I.
Culture
1)DEFINITION OF CULTURE:
"Culture...is that complex whole which
includes knowledge, art, beliefs, law, custom
and any other capabilities and habits acquired
by man as a member of a society."
English anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor.
2)Characteristics of Culture:
• Culture is learned: it is not biological; we
do not receive it. Much of learning culture is
unconscious. We learn culture from families,
peers, institutions, and media. The process of
learning culture is known as enculturation.
While all humans have basic biological needs
such as food, sleep, and marriage, the way we
fulfill those needs varies cross-culturally.
• Culture is innovative: innovation means
new objects or ideas introduced to a
culture for the first time. Culture in general is
a means of solving problems. It is a tool
composed of the capacity to abstract and
conceptualize, to cooperate and coordinate
complex collective activities, and to modify
and construct the world to suit human
purposes. So, the existence of different
cultures refers to the different means by
which humans use innovation to free
themselves from biological and environmental
constraints.
• Culture is restraining: it can
adapt and respond to capitalism
uniquely
according to its specific shared
heritages.
Culture is a dynamic within the
culture of innovation and restriction.
This means that cultures interact
and change. Because most cultures
are in contact with other cultures,
they exchange ideas and symbols.
All cultures change, otherwise, they
would have problems adapting to
changing environments.
3)CULTURE UNIVERSALS:
Cultural universals are patterns or
traits that are globally common to all
societies.
Examples of Cultural Universals
given by the anthropologist George
Murdock(1897-1985):
1) Family structure: It handles sexual
reproduction and the care of the
children.
2) Human survival: finding food,
clothing, and shelter.
3) Shared human experiences: such
as birth and death, or illness and
healing.
4)ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL
RELATIVISM:
1- Ethnocentrism means judging or
evaluating another culture based on
how it compares to one's own
culture.
Ethnocentrism has a negative side.
As sociologist William Graham
Sumner (1840-1910) described it, it
involves a belief or attitude that
one's own culture is better than all
others (1906).
Ethnocentrism has also a positive
side which is appreciating and pride
in one's culture.
Ethnocentrism can lead to:
Cultural imperialism: the
intentional imposition of one's
cultural values on another culture
(eg: European colonization
expansion)
Culture shock: ethnocentrism can be
so strong that when confronted with
all the differences of a new culture,
one experiences disorientation and
frustration, which sociologically
means culture shock. may
experience
When someone moves to another
culture, to study, work, or live,
he/she experiences culture shock,
going through four stages.
Discovery, immersion, acceptance.
Honeymoon, Frustration,
Adjustment, and Acceptance.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, culture is a dynamic
and universal aspect of human life
that shapes how societies function
and adapt. It is learned, shared, and
continuously evolving, reflecting
both innovation and tradition.
Understanding concepts like cultural
universals, ethnocentrism, and
cultural relativism allows us to
appreciate the diversity of human
experiences while fostering empathy
and reducing biases. By recognizing
these complexities, we can better
navigate and contribute to our
increasingly interconnected world.
