The Definition of Culture
Culture refers to the social behavior, institutions, norms, knowledge, beliefs, arts, customs, and capabilities of a group of people. Cultural differences can be subtle, obvious, or overwhelming, and they affect the way people live, work, think, and interact.
A common view of culture consists of three elements: values, norms, and artifacts (things). Values are ideas about what seems important to society; norms specify what is expected of people in different situations. And artifacts are things that humans make and use, such as music, literature, and film.
Symbols are words, pictures, or objects that represent an idea or image that is shared by all members of the culture. Often, symbols change as new ideas become popular, and old ones disappear. The symbols of one culture can be copied easily by others, but heroes and rituals, which are more significant in a society, usually remain unique to the culture.
The environment can also have an impact on the behavior of a sociocultural system, as does the movement of people. Eskimo tribes, for example, have adapted to the harsh environment of the Arctic regions with hemispherical snow houses or igloos and boats and harpoons that can hunt sea mammals. The cultures of many indigenous peoples have been influenced by European explorers and immigrants, especially Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, German, Irish, Italian, and Dutch.
Another definition of culture is that it is a set of behaviors, values, norms, and beliefs that are learned through social interaction. This concept explains why some individuals learn more quickly than others, why it is difficult for some people to adjust to new surroundings, and why some people may be more tolerant of others than they are of themselves.
The definition of culture was initially based on a monadic perspective, in which the individual’s nature was emphasized and he or she could be separated from the culture that produced the person. However, the twentieth century has shown that human beings are a part of the society they live in, and that the cultural activities they perform have a great influence on their lives. It is thus no surprise that marxist theorists have viewed culture as a powerful tool of social control.
Culture refers to the social behavior, institutions, norms, knowledge, beliefs, arts, customs, and capabilities of a group of people. Cultural differences can be subtle, obvious, or overwhelming, and they affect the way people live, work, think, and interact. A common view of culture consists of three elements: values, norms, and artifacts (things). Values are ideas about what seems important to society; norms specify what is expected of people in different situations. And artifacts are things that humans make and use, such as music, literature, and film. Symbols are words, pictures, or objects that represent an idea or image that is shared by all members of the culture. Often, symbols change as new ideas become popular, and old ones disappear. The symbols of one culture can be copied easily by others, but heroes and rituals, which are more significant in a society, usually remain unique to the culture. The environment can also have an impact on the behavior of a sociocultural system, as does the movement of people. Eskimo tribes, for example, have adapted to the harsh environment of the Arctic regions with hemispherical snow houses or igloos and boats and harpoons that can hunt sea mammals. The cultures of many indigenous peoples have been influenced by European explorers and immigrants, especially Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, German, Irish, Italian, and Dutch. Another definition of culture is that it is a set of behaviors, values, norms, and beliefs that are learned through social interaction. This concept explains why some individuals learn more quickly than others, why it is difficult for some people to adjust to new surroundings, and why some people may be more tolerant of others than they are of themselves. The definition of culture was initially based on a monadic perspective, in which the individual’s nature was emphasized and he or she could be separated from the culture that produced the person. However, the twentieth century has shown that human beings are a part of the society they live in, and that the cultural activities they perform have a great influence on their lives. It is thus no surprise that marxist theorists have viewed culture as a powerful tool of social control.