Culture PDF

# Lect.-3 ## CULTURE, CULTURAL CONCEPTS & THEIR ROLE IN AG-EXT. ### CULTURE :- (Meaning) Learned behaviour, which has been organized into patterns & is shared & transmitted among the members of society, is Rla Culture. Sociologists have developed the concept of culture in order to explain the regu...

# Lect.-3 ## CULTURE, CULTURAL CONCEPTS & THEIR ROLE IN AG-EXT. ### CULTURE :- (Meaning) Learned behaviour, which has been organized into patterns & is shared & transmitted among the members of society, is Rla Culture. Sociologists have developed the concept of culture in order to explain the regularity in human actions. In social science, culture refers to what is learned by individuals as members of society. Culture is a way of life, mode of thinking, acting and feeling. and it refers to the distinct way of life of a group of people. , a complete design of living. Culture is the continually changing pattern of learned behaviour (including attitude, values, knowledge and material objects), which are shared by and transmitted among the members of society. Culture includes not only the way of making things and doing things, but the pattern of the relationships and attitudes, beliefs and ideas they have and even the feelings with which people respond. Culture stands for the moral, spiritual and intellectual attainment of man. In other words, culture includes everything the man learns or acquires as members of a particular society. All the members of group share culture, All human societies have culture but the contents differ and all cultures have customs, language, major institutions and some type of technology, which is shared by the members of the society. The study of culture helps to understand the behaviour of people in different parts of the world. Extension worker should have knowledge of elements of culture that are important in relation to work. ### DEFINITION OF CULTURE :- by different sociologists Culture is the sum total of the ways in which human beings live and transmitted from generation to generation by learning (Coon) Culture is the complex world whole, which includes knowledge, belief, art, moral, law, customs and any other capability and habits acquired by them as members of society (Tylor) Culture may be the thought in terms of two different orders (According to Ralph Linton) 1. **Overt** (which can be seen) orders of culture are material produce of society, implements tools etc. and event - **Behavioral patterns of persons (आचार-विचार)**: - **Mores etc.**: - The essential or characteristic Customs & conventions of a society or community (moral norms) eg- Stealing, lying, gossiping bullying, trespassing etc. - **Like customs, folkways that describes a behaviour of a particular community e-g- dressing appropriately in social system at work, regular, patterned behaviour etc. characteristic of life e-g- shaking hands, wearing bowing etc. are methods of greeting people eg- school uniform, raising your hand to speak, post your not spitting on the sidewalks only, having 2. **Covert** (which cannot be seen or are hidden) order of culture is psychological like attitudes, values etc. held by the individuals or group. ### FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE :- 1. Culture provides basic foundation and design for social living. 2. Culture fulfils biological and socio-economic needs eg- reproduction, shelter, relationships etc. 3. Co-operation and coordination among the individuals or groups is the products of culture. 4. Culture provides individual a set of ready-made definition of situation. 5. Culture provides a map of all our life activities. 6. Culture acts as a means of social control through norms, folkways and laws. 7. It defines the pattern of behavioural for individuals so that he acts according to the behavioral pattern prescribed and defined by the society. # 3 CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE :- 1. Only human beings possess the culture, other animals do not possess it. - Man has created the culture during the process of controlling himself, others and nature. 2. Culture is learned and is learned through the process of socialization, Communication, training etc.. It is not 3. Culture is transmitted from generation to generation: - Learned from parents and transmitted to children. 4. Culture is universal as well as unique :- Culture is found in all societies, but each society has its own specific pattern. 5. Culture is a social & not individual heritage of man-me has to learn the tradition, customs from society in which he is living. 6. Culture is integrative - While different aspect of culture may pull in different directions, there is consistency and integration so that the society is held together. अनुकूलता 7. Culture builds Conformity - The pattern of behaviour behaviour which conforms to rules & customs in a culture is considered as ideal, towards which people are expected to strive. 8. Culture is static as well as dynamic - Culture has permanence but it changes over time. 9. Culture is relative - There is nothing like good culture or bad culture, culture is interpreted according to a persons or a society own experience. 10. Culture is diverse : Culture varies from country to country and in different areas within a country. Ecological diversity is an important source of cultural difference. 11. Culture is accumulating - It goes on increasing in size acts to the funds of his knowledge, & regarding the science or literature in each generation. This knowledge is preserved in the form of books, films and pictures. ## 3 IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE :- 1. Culture transforms human, animal to man: Respect for elders, cooperation and help, mercy to poor etc. are behavioral patterns which are the components of culture. 2. Culture regulates the behaviour of people. Concepts like family, state, nation, class are the products of culture and helps coordination and division of labour. 3. Culture gives individuals or groups the feeling of unity with the group. 4. A culture change is the basic to extension, as though we seek to introduce changes in extension efforts the behaviour of the people. 5. Culture change takes place through discovery and invention and by diffusion and borrowing. This discovery and invention comes from within a society and culture and the diffusion and borrowing from another culture outside the society. ## 4 STRUCTURE OF CULTURE The structure of culture consist of various units like cultural trait, complexes and cultural patterns 1. **Culturat Trait** - Any single idea going to form a culture material non-material is called as cultural trait eg- Pagodi, Sari, dhoti. and topy are and all material traits and to cover face by sari to respect are non-material traits. 2. **Cultural Complexes** - Cultural complex is a combination of unnaturally attached culture pattern eg- thread ceremony in Hindu Brahmin is the example of clusterinity which includes many traits together. 3. **Cultural patterns** - is an objective expression of a way of doing or believing that is common, mo. of people. It ranges from very simple to the very complex. It becomes the behaviour trait of children, youth & adults. ## FEW gmp. TERMS ### 3 SOCIALIZATION: According to Chitambar, J.B, Socialization is the process by which an individual conducts his social & cultural world. Through Socialization man is formed into a social being and no one can avoid this process. Every child is born into a social environment Societies transform the untrained human into an effective member of society using such agencies, means and methods as are socially acceptable. ### ETHNOCENTRISM :- Ethnocentrism is the tendency of man to consider his own culture of high value & superior to all others, and judge other cultures in terms of standard values that exist in his culture (Chitambar, J.B. Effects of Ethnocentrism - - Ethnocentrism promotes loyalty to the group - Ethnocentrism promotes greater conformity within the group. - Ethnocentrism causes resistance to change in the culture. - Ethnocentrism serves as hindrance in the intercultural and international relations. ### ACCULTURATION :- Acculturation refers to the phenomenon that occurs when people of different cultures come into continuous contact, resulting in subsequent changes in the original cultural patterns of either one culture or both. For eg- change in food habit, dress, form of speech, values etc, ### 3 CULTURAL CONTINUITY :- The cultural aspects both material and non-material do exist and disappear seldom. The past has been useful to the people for present as well as future and cultural continuity is maintained in society. ### CULTURAL INERTIA - The resistance to the change in culture by an individual or groups of the people has been termed as cultural inertia. It has been sometimes and additional useless liability of retaining the cultural behavioral that has no longer any utility. ### CULTURAL LAG - Strength and intensity of resistance to changes thus varies because certain aspects of culture persist more than others. Culture lag is tendency for non-material aspects of culture to persist longer than that of material aspects and occurs when different parts of culture change at an unequal rate, leaving some aspects lagging behind others. ## 4 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE In general, culture comprises of Several elements viz., Customs, Norms, folkways, Mores, Taboos, Cultural laws, Belief, Rituals, Traditions and Convention. ### 1 Customs Customs are socially approved ways of acting. Customs are the accepted ways in which people do things together. Customs are socially prescribed forms of behaviour transmitted by tradition and enforced by social disapproval of its violation (not doing). Customs may also be defined as a habitual form of meeting people & training the young, supporting the aged etc. are some of the customs of society. Our acting, our dressing, your worship are controlled to a great extent by customs. We agree most of the customs of the group to which we belong. ### 2 Norms All Societies have some norms or rules which specify appropriate and inappropriate behaviour An individual is rewarded or punished as he conforms to or deviate from the rules). Norms are the general rule that governs or regulate social action. Norms are the blue print of the behaviour, setting limits within which individuals may seek alternate ways to achieve their goals ### 3 Folkways Folkways are expected forms of behaviour (everyday behaviour) but are not rigidly enforced. Folkways are standard of behaviour that are socially approved (breaking of folkways does not cause any serious harm) but not morally significant. The folkways are the right ways to do things because they are the expected ways. Examples of folkways are : good manners, entering home only after removing shoes, lady touching feet of the her mother-in-law, Rajput wearing a turban , greeting others with folded hands, hairstyle etc. ### 4 Mores Mores may be defined as those customs which are held to be essential to Ethical or moral values of people. Mores are socially acceptable ways of behaviour that do involve moral standards (regulations) and violation of mores may result in severe social action or sanction, such as ostracism (exclusion of individual or family from the village or society). Society exerts pressure to conform the regular pattern and if not followed individual gets penalty from society. Examples of Mores:- Honesty is one of the recognized mores of the society, saluting the National Flag, standing during the playing of National Anthem, Monogamy (having one wife or husband), women & children first in the event of crisis, ### 5 Taboos (forbid) -(generally the term 'Mores' is used for the positive action or things that ought to be done but the term "Taboo' is used for the negative action and for the things that one ought not todo) Taboos are restrictions communicated through verbal don'ts and are the unwritten laws of the society Takodeans It refers to the prohibitions of the types of behaviour because of some magical, supernatural (God) or religious sanction. Examples of taboo :- Total self denial of eating beef in Hindu village or Hindu religion and eating pork in Muslim religion, marriage within the family among Hindu etc. ### 6 Cultural Laws These are consciously and deliberately formulated behaviour patterns. Men are aware of having created them or certainty of having codified them. They are rational and practical in character. Norms which are written official. eg-Driving while drunk, murder etc, ### 7 Belief Belief are fixed ideas in the mind and we tend to hold them true, they are the facts but not always significantly true, yet handed down from generation to generation and become the dogma of realization. Beliefs are strong faith over non-scientific facts. Beliefs system is the view of individuals and group about the world in which he lives. A belief system may be defined as an organized body of ideas & convictions centered around values or things regarded as precious to the group, ### 8 Rituals Rituals is prescribed form of behaviour for certain occasions and in rituals, actions are designated in prescribed or ceremony. Rituals be defined as a pattern, of behaviour or manner, of behaviour has become the customary way of dealing with certain situations. #### Ceremony It is more comprehensive concept within rituals folks. They are the established procedure of formal and dignified ways to make the impress the importance of an event or occasion. Generally rituals are discussed as an aspect of religion. Religion is found in all established form of activities. and it may include prayers, worship. Examples of rituals - playing with crackers on Diwali, Celebration of Independence Day, Celebration of Republic day. ### 9 Traditions Traditions are uniform sanctioned habits of thought followed in a society, ex:- Cow is pious animal is an accepted thought in Hindu people ### 10 Conventions These are customs regulating more significant social behaviour. Parents generally do not care to leave such learning to chance they instructs their children the conventions though often they cannot explain why the why the child must Examples of Conventions are being polite to others, wearing clothes in public, engagement practices etc. ## DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORES & TABOOS - **Mores** refer to positive action - **Mores** are the customs regarded by the members of the society as vital or essential - **Mores** things ought to be done. eg: Monogamy, honesty etc. - **Taboos** refer to negative action. - **Taboos** are the customs which are forbidden. - **Taboos** Here things ought not to be done. eg: eating of beef in Hindu religion. - **Folkways** - **Folkways**: These are the customary ways of behaving in society. - **Folkways**: Persons who do not conform may be subjected to criticism or be considered 'strange but would not necessarily penalized. - **Folkways**: If violated will not have severe effect on society. eg: Good manners, greeting others etc. ## ROLE OF CULTURE IN AGRICULTURE EXTENSION :- - There is lot of difference between the culture and thinking of the people in different societies. The extension worker try to understand the cultural pattern of the area where he intends to introduce the development program - Culture is dynamic & continuously changes because of internal as well as external forces of stimuli. Community development aims at bringing about the changes in the people towards desired goals. Scientific - It is possible to record great success when the improved practices introduced are in familiar terms. i.e. Something that is already present in the culture eg- Improved plough with iron ploughshare. - Change is more likely to occur in those aspects of culture where is lack of adjustment or stress, than in those aspects, which are established and fixed eg: Introduction of improved practices in areas which are rehabilitated on account of floods or fire. - Change in technology is usually more readily accounted than change in other aspects of culture eg- Introducing of improved seed of a crop.