CULTURE AND SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE
Definition

 An idea created to describe a reality that people

experience, the behaviors, and assumptions
common to group that distinguish one group from
others
 German word “Kultur” – to develop or growth
 A more abstract concept referring to the advance
or growth of “spirit”, “mind”, or “civilization”, present
in Greek philosophy and resurfaced among
German idealist philosophers in the 18th -19th century
 Definition
man’s social and material inventions , man’s
artificial or man-made environment including the
learned ways of doing things
social heritage of a society
the total and distinctive way of life or designs for
living of any society
tells one what to do, what not to do and how to
do things
Definition

 According to Edward Tylor

“… that complex whole which

includes knowledge, beliefs, art,
law, customs, values and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by
man as a member of society”
Characteristics of Culture
Culture is learned
Culture is gratifying
Culture is adaptive, stable yet
dynamic
Culture is an integrated whole
Culture has sanctions and controls
Culture is material or immaterial
Components of Culture
1. Norms

guidelines to follow in relation with one another

shared rules (right or wrong)
Folkways or Mores
Folkways

habits, customs, traditions, conventions

customary and habitual
Mores
vital to well-being ; cherished
moral and ethical significance
coercive and compulsory
2 Types
1. Positive Mores or Duty –
“Thou shall behavior”
2. Negative Mores or Taboo –
“Thou shall not behavior”
 2. Ideas, Beliefs and Values

Ideas - non-material ; embody man’s conception

of his physical, social and cultural world
Beliefs - man’s conviction of certain idea ;
embodies people’s perception of reality
Values - abstract concepts of what is important
and worthwhile ; provide foundation that
underlies a people’s entire life
3. Material Culture

artifacts
concrete and tangible objects
produced and used by man to
satisfy various needs and wants
4. Symbols

Object, gesture, sound, color,

design that represents something
“other than self”
Modes of Acquiring Culture
Modes of Acquiring Culture

1. Imitation
2. Formal and Informal Teaching
3. Conditioning
Functions of Culture
1. Culture provides behavioral patterns

unlike other animals, he has ready-made set of

patterns awaiting him which he needs only to
learn and to follow
his group has so defined every situation that
facilitates adjustments
2.Culture maintains the biologic
functioning of the group

with culture, man is provided with certain

built-in mechanism to survive
3. Culture gives meaning and direction
to one’s existence
4. Culture offers ready-made solutions
to man’s material and immaterial
problems
5. Culture develops man’s attitude
and values and gives him a
conscience
Critics of Culture
“The Work of Culture”
by Raul Pertierra
While the forces of globalization often lead to a
homogenization of the world, these same forces
also simultaneously encourage an awareness of
cultural difference
 Modernity vs. Post Modernity
Modern states are converting themselves into
knowledge regimes to meet the challenges of
contemporary governance. Under these
conditions, intellectuals play an important role
either as providers of knowledge or as facilitators
for identifying the growing knowledge-needs of the
society
culture becomes prescriptive
rather than descriptive
National culture becomes
the basis for, but not of
experience and knowledge
Culture locates and orientates, it also dislocates
and disorientates. Culture locates and marginalizes
Culture is no longer able to provide a common
umbrella of meanings for it is also fragmented and
disenfranchised
Modernity separated culture from nature in order to
ensure culture’s autonomy; Post modernity
detaches culture from society by individualizing it.
(Giddens, 1990)