INTRODUCTION

‘Culture’ is one of the most important concepts in social science. It is commonly used in psychology,
political science and economics. The study of human society immediately and necessarily leads us to the
study of its culture. Culture is a unique possession of man. It is one of the distinguishing traits of human
society.

Culture is the basic entity on which the society has been built. In the ancient era there were manytypes of
culture that find no place today. Culture is also a type of society which from our birthshows our way to the
world, it is the identity of a group of people. Culture is made up of ideas,customs, norms, and social
behaviour of the society. As the time passes, the cultures of varioussocieties have evolved, but there are also
some groups or societies that have been resistant to thischange and have preserved their sacred cultures.
Various types of cultural societies are present inthe world and in India and we will discuss about such
societies and cultures, that how they gotaffected or stayed away from change.

The term culture is given a wide variety of meanings and interpretations. Some of them are purely non
-sociological if not completely wrong. People use culture interchangeably with educated, they use the term
cultured for an educated person while they use uncultured for a person who lacks education. Difference
between cultured and uncultured i.e sense of rules, regulation and refinement.

Definition of Culture
B. Malinowski has defined culture as the cumulative creation of man. He also regards culture as the
handiwork of man and medium through which he achieved his ends.
Graham Wallas, an English sociologist has defined culture as an accumulation of thoughts, values and
objects; it is social heritage acquired by us from preceding generations through learning, as distinguished
from the biological heritage which is passed on to us automatically through the genes.
C.C Northis of the opinion that culture ‘consists in the instruments constituted by man to assist him in
satisfying his wants.’

Robert Bierstedt is of the opinion that culture is the complex whole that consists of all the ways we think and
do and everything we have as members of society.

E.V de Roberty regards culture as ‘the body of thoughts and knowledge, both theoretical and practical,
which only man can possess.

Edward B. Tylor, a famous English anthropologist, has defined culture as ‘that complex whole which
includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man
as member of society’. Tylor’s definition is widely quoted and used today.

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Durkheim's Cultural Theory of Social Order

Through his study of the role of religion in primitive and traditional societies, French sociologist Émile
Durkheim came to believe that social order arose out the shared beliefs, values, norms, and practices of a
given group of people. His view locates the origins of social order in the practices and interactions of daily
life as well as those associated with rituals and important events. In other words, it is a theory of social order
that puts culture at the forefront.

Durkheim theorized that it was through the culture shared by a group, community, or society that a sense of
social connection—what he called solidarity—emerged between and among people and that worked to bind
them together into a collective. Durkheim referred to a group's shared collection of beliefs, values, attitudes,
and knowledge as the "collective conscience

The term “Collective Conscience” was introduced by the French Sociologist Emile Durkheim in 1893, in his
famous book “Division of Labour in Society”. In his Rules of Sociological Method, Durkheim’s social or
collective conscience ascends from his social theory.

The collective conscience is usually a term or idea or belief or moral attitudes in the society. Therefore, it is
a collection of common ideas, believes strengthen our group, family or the society to bring together for a
particular aim. Generally, in this era, this term contributes much collective goodness, affection, faith, and
more.

In primitive and traditional societies Durkheim observed that sharing these things was enough to create a
"mechanical solidarity" that bound the group together. In the larger, more diverse, and urbanized societies of
modern times, Durkheim observed that it was the recognition of the need to rely on each other to fulfill
different roles and functions that bound society together. He called this "organic solidarity."

Durkheim also observed that social institutions—such as the state, media, education, and law enforcement—
play formative roles in fostering a collective conscience in both traditional and modern societies. According
to Durkheim, it is through our interactions with these institutions and with the people around us that we
participate in the maintenance of rules and norms and behaviour that enable the smooth functioning of
society. In other words, we work together to maintain social order.

Durkheim's view became the foundation for the functionalist perspective which views society as the sum of
interlocking and interdependent parts that evolve together to maintain social order

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Characteristics of Culture

1. Culture is learnt: Culture is not inherited biologically, but learnt socially by man. As we grow, we
learn new things in life such as greeting people and responding with a thank you when someone
helps you that is why culture is also known as learned ways of behaviour.

2. Culture is social: Culture is not present in vacuum. It is social, as man talk with each, interact with
each other which originate and develop the culture. Man becomes man only among men.

3. Culture is shared : Culture is something which is shared. It is not something which an individual
can posses. For example rituals, customs, traditions, etc are not performed by an individual but are
shared by a group.’ Culture is something adopted, used, believed, practised, or possessed by more
than one person. It depends upon group life for its existence.’

4. Culture is transmissive: It means that culture can be transmitted from one generation to another by
various ways such as parents pass on culture traits on their children and they in turn to their children.
It is not passed through genes but passed by language. Language in its different forms like reading
writing and speaking. Language is also part of culture different cultures can have different languages
so unfolding of language makes path of generation a wide field.

5. Culture is continuous and cumulative: Culture is continuous as it is present from the existence of
men and will be there till the existence of men. It is growing hole which is present in itself. It is also
referred to as the social heritage of men by Linton.

6. Culture is consistent and integrated: Culture, in its development has revealed a tendency to be
consistent. At the same time different parts of the culture are interconnected. For example, the value
system of society is closely connected with its other aspects such as morality, religion, customs and
so on.

7. Culture is dynamic and adaptive: Culture is not static, it is subjected to slow but constantly
changes. Changes and growth are latent in nature. We find amazing growth in present Indian time
when we compare it to vedic times. It is constantly changing and adapting new rules of life as
moving forward.
8. Culture is gratifying: Culture provides proper opportunities and prescribes means for the
satisfaction of our needs and desires. Our need for food, shelter, and clothing on one hand and our
desire for status , name, fame, money, etc., are all, for example fulfilled according to the cultural
ways.
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9. Culture varies from society to society: Every society has its culture of its own. Culture of every
society is unique to itself. Different societies have different customs, rituals, traditions, morals,
ideals, values, ideologies, etc.

10. Culture is superorganic and ideational: By superorganic Herbert spencer means that culture is
neither organic nor inorganic but it is above these two. The term implies social meaning of physical
objects and physiological acts. For example nation flag is not just ‘a piece of coloured cloth’. The
flag represents a nation. Further every society consider its culture as ideal.

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