. As years goes by, a child learns many things from the family, such as how to talk, walk, behave appropriately, and worship. As the child’s circle of acquaintances increases, so does the continuous learnings. In some instances, while the child/person may acquire and learn new things, some of the old things they know maybe forgotten or replaced. Culture has to be taught by someone, usually an older person, that valued by the younger person. It is learn through constant practice, reminder, and action. The elements of culture such as beliefs, ways of life, and languages, can be learned nd shared together and create lasting and powerful relationships. A community with people of varied cultures can learn from the culture of another community or people groups. The person, thus, will not be the same from how they were a child to how they will be as an adult, nor will they be the same as the other members of their immediate family through the years.  CULTURE IS SOCIAL 4 A person needs to interact with other people for culture to be transmitted. It cannot be "kept in a cabinet" nor be kept a secret from the members. The more you interact with other people, the wider your appreciation for things, values, and concepts will be, and the more it will live on. Through interaction with other people, you see how other people behave, act, and make decisions. Beliefs and values will guide a person whether to retain or change their culture in the future as socialization, beliefs, and other elements change through the years. In many instances, if the reason for the practice is not explained well, then succeeding generations may not appreciate this practice anymore.  CULTURE IS SHARED Culture is not something that an individual can pass to a person but is shared by a common group of people in a given area. Various elements such arts, language, religion, values, and beliefs are all shared by one person to another, such as members of a family or a community. These beliefs and practices are accepted by everyone equally. A group of people, several households, a barangay, a district, a city, or a province may share some of elements of culture. This shared culture is what is transmitted to the other members of the community throughout the succeeding generations. In instances when a cultural element dies, it can be traced back to its weak transmission, perhaps its lack of documentation and practice, and so it loses its meaning to the younger members of the community. An example will be dialects that have died because there were no speakers of the dialect. CULTURE IS TRANSMITTED 6 The transmittal of culture can be done through practice, written form, or verbal form. What is important is that there is a means or method used wherein the elements of culture are passed on to other persons and other generations. Usually, the patriarch or matriarch of the family is the holder of the family practices. All these elders band together to ensure that there is continued practice of the unique culture, whether it is a formal or informal designation. If there is no one to ensure that these elements are practiced, these elements will die. On the other hand, they may take another path, either adapt a more relaxed version or follow a practice of another group of people.  7 CULTURE IS CONTINUOUS The transmission of the cultural elements of one group must be continuous from one generation to the next. This will ensure that there is a common understanding of the practices, history, and origin. Understanding the basis of the practice is critical as it explains the rationale for the practice. People want to know the reasons behind a practice, especially the youth, when the oft- repeated question is "Why?" If there is no resolution to this, there will be challenges as some people will refuse to practice it, leading to forgetting the practice altogether. In some communities, there are attempts to revive a certain element of culture after its absence in some years. In its revitalized version, it may not be as authentic as the original and it may take several years for the restored practice to achieve a level of committed practice by its community members.  8 CULTURE IS ACCUMULATIVE With so much history in any society, there is bound to be changes in culture as compared to when it was initially practiced. The intensity is dependent on many things: the commitment of its followers, the number of followers, its documentation, the rationale of the practice, and even its interactions with other groups who may have a different practice altogether. As a result of culture being transmitted to several people, through several years, there will be changes due to the current situation in the community.  CULTURE IS INTEGRATED 9 Common practices bring people together. It is a way of sharing with others and making it easier for people to understand or give preference to others who share a common practice. There are many practices that are uniquely undertaken by a group of people. They can easily be identified as coming from a particular region or province. It is part of their life, from birth to death and all the events that happen in between. Special events such as Holy Week differ from region to region and this can be seen in the way that we celebrate it. In other countries, Holy Week is also celebrated differently.  CULTURE IS CHANGING 10 With the intersection of many variables across time and people, culture is bound to change. Developments in technology, government structure, other elements, and even in people will give rise to changes in culture. For example, there may be more effective and more efficient ways of doing something very traditional such as weaving a design from the handloom versus a machine that can do the same in a shorter time. The machine may even use different threads, resulting in the change of the cloth. Changes must be acceptable to the group who owns the original, and if members are happy with the change, then there can be change. Sometimes, however, this can result in quarrels among the members of the group and may result in the division of the community. In some instances, this can create new beginnings or new communities.  CULTURE VARIES FROM 11 SOCIETY TO SOCIETY Of the many sub-groups in a society, each one brings their own cultural mindset to a bigger community. Expect that there will be similarities and many unique practices within a given community and among the different countries also. Given these features of culture, a tourism professional should be aware and liberal in considering the uniqueness and similarities of their colleagues and customers in the workplace. A tourism professional should be very understanding, open-minded, and does not insist on their cultural beliefs or practice on other people. THANK YOU!  ACTIVITY 13 1. Individual / Group / Class work A. Identify a practice in your family that is culturally based. B. Ask your parents or grandparents about the origin of practice, including the province, city, or district. C. Describe the practice and use visuals to present the practice. Include the following: i. Name ii. Province/District iii. Description of the element of the culture-the rationale for it, the background of the element, etc. iv. Changes that have happened to it since your grandparents time. v. Explanation as to why it was changed. vi. Your Reaction as a tourism professional if you have a colleague or customer who either accepts or does not accept it.  14 CRITERIA PERFORMANCE INDICATORS POINTS Provided accurate information 30 Used own and proper 20 Content interpretation of information and ideas Used simple terminologies that 15 are easy to understand Write neatly and legibly 15 Organization of ideas Expressed the points in a clear 20 and logical arrangement of ideas based on the given flow of information TOTAL POINTS EACH NUMBER 10