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What is Culture?
Culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, customs, traditions, worldviews, behaviors, artifacts and overall way of life that give a social group, organization, or society a distinctive identity and outlook.
Definitions of Culture
- Tylor defines culture as Complex whole including knowledge, morals, traditions, customs and capabilities acquired as a member of society.
- Parsons defines culture as Patterned and shared way of thinking and behaving instilled through social learning.
Elements of Culture
- Observable things like food, clothing, language, techniques, rituals
- Values, rules, customs, ideology as deeper layers regulating observable forms
Types of Culture
Culture can be differentiated in terms of scale or expanse.
For example: national, regional, group, organizational and political cultures. It can also vary by elements like high vs folk culture based on sophistication.
Functions of Culture
- Shapes collective identity and belonging for social groups
- Enables sharing of ideas through common communication systems
- Promotes social control and conformity to expected norms as it is learned
- Provides solutions to fulfill society’s basic needs
- Transmits knowledge from generation to generation
Culture vs Civilization
Civilization denotes the advanced stage in human social and technological development historically associated with progress, urbanization and industry in a population. Culture denotes shared patterns of living, understanding and behavior that may or may not reflect a high level of societal sophistication or development. Every society has a culture but not every culture reflects an advanced civilization.
Culture is a complex social construct embedding the essence of communities while continuously evolving across history.