Culture and its Characteristics

Benjie Bombales

19 Sept 202010:01

Summary

TLDRThis video script explores the multifaceted nature of culture, defined by Edward B. Tylor as a complex whole encompassing knowledge, beliefs, arts, and customs. It distinguishes between material and non-material culture, emphasizing that culture is learned through processes like enculturation and acculturation. The script highlights culture's adaptability, its variation across societies, and its role as a survival tool. It concludes by noting culture's continuous evolution, reflecting the dynamic needs of humans in their environment.

Takeaways

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Humans share cultural similarities such as rituals for marriages and greetings, which are part of our collective way of life.
📚 Edward B. Tylor defined culture as a complex whole encompassing knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, customs, and other capabilities acquired by man in society.
🌐 Culture is the design for living and includes attitudes, beliefs, language, customs, rituals, behavior, faith, religion, food, art, music, and drama.
🔍 Culture has both material and non-material aspects; material culture includes tangible items like clothes and buildings, while non-material culture consists of intangible elements like values and knowledge.
👶 Culture is learned, with processes such as enculturation, where individuals learn the norms and values of their society, and acculturation, where they adopt traits from other cultures.
🔄 Acculturation is the process of adapting to a new culture by integrating desirable traits from it, which can lead to cultural change and growth.
🗑️ Culturation refers to the potential loss of cultural traits or the process of being forgotten, indicating that culture is not static and can be influenced by various factors.
🤝 Culture is shared among members of a society, implying that individual behaviors alone do not constitute culture unless they are part of a collective practice.
🌏 Culture varies from society to society, with each having its unique set of customs and practices that distinguish it from others.
🛡 Culture serves as a tool for survival, helping humans adapt to their environment and cope with its pressures, as exemplified by different cultural practices across the world.
🔄 Culture is dynamic and cumulative, constantly evolving in response to changing human needs and interpretations of their environment.

Q & A

What is the definition of culture according to Edward B. Tylor?
-Culture is defined as a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, moral customs, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
What does the term 'material culture' refer to?
-Material culture includes all tangible and visible parts of culture, such as clothes, food, and buildings.
What is meant by 'non-material culture'?
-Non-material culture consists of all intangible parts of culture, which includes values, ideas, knowledge, methods, and strategies.
How is culture characterized in terms of what a person has, does, and thinks?
-Culture is everything that a person has, does, and thinks as part of society, encompassing various aspects of life.
What is the process of enculturation?
-Enculturation is the process by which an individual learns the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of their culture.
Can you explain the concept of acculturation?
-Acculturation is the process of accommodating desirable traits from another culture into one's own.
What does it mean when culture is described as 'shared'?
-Culture is shared, implying that behavior cannot be considered cultural if it is practiced by only one person in society.
How does culture vary from one society to another?
-Culture varies from society to society, with each having its own unique set of beliefs, customs, and practices that distinguish it from others.
In what way is culture considered a tool for survival?
-Culture is a tool for survival as it helps humans respond to the pressures of their environment and adapt to their surroundings.
How can culture cause problems for the people who subscribe to it?
-Culture can cause problems when the environment changes and the culture remains static, leading to potential conflicts and challenges for its subscribers.
What does it mean for culture to be continuous and cumulative?
-Culture is continuous and cumulative, meaning it is never static and evolves over time due to changing human needs and interpretations of their environment.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Introduction to Culture

The video script begins by highlighting the universality of human culture, emphasizing rituals and customs as integral parts of our societal identity. It introduces Edward B. Tylor's definition of culture as a complex whole encompassing knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, and other societal habits acquired by individuals. The script then moves to discuss the concept of culture as a way of life, including various societal aspects such as attitudes, beliefs, language, customs, rituals, behavior, faith, religion, food, art, music, and drama. To clarify the concept of culture, the script outlines its characteristics, such as being all-encompassing, encompassing both material and non-material aspects, and being learned through processes like enculturation and acculturation.

05:06

🔄 Characteristics and Dynamics of Culture

This paragraph delves into the characteristics of culture, starting with its potential for loss and the risk of cultural traits being forgotten. It stresses that culture is shared among a group of people, not an individual practice. The script points out that culture varies from one society to another, with each society having its unique set of cultural practices. It also discusses how culture serves as a survival tool, adapting to environmental pressures, but can also create problems when the environment changes and the culture does not. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing that culture is dynamic and ever-changing, influenced by the evolving needs and interpretations of humans in their environment, and that cultural practices are not static but continuously evolve over time.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Culture

Culture is defined by Edward B. Tylor as a 'complex whole' encompassing knowledge, beliefs, arts, moral customs, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. In the video, culture is the central theme, illustrating how it shapes our way of life, including attitudes, beliefs, language, customs, rituals, behavior, faith, religion, food, art, music, and drama. It is presented as a dynamic and learned aspect of society that varies from one group to another.

💡Rituals

Rituals are customary practices that are significant in a culture. They can be related to various life events such as marriages or even daily routines like greeting and eating. In the script, rituals are mentioned as part of the cultural practices that humans share, indicating the importance of these traditions in defining a society's way of life.

💡Enculturation

Enculturation is the process by which individuals learn and absorb the culture of the society they are born into. It is a lifelong process that starts from childhood and continues as individuals adapt to their social environment. The video script refers to enculturation as one of the ways culture is transmitted and internalized by individuals.

💡Acculturation

Acculturation is the process of cultural change that occurs when individuals from one cultural group come into contact with individuals from another cultural group. It involves the adoption of certain traits from another culture that are deemed desirable. The script mentions acculturation as a process that can lead to the blending of cultural practices and the evolution of a society's culture.

💡Culturation

Culturation, as used in the script, seems to refer to the process of culture being lost or forgotten. It suggests that as societies evolve, certain cultural traits may be left behind. The term is used to highlight the dynamic nature of culture and the potential for cultural elements to fade over time.

💡Material Culture

Material culture consists of the physical or tangible elements of a culture, such as clothing, food, and buildings. It is a visible manifestation of the values, beliefs, and practices of a society. The script mentions material culture as a component of culture that can be seen and touched, distinguishing it from non-material aspects.

💡Non-material Culture

Non-material culture includes the intangible aspects of a culture, such as values, ideas, knowledge, and methods of thinking and doing things. It is the less visible but equally important part of culture that shapes the way people perceive the world and interact with each other. The video script emphasizes the importance of non-material culture in defining a society's identity.

💡Shared

The term 'shared' in the context of culture implies that it is a collective phenomenon, not an individual one. Behaviors, beliefs, and practices become cultural when they are shared among a group of people. The script uses 'shared' to explain that culture is a common heritage of a society, distinguishing it from personal habits or preferences.

💡Survival

Survival in the script is related to how culture serves as a tool for humans to adapt and respond to the pressures of their environment. It suggests that culture has evolved as a means for societies to ensure their continued existence and well-being. An example from the script might be how certain cultural practices help people to thrive in specific environmental conditions.

💡Continuous and Cumulative

The script describes culture as 'continuous and cumulative,' indicating that it is never static and is always evolving. This characteristic is attributed to the changing needs of humans and their interpretations of their environment. The term is used to convey the idea that culture is a living, breathing aspect of society that grows and adapts over time.

💡Dynamism

Dynamism refers to the energy and activity that characterizes the ongoing change and development within a culture. The script mentions the dynamism of culture to emphasize its fluid nature, which is influenced by the evolving needs and interpretations of the people within a society as they interact with their environment.

Highlights

Humans share similarities such as rituals for weddings and greetings, which are part of our culture.

Edward B. Tylor defined culture as a complex whole including knowledge, beliefs, arts, moral customs, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

Culture encompasses the way of life, including attitudes, beliefs, language, customs, rituals, behavior, faith, religion, food, art, music, and drama.

Culture has characteristics that can help understand its nature better.

Culture is all-encompassing, including what a person has, does, and thinks as part of society.

Material culture includes tangible and visible parts such as clothes, food, and buildings.

Non-material culture consists of intangible parts like values, ideas, knowledge, methods, and strategies.

Culture is learned through processes like enculturation, acculturation, and culturation.

Enculturation is the process of learning the culture one is born into.

Acculturation involves accommodating desirable traits from another culture.

Culturation refers to the potential loss of culture or cultural traits being forgotten.

Culture is shared, implying that it cannot be considered as such if practiced by only one person.

Culture varies from society to society, with each having its own unique set of cultural practices.

Culture serves as a tool for survival, helping humans respond to environmental pressures.

Culture can also cause problems when the environment changes but the culture remains static.

Culture is continuous and cumulative, constantly evolving due to changing human needs and interpretations.

The dynamism of culture is a reflection of its never-static nature, adapting over time.