The Meaning of Culture:

1. The Meaning of Culture: The Key to Human Diversity

2. Does this picture offend you?

3. If so, then you may be guilty of Ethnocentrism! • People who are ethnocentric apply their own values in judging the behavior and beliefs of other people raised in other cultures. • Ethnocentrism contributes to social solidarity and a sense of value and community. • However, it also fuels conflict.

4. Culture is learned behavior • Each child goes through a process of enculturation when they grow up in a culture. • Children learn by observing the behaviors of people in their surroundings, including the recognition of symbols specific to that culture.

5. Examples of cultural symbols

6. Culture is shared • Culture is an attribute not of individuals per se but of individuals as members of groups. • Culture is transmitted by society. • Enculturation unifies people by providing us with common experiences.

7. Culture is symbolic • Symbols can either be verbal (linguistic) or nonverbal (object, written symbol).

8. Culture and Nature: Differences in How we meet the call • Culture defines what people eat, how food is prepared, and when and how food is eaten. • Waste elimination is culturally prescribed. • Sexual activities are also dictated by culture (with who, how, where, and when).

9. Culture is all-encompassing and integrated • Culture envelopes each of us, and touches every aspect of our lives. • Culture is systematic and integrated (it is not a random phenomenon). • Cultures teach us to share certain core values that helps shape the personality of the individuals within a culture.

10. Cultures are dynamic: rules are made to be broken • Humans are creative animals and always do not strictly follow the dictates of their culture. • There is individual interpretation of each aspect of culture that is in part due to family and personal history. • Real vs. Ideal culture.

11. Culture can be both adaptive and maladaptive • Modern technology has provided for the adaptation of humans to every part of the globe, as ancient technologies provided successful to environments on a smaller scale. • Short-term vs. long-term adaptive strategies.

12. Levels of culture • National: learned behavioral patterns, beliefs, values, and institutions shared by the citizens of a nation. • International: cultural traditions that expand beyond cultural boundaries. • Subculture: different traditions practiced by groups set within a larger culture. Frequently regionally based.

13. Ethnocentrism, Cultural Relativism, and Human Rights • The “human rights” movement suggests that there is a realm of justice and morality that supercedes the practices of many cultures. • Examples: female genital mutilation in the Middle East; male circumcision at birth in the United States.

14. Universality, Generality, and Particularity • Universal: found in all cultures. Examples: Exogamy and incest taboo. Generality: found in many cultures, but not all. Example: nuclear family. Particularities: found only in some cultures. Example: head hunting.

15. What makes cultures change? • Diffusion: borrowing of traits between cultures. • Acculturation: exchange of cultural features that results from long-term exposure between cultures. • Independent invention: Developing to solution to problems by individual cultures. Example: agriculture.

16. One World Culture? Globalization in the 21st Century • Cultures are increasingly coming in contact as a result of improved trade relations, better communication, and easier travel. • Multinational corporations and business “outsourcing” to the Third World are becoming more commonplace.