UNIT 1: THE CONCEPT, FUNCTIONS, CHARACTERISTICS, AND Key Questions:
ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
WHAT IS CULTURE? What are the shared attributes of your community?
How do others perceive your cultural group?
1. Culture as High Art (Arnolds, 1867)
How do you see yourself within your community?
3. Facilitates Commitment
Culture is linked to artistic and intellectual activities ("high
culture").
Implies hierarchy (superior vs. inferior cultures). Promotes loyalty, responsibility, and duty within a cultural
Focuses on aesthetic refinement and pursuit of perfection. group.
Encourages adaptation to societal changes while preserving
2. Culture as a Shared Social Quality (Tylor, 1870) heritage.
Culture is shared by all members of a society. Key Questions:
Defined as a “complex whole” including knowledge, beliefs,
customs, and laws.
Recognizes differences among societies (e.g., "savages" vs. How do you fulfill your responsibilities in your community?
"civilized"). How do you adapt to cultural changes?
Linked to social evolutionism, but criticized for ethnocentric How do you express patrimony and nationalism?
biases.
4. Provides Stability in Society
3. Cultural Relativism (Boas, Early 20th Century)
Creates social structure and helps maintain order.
Opposes ranking cultures as high or low.
Reduces uncertainty and conflict through shared rules and
Advocates for a holistic approach and historical
norms.
particularism.
Culture should be understood within its own context.
No superiority or inferiority between cultures. Key Questions:
4. Culture as Patterns of Behavior (Kroeber & Kluckhohn, 1952) How do leaders manage the community?
How do community members follow rules?
Culture includes symbols, traditions, and values passed How is social order maintained?
through generations.
It shapes both past actions and future decisions.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
5. Culture and Human Values (Schwartz, 1992)
1. Culture is learned – Passed through social interactions, not
inherited.
Culture is shaped by experiences and social transmission. 2. Culture is shared – Common attributes and practices exist within a
Key value dimensions: community.
o Individualism vs. Collectivism 3. Culture is symbolic – Uses objects, gestures, and language to
o Egalitarianism vs. Hierarchy convey meaning.
o Mastery vs. Harmony 4. Culture is integrated – All aspects of culture are interconnected.
5. Culture and nature – Influenced by the environment, leading to
6. Culture and Psychology (Matsumoto, 1996) cultural diversity.
6. Culture is dynamic – Constantly evolving due to various factors.
7. Culture is idealistic – Reflects social ideals, shaping behavior and
Culture consists of shared attitudes, values, and beliefs, values.
passed across generations.
Influences human emotions, behaviors, and psychological
processes. ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
7. Culture as a Social Phenomenon (Harris, 1975) Non-Material Elements
Culture is a lifestyle shaped by societal patterns. 1. Symbols – Images, objects, and non-verbal cues conveying cultural
Emphasizes cultural materialism (focus on tangible aspects over meaning.
ideas). 2. Language – The vehicle of culture, used for transmission and
Empirical rather than symbolic (focus on observable facts). communication.
3. Literature – A source of knowledge and beliefs, passed through
storytelling, books, and records.
FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE 4. Norms – Standards or expectations of society, including folkways,
mores, and laws.
1. Defines Roles 5. Attitudes – External manifestations of beliefs, shaping social
interactions.
6. Values – Define what is considered good or bad in a culture.
Establishes behavioral expectations based on gender, age, 7. Rituals and Ceremonies – Repeated cultural actions in socio-cultural
and social status. events.
Guides societal norms on leadership, family roles, and appropriate 8. Beliefs – Mental perceptions of what is true or false, shaping cultural
conduct. perspectives.
9. Social System – The way of life of a social group, including social
structures and roles.
Key Questions:
Material Elements
How is gender viewed in your culture?
What are the expected tasks of each family member? 1. Tools – Objects used in daily human activities to accomplish tasks.
How do we define a leader? 2. Artifacts – Physical representations of culture, such as clothing,
How should a lady behave? architecture, and crafts.
2. Gives a Sense of Identity
Connects individuals to a larger group through shared
attributes.
Shapes both external perceptions (etic) and self-perception
(emic).
