Culture is the people’s totality way of life. Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything that distinguishes them from other group. This can be seen in their language, religion, food, social habits, music and arts. Culture can be influenced by the many groups of people that live within the entity. This means that culture is dynamic.
Culture is a complex system of behaviour, values, beliefs, traditions and artefacts, which is transmitted through generations
Culture is a learned pattern of behaviour, and is a way in which a person lives his life. It is an integral part of every society, and creates a feeling of belonging and togetherness among the people of that society.
Culture encompasses various aspects of communication, attitude, etiquette, beliefs, values, customs, norms, food, art, jewellery, clothing styles, etc. Every society has a different culture, which gives it an identity and uniqueness.
In spite of the vast cultural diversity, there are certain elements of culture that are universal. They are known as cultural universals, which comprise certain behavioural traits and patterns that are shared by all cultures around the world. For instance, classifying relations, having some form of art and music, use of jewellery, classifying people according to gender and age, etc., are common in all cultures of the world.
"A culture is a configuration of learned behaviours and results of behaviour whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society" (Linton R. 1945)
From the definitions above, one can extract the elements of culture
Language: The various languages are essentially an important part of the culture.
Norms: Every society or every civilization has a set of norms, which are an inseparable part, and an important element of the culture. This can include the folk ways mores, taboos and rituals in a culture.
Values: The social values of a particular civilization are also considered as an element of the culture. The values of a culture often refer to the things to be achieved or the things, which are considered of great worth or value in a particular culture.
Religion and Beliefs: The religion and the beliefs of the people in a civilization play an important role in shaping up of the culture as well.
Social Collectives: Social collectives refer to the social groups, organizations, communities, institutions, classes, and societies, which are considered as symbolic social constructions.
Cultural Integration: This includes the degree of harmony or integration within the various elements of culture. This can include elements like sub-cultures, local cultures and the difference between historical and cultural traditions.
BASIC CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
The basic characteristics of a culture are that it is cumulative, dynamic, shared and learned.
Culture is cumulative, it embrace all aspect of life. Ranging from language, custom, food, norms, values, to religion and beliefs. This means that culture is the sum total of peoples life. This is what makes the group unique. It also distinguishes the group from other groups.
Culture is dynamic. The culture of any particular group is constantly evolving and undergoing slow changes. Each generation brings along a new set of changes and developments in the culture of that society. Moreover, long-term exposure to different cultures leads to the exchange of certain cultural aspects. Due to the dynamic nature of a culture, it should reflect and be influential to its citizen.
In spite of the vast cultural diversity, there are certain elements of culture that are universal. They are known as cultural universals, which comprise certain behavioural traits and patterns that are shared by all cultures around the world. For instance, classifying relations, having some form of art and music, use of jewellery, classifying people according to gender and age, etc., are common in all cultures of the world.
"A culture is a configuration of learned behaviours and results of behaviour whose component elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular society" (Linton R. 1945)
From the definitions above, one can extract the elements of culture
Language: The various languages are essentially an important part of the culture.
Norms: Every society or every civilization has a set of norms, which are an inseparable part, and an important element of the culture. This can include the folk ways mores, taboos and rituals in a culture.
Values: The social values of a particular civilization are also considered as an element of the culture. The values of a culture often refer to the things to be achieved or the things, which are considered of great worth or value in a particular culture.
Religion and Beliefs: The religion and the beliefs of the people in a civilization play an important role in shaping up of the culture as well.
Social Collectives: Social collectives refer to the social groups, organizations, communities, institutions, classes, and societies, which are considered as symbolic social constructions.
Status and Role in Society: A status or a social role is nothing but a slot or position within a group or society, which gives an overall idea of the social structure and hence is an important element of culture. This can also include traditional gender-based or age-based roles.
Cultural Integration: This includes the degree of harmony or integration within the various elements of culture. This can include elements like sub-cultures, local cultures and the difference between historical and cultural traditions.
BASIC CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
The basic characteristics of a culture are that it is cumulative, dynamic, shared and learned.
Culture is cumulative, it embrace all aspect of life. Ranging from language, custom, food, norms, values, to religion and beliefs. This means that culture is the sum total of peoples life. This is what makes the group unique. It also distinguishes the group from other groups.
Culture is dynamic. The culture of any particular group is constantly evolving and undergoing slow changes. Each generation brings along a new set of changes and developments in the culture of that society. Moreover, long-term exposure to different cultures leads to the exchange of certain cultural aspects. Due to the dynamic nature of a culture, it should reflect and be influential to its citizen.
Culture is shared, by which we mean that every culture is shared by a group of people. Depending on the region they live in, the climatic conditions they thrive in and their historical heritage, they form a set of values and beliefs. This set of their principles of life shapes their culture. No culture belongs to an individual. It is rather shared among many people of a certain part of the world. It belongs to a single community and not to any single human being.
Culture is learned. The members of a culture share certain ideals, which shape their lives. Generations learn to follow these ideals and principles. Culture propagates through generations, which adopt their old customs and traditions as a part of their culture. The ideals they base their lives on is a part of their culture. Cultural values are imparted from one generation to another, thus resulting in a continual of traditions that are a part of culture. The language, the literature and the art forms pass across generations. Culture is learned, understood and adopted by the younger generations of society. No individual is born with a sense of his/her culture. He/she has to learn it.
The importance of culture lies in the fact that it is a link between people and their value systems.
Culture is learned. The members of a culture share certain ideals, which shape their lives. Generations learn to follow these ideals and principles. Culture propagates through generations, which adopt their old customs and traditions as a part of their culture. The ideals they base their lives on is a part of their culture. Cultural values are imparted from one generation to another, thus resulting in a continual of traditions that are a part of culture. The language, the literature and the art forms pass across generations. Culture is learned, understood and adopted by the younger generations of society. No individual is born with a sense of his/her culture. He/she has to learn it.
The importance of culture lies in the fact that it is a link between people and their value systems.
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