WEEK 1: CULTURE

INTRODUCTION

In this section, we shall refer and discuss some of the popular definitions of culture. We shall also

examine some elements of culture and the terminologies often associated with culture.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this unit, students should be able to

 Define culture and appreciate what it is

 State and explain the elements, characteristics and terminologies associated with culture
 CULTURE

Introduction

This section discusses culture, its elements, characteristics and some cultural terminologies. As a

defining aspect of what it means to be human, culture is a central concept in anthropology,

encompassing the range of phenomena that are transmitted through social learning in human

societies. The word is used in a general sense as the evolved ability to categorize and represent

experiences with symbols and to act imaginatively and creatively. According to E.B Taylor

culture denotes the totality of a people, their thoughts about life, their learned and shared patterns

of behaviour as well as their understanding concerning the meaning of judgements on the value

of things, ideas, emotions and actions. The culture of the people is their total way of life: it is

seen in their values, worship, the way they regulate their social and personal relations and

manage the affairs of their state among others.

Culture is expressed in both tangible and intangible forms. Tangible or material forms of culture

are expressed in terms of food, diverse technology, visual arts and symbols, architecture,

monetary medium of exchange among others. Intangible or non-material forms are expressed in

relation to language, philosophical thoughts, morals, beliefs, folklores, festivals, music and dance

etc.

Characteristics of Culture

Culture has five basic characteristics: It is learned, shared, based on symbols, integrated, and

dynamic. All cultures share these basic features.

  Culture is learned. It is not biological; we do not inherit 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 sex, the way we fulfill those needs varies cross-culturally.

 Culture is shared. Because we share culture with other members of our group, we are
able

to act in socially appropriate ways as well as predict how others will act. Despite the

shared nature of culture, that doesn’t mean that culture is homogenous (the same).

 Culture is based on symbols. A symbol is something that stands for something else.

Symbols vary cross-culturally and are arbitrary. They only have meaning when people in

a culture agree on their use. Language, money and art are all symbols. Language is the

most important symbolic component of culture.

 Culture is integrated. This is known as holism, or the various parts of a culture being

interconnected. All aspects of a culture are related to one another and to truly understand a

culture, one must learn about all of its parts, not only a few.

 Culture is dynamic. This simply 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. And

because cultures are integrated, if one component in the system changes, it is likely that

the entire system must adjust.

Some Terminologies of Culture

Ethnocentrism
It is a situation of practice whereby one ethnic or tribal group feels superior to other ones in the

same geographical area due to the fact that they possess certain qualities, resources and a

peculiar way of life that is quite admirable. This practice, despite the fact that it has positive

aspects in the
life of individuals; it can also go a long way to cause societal or national chaos. For this concept

to function effectively, a society must not welcome the idea that its ways are the only proper

ones, irrespective of how other cultures do things. This provides the individual with a sense of

dignity, ethnic pride, loyalty to cultural traditions from which are derived psychological support

and the sense of personal worth. The problem with ethnocentrism is that it is mostly used as a

character for condemning other cultures as inferior and as such exploiting them for the benefit of

themselves. When this becomes continuous, it generates a social unrest, hostility and violence.

Cultural Relativism

It is the claim that ethical practices differ among cultures, and what is considered right in one

culture may be considered wrong in another. The implication of cultural relativism is that no one

society is superior to another; they are merely different. This means, when observing people

from other cultures, many a times, it is not appropriate to use one’s own cultural standards as a

yardstick by which one judges others’ behaviours. Hence, one becomes ethnocentric. This will

not foster peaceful co-existence in societies and countries.

Assimilation of Culture

Assimilation describes a change in individual or group identity that results from continuous

social interaction between members of two groups such that members of the same group enter

into and become a part of a second group. By this process of assimilation, the minority group or

culture may disappear by losing its members to the stronger (majority) and more dominant

culture group
 Cultural Diversity

It refers to the wide range of cultural differences found between and within nations. Some

nations such as Sweden are referred to as homogenous societies in the sense that they include

people who share a common culture and are typically from similar social, religious, political,

and economic backgrounds. By contrast, other nations including the United States are referred

to as heterogeneous societies, meaning they comprise of people who are dissimilar in relation

to social characteristics such as religion, income, race or ethnicity

Culture shock

This refers to feelings of uncertainty, confusion or anxiety that people may experience when

moving to a new country or surrounding. It also described the feelings of disorientation and

stresses what people experience when they enter an unfamiliar cultural setting. With the

passage of time, the person in such situation gets used to the new environment and adapts to it.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

1. A society is said to be dynamic when its culture

a. varies from others
b. is preserved
c. undergoes constant change
d. is homogeneous
2. To be enstooled as a chief in the traditional Ghanaian society the candidate must
a. possess a strong physique
b. have a good character
c. be affiliated to the ruling party
d. be generous to people
3. In a traditional African community the chief speaks through
a. an elder
b. fetish – priest
c. the linguist
d. the queen - mother
4. The set of shared beliefs, behaviours, and attitude associated with a large group of people is
called
a. religion
b. culture
c. social framework
d. myth
5. The correct meaning of ethnocentrism is the belief that
a. one’s own culture is “unoriginal and derived from other cultures
b. one’s own culture is ‘correct’ and other cultures are derived from it
c. one’s own culture is superior to all other cultures
d. none of the above
6. Why do ethnocentric people tend to view other cultures as abnormal?
a. They understand other values and beliefs within the proper cultural context
b. They use their own culture as a standard judgement
c. They are practicing cultural relativism
d. They are part of a counterculture
7. The ability to understand another culture in terms of that culture’s own norms and values,
without reference to any other culture’s standard, is called
a. ethnocentrism
b. cultural relativism
c. cultural lag
d. variability
8. . ………… are the standards people have about what is good and bad
a. values
b. benefits
c. laws
d. mandates
9. .. ……… constitutes the tangible things created by members of a society.
a. Material culture
b. Non-material culture
c. Popular culture
d. Mass culture
10. Sometimes we read articles on foreigners who are attacked by local people. This is an
example of
a. xenocentrism
b. xenophobia
c. xenography
d. xenophonia