Saturday, September 18, 2021 11:48 PM
Culture and Society as Anthropological and Sociological Concept
“Culture is the process by which a person becomes all that they
were created of being”.
- Thomas Carlyle -
There are different ways of defining culture and society. Each definition is always associated with man’s relationship to his environment. Hence,
man’s social interactions serve as an avenue for creating patterns of behavior that will guide the members of society to live in an organized and
orderly manner. Society, in this context, refers to a group of people sharing a common culture within a defined territorial boundaries. Likewise,
every human society is organized in such a way that there are rules of conduct, customs, traditions, folkways and mores, and expectations that
ensure appropriate behavior among members (Palispis, 2007 p. 254) as cited by (Baleña, et. al 2016, p. 16). Thus, every society is unique in terms
of culture.
Language
Working Schedule
Medical
Culture Cure
Religion
• A product of human interaction
Clothes & Dressing • A social heritage that is complex and socially transmitted
Food • Meaningful to human beings.
Folk Art • Cumulative
Manners • Provides social acceptable patterns for meeting biological
Jokes and
Celebrations • social needs
• A distinguishing factor
Culture is a composite or multifarious areas that comprises beliefs, values,
• An established pattern of behavior
attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a
person learns and shares as a member of society. Therefore, culture is:
•
TYPES OF CULTURE ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
Culture is composed of materials and non-materials elements. To understand culture, it is necessary to understand the different elements
that compose it:
Material culture- consists of tangible things
* Technological Tools * Knowledge -It refers to any information received and perceived to be
* Food true
* Architectural structures * Beliefs - The perception of accepted reality
* Fashion and Accessories -Reality refers to the existence of things whether material or non-
material
Non-material elements- consists of intangible things. * Social Norms- These are established expectations of society as to how a
* Language and Symbols person is supposed to act depending on the requirements of time,
* Religion place or situation.
* Behavior, Gesture & Habits
* Ideas
Indeed, social norms are very important in understanding the nature of man’s social relationship. In the social interaction process, each member
possesses certain expectations about the responses and reactions of another member (Palispis, 2007 p.44) as cited (Baleña, et. al 2016, p. 18).
Hence, it is very essential to determine the different forms of social norms.
Folkways- The patterns of repetitive behavior which becomes habitual and conventional part
of living
Values- The set of ethical standards and moral obligations as dictates of reason that
distinguishes human acts as right or wrong or good or bad
Technology- Anything held to be relatively worthy, important, desirable, or valuable
Mores- The practical application of knowledge in converting raw materials into finished
Products
ASPECTS OF CULTURE
Since culture is very complex, there are important aspects of culture that contribute to the development of man’s social interaction.
→ Dynamic, flexible, and adaptive
→ Shared and contested
→ Learned through socialization or enculturation
→ Patterned social interaction
→ Integrated and at times unstable
→ Requires language and other forms of communication
→ Transmitted through socialization
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