Definition of Culture
- Culture is a central concept in sociology and anthropology. It refers to the total way of life adopted by members of a society. It includes everything people learn, share, practice, and transmit across generations.
- Definition (E. B. Tylor) “Culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
Modern Meaning:
- Culture refers to the continually changing pattern of learned behavior, including:
- Attitudes, values, knowledge, beliefs, customs, material objects
- These behaviors are shared by members of a society and transmitted from one generation to the next.
Key Features
- Culture is learned
- Culture is shared
- Culture is transmitted
- Culture is dynamic
- Culture is integrated (all parts influence each other)
Functions of Culture
Culture performs several essential functions:
- Provides Basic Foundation and Design for Social Living
Culture gives guidelines on how individuals should act, speak, behave, and interact.
It forms the base for social life.
- Helps Fulfill Biological and Socio-Economic Needs
- Culture provides socially acceptable ways for:
- Reproduction, food and clothing, shelter, education, livelihood, relationships
- Example: Marriage regulates reproduction; occupation fulfills economic needs.
- Promotes Cooperation and Coordination
- Shared cultural values and norms help people work together effectively.
- Cooperation is a product of cultural understanding.
- Gives Individuals Ready-Made Definitions of Situations
- Culture tells us how to understand events.
- For example: Funeral → mourning, Marriage → celebration, Greetings → show respect
- This makes social life predictable.
- Provides a Map of All Life Activities
- Culture guides all aspects of life including:
- what we eat and how we eat, how we dress, how we speak, how we celebrate
- It acts as a blueprint for living.
- Acts as a Means of Social Control
- Culture controls behavior through:
- Norms, folkways, mores, laws
- These guide individuals to behave properly in society.
- Defines Behavioral Patterns
- Culture decides:
- how individuals behave, what is acceptable, what is not acceptable
- People follow culturally approved ways of living.
Importance of Culture
- Transforms Human Animal into Man
- Cultural learning gives human beings:
- respect for elders, cooperation, kindness, discipline, moral values
- Without culture, humans would behave like animals.
- Regulates Behavior
- Culture sets rules and expectations.
- It helps individuals know how to behave in society.
- Creates Major Social Institutions
- Social institutions like:
- Family, community, nation, class
- originate from culture and help in social organization and division of labor.
- Provides Unity and Group Feeling: Shared beliefs, values, customs, and language create a sense of belonging and unity.
- Basis of Extension Work
- Agricultural and rural extension aims to bring changes in people’s behavior and practices.
- All these are cultural changes. Thus, culture is the foundation for extension programs.
- Source of Cultural Change
Culture changes through:
- Discovery: Finding what already exists
- Invention: Creating something new
- Diffusion: Ideas spreading from one society to another
- Borrowing: Adopting elements from another culture
Internal and external forces influence cultural change.
Structure of Culture
Culture has three major components:
- Cultural Traits
- Cultural Complexes
- Cultural Patterns
Each level represents a larger combination of cultural elements.
Cultural Traits
- A cultural trait is the smallest unit of culture.
- It is a single element or practice.
Examples
- Material Traits: Pagodi, Sari, dhoti, topi, Bangles, bindis, Kurta-pajama, Kolam or Rangoli, Idli, dosa, roti, dal
- Non-Material Traits: Namaste / Pranam, Touching elders’ feet, Lighting a lamp, Greeting with handshakes Covering face with sari out of respect
Cultural Complexes
A cultural complex is a cluster of related cultural traits combined into a meaningful whole.
Examples
- Thread Ceremony (Upanayana): Includes many traits such as: special dress, chanting of mantras, wearing sacred thread, performing rituals
- Diwali Celebration: Includes: lighting diyas, Lakshmi Puja, exchanging sweets, firecrackers
- Hindu Wedding: Includes: Saptapadi, Haldi ceremony, Mehndi application, Mangalsutra
- Durga Puja (West Bengal): Includes: idol creation, Sindoor Khela, Bhog
- Onam Festival (Kerala): Includes: Onam Sadhya, Pookalam, Boat races, Kathakali
Cultural Patterns
A cultural pattern is a large and organized combination of complexes and traits that form a dominant cultural theme or lifestyle.
Examples
- Joint Family System: Several generations live together, sharing responsibilities and resources.
- Festivals and Rituals: Widespread celebrations like:, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Eid, These create a shared cultural rhythm.
- Arranged Marriage System: Family involvement in marriage decisions is an established cultural pattern.
- Food Habits: Examples: using the right hand for eating, serving food on banana leaves, eating vegetarian meals on auspicious days
- Religious Pilgrimages: Mass pilgrimage events like: Kumbh Mela, Amarnath Yatra, represent large cultural patterns involving entire communities.
