Culture And Society

Culture:

Ways of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects that together form a people’s way of life.

Culture includes what we think, how we act, and what we own. Culture is both our link to the past and
our guide to the future.

Everything which we learned and shared by a member of society.

Culture is the name of social heritage.

Importance of Culture:

In sociology, culture is considered vital because it acts as a foundational element in shaping a society,
influencing social institutions, guiding individual behavior through norms and values, and ultimately
contributing to the formation of a group identity, allowing people to understand and interact within a
community effectively; essentially, culture is the lens through which sociologists study social interactions
and structures within a society.

Key points about the importance of culture in sociology:

 Social Order and Stability:

Culture provides a framework for social order by establishing shared norms and expectations, allowing
people to live together harmoniously and cooperate with one another.

 Identity Formation:

Cultural practices, beliefs, and symbols contribute significantly to an individual's sense of identity,
including their ethnicity, gender, and social class.

 Understanding Social Institutions:

By examining the cultural context, sociologists can better understand how social institutions like family,
education, and government function within a society.

 Social Interaction Analysis:

Cultural norms and values influence how people interact with each other, shaping their behaviors and
communication styles.

 Social Change Analysis:

Studying cultural shifts allows sociologists to understand how societies evolve and adapt over time.

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
Symbols

Symbol is anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture.

A word, a whistle, a flashing red light gestures, signs, objects, signals, and words, —all serve as symbols.

Like all creatures, humans use their senses to experience the surrounding world, but unlike others, we
also try to give the world meaning. Humans transform elements of the world into symbols.

Language

Language, the key to the world of culture, is a system of symbols that allows people to communicate
with one another. Like as Urdu English.

Values

Values culturally defined standards that people use to decide what is desirable, good, and beautiful and
that serve as broad guidelines for social living. Like as honesty justice.

Belief

Specific ideas that people holds to be true like as Islam the best religion. You must respect your elders.
Islam is the best religion

Norms

Rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members.

Being respectful to teachers, apologizing for wronging another person.

In everyday life, people respond to each other with sanctions, rewards or punishments that encourage
conformity to cultural norms.

William Graham Sumner (1959, orig.1906), an early U.S. Sociologist, recognized that some norms are
more important to our lives than others

FOLKWAYS: Folkways, norms for routine or casual interaction. Examples include ideas about
appropriate greetings and proper dress. shaking hands when greeting someone

MORES

Mores (pronounced “MORE-ayz”) to refer to norms that are widely observed and have great moral
significance. Mores, which include taboos, are the norms in our society that insist. Adults not walk
around in public without wearing clothes.
Laws: System of rules created and enforced by societal or governmental institutions, to regulate
behavior and maintain social order, emphasizing its social and practical function.

Culture related key terms

Ethnocentrism: The belief that one's own culture is superior or the standard by which other cultures are
judged. Ex, our culture is the best, our country is the best our religion is the best

Xenocentrism: The perception or feeling that another country or culture is somehow superior than
one's own. Ex, European culture is the best, Indian culture is the best.

Cultural relativism: Emphasizes understanding and respecting cultural differences by judging practices
and values based on their own context, rather than using one's own culture as the standard. Ex, Helena
putting aside her dislike of spicy food to share dinner with a family she is visiting

Multiculturalism: The acceptance of different cultures in a society and the active support of these
cultural differences by both the majority and minority group members. Ex, Canada where a large range
of different ethnicities including Chinese, Indian, and Indigenous People live,

Types of culture:

Material culture

Physical things created by members of a society, everything.

Examples of material culture include: clothing, tools, furniture, buildings, vehicles, artwork, utensils,
weapons, technology, money, jewelry, traditional costumes, and even the design of a city or
neighborhood.

Nonmaterial: Culture is the ideas created by members of a society.

Examples Language, religious beliefs, social etiquette, ethics, traditions, and values.

Real culture. This represents the actual values, norms, and beliefs that exist within a society, as
observed and measured in reality. It's the "what is" of a society

Ideal culture: This refers to the values, norms, and beliefs that a society aims to achieve or hold as
standards. It's the "should be" of a society

Popular culture: Refers to the shared cultural expressions and practices, like music, media, fashion, and
art, that are widely accessible and consumed by the majority of a society

High culture: A term used to describe the cultural experiences and attitudes of a society's upper class

Counter culture: A subculture whose values and norms of behavior directly challenge or oppose those of
the dominant, mainstream culture, often advocating for significant social change
Sub culture: a smaller group within a larger culture that shares distinct beliefs, values, practices, and
norms, differentiating itself from the dominant culture while still being part of it

Culture shock: Personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life. EX,

getting used to a different language, a different climate, a different transport system and different food
customs

Cultural Lag: the phenomenon where material culture (technology, tools, infrastructure) develops and
changes more rapidly than non-material culture (values, norms, ideas), often leading to social problems
or tensions.

Cultural universal

A "cultural universal" refers to traits, patterns, elements, or institutions that are found across all known
human cultures worldwide, representing common ground or shared aspects of the human experience.

Culture diffusion

the spread of cultural elements, ideas, and practices from one group or society to another, and can
happen across borders or within the same culture, influencing various aspects of society.

Culture enculturation:

Enculturation is the process by which people learn the dynamics of their surrounding culture
and acquire values and norms appropriate or necessary to that culture and its worldviews.

Acculturation:

a process in which an individual adopts, acquires and adjusts to a new cultural environment as a result
of being placed into a new culture, or when another culture is brought to someone.

Characteristics of culture

Learned: Culture is not thought of as inherited or innate; culture is learned through experiences.

Shared: Culture is shared by members of a group. One individual's actions are not considered a culture.

Symbolic: Culture uses symbols, and the members of a culture understand the meanings of their shared
symbols.

Integrated: Culture is composed of integrated, connected elements.

Dynamic: Culture adapts and changes over time. Culture is dynamic, as opposed to static

Civilization and culture

A civilization is a society characterized by its advanced development and organization. Civilizations have
urban areas, a surplus of food, a writing system, and a division of labor. Civilizations also have
monuments, religions, governments, a shared method of communication, and ways to trade goods and
services.

Individual and culture:

The relationship of individual and culture is deeply interconnected and reciprocal. Culture shapes
individual belief values, behavior and perceptions, while individual contribute to the evolution and
continuity of culture. This dynamic relationship can be understood through several key points and
examples.

Culture influence on individual: Culture provide a framework for individual, guiding their worldview and
daily practices

Socialization: From a young age individual are socialized into their culture through family education and
media

Cultural identity: An individual sense of identity is closely tied to their cultural background cultural
tradition and values provide a sense of belonging and self-definition.

Cultural adaptation and change: Individual also influence culture through their actions and innovations.

Resistance and reform: Individual can challenge cultural norms and drive social change

Individual influence on culture: Individual can influence culture by introducing new ideas behavior and
innovation. Through creativity and social activism and personal achievements they can shift cultural
norms and values.