Culture

‘Culture’ is one of the most important concepts in social science. It is

commonly used in Psychology, political science and economics. It is the main
concept in Anthropology and a fundamental one in sociology. The study of
society becomes incomplete without a proper understanding of the culture of
that society. Culture and society go together. They are inseparable.
Definition:
MacIver and Page: Our culture is that what we are.
E.B. Tylor: has defined culture as ‘that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, moral, law, custom and any other capabilities and
habits acquired by man as a member of society’.
Schaefer: “ Culture is the totality of learned and socially transmitted
behavior.”
 Definition of Culture
MacIver and Page: Our culture is that what we are.

E.B. Tylor: has defined culture as ‘that complex whole

which includes knowledge, belief, art, moral, law,
custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by
man as a member of society’.

Schaefer: “ Culture is the totality of learned and socially

transmitted behavior.”
 Characteristics of culture
1. Culture is learnt.
2. Culture is social.
3. Culture is shared.
4. Culture is transmissive.
5. Culture is continuous and cumulative.
6. Culture is continuous and cumulative,
7. Culture is consistent and integrated.
8. Culture is dynamic and adaptive.
9. Culture is gratifying.
10.Culture varies from society to society.
 Culture Contents
Every society has a culture of its own. Every culture
consists of such non material things. Similarly
people of every society possess material things of
different kinds. These material things may be
primitive or modern and simple or complex in
nature.
These material and non-material components of
culture are often referred to as “ the content of
culture”.
 Cont.
A number of sociologists have classified the
content of culture into two components:
i) Material culture
ii)Non-material culture
• Ogburn has even used this distinction- as the
basis for a theory of cultural change,
• Robert Bierstedt: has pointed out, the concept of
‘ material culture’ is relatively more precise
and less ambiguous.
But the concept of non material culture is more
ambiguous and less clear.
 Material and Non material culture
• 1. Material Culture:
• Material culture consists of man made objects
such as tools, implements, furniture,
automobiles, buildings, dams, roads bridges, and
in fact the physical substance which has been
changed and used by man.
• Many people says that, those men, who are
civilized they are cultured and who are uncivilized
they are uncultured. But in sociology, every man
has own culture. Material culture is that culture,
we can see it.
 2. Non- material culture
• The term culture when used in the ordinary sense
means non-material culture. Non-material culture
consists of…..
• the words the people use or the language they speak,
• The beliefs they hold,
• Values and virtues they cherish,
• Habits they follow and
• the ceremonies they observe.
It also includes our customs and tastes, attitides
and outlook, in brief our ways of acting, feeling
or thinking. It is that culture we can feel it. Such
as norms, values, customs etc.
 Civilization
• The term ‘ civilization’ is derived from the Latin
word ‘civitas’ which means a city. Hence the term
refers to all the attainments characteristic of
human life in an organized city. Since cities
appeared relatively at a later stage in human
society.
• Civilization indicates a particular stage in the
evolution of man. Culture represents the group life
of man at all the stages of his social development.
• MacIver and Page said that Civilization is the
whole apparatus of life.
 Distinction between Culture and Civilization
• The term ‘culture’ and ‘civilization’ are often distinguished on
various grounds. Both represents two broad field of human
activity and experience. Some significant point of difference
between them may be noted here.
1. Civilization has a precise standard of measurement but not
culture.
2. Civilization is always advancing but not culture.
3. The products of civilization are more easily communicated than
those of culture.
4. Civilization is borrowed without loss or change but not culture.
5. Civilization is external, but culture is internal.
6. Finally the products of culture reveal the nature of an individual or
a social group or a nation but not the products of civilization.