GILBERT ECUBEN M. Ed.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Companion to the Anthropology of Education

Chapter 2: Culture
Frederick Erickson

The culture was defined in surfaces, its definition evolved from a simple
concept of racial into becoming complex, as theories tried to explain the
meaning and significance of culture to people, education, and to the
society.

Europeans were the ones who began to identify culture as lifeways of

people depending on their races, that’s why there were differences. An
alternative explanation of the initial perspective of culture developed. E.
B. Taylor, (1871) defined culture as “the complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities
and habits acquired by man as a member of society. This definition
widened the conversations of culture.

According to Kreober, (1917) culture was “superorganic”, as he also

added that it was a matter of nurture over nature. It transcended that
culture is developed as humans also grow. Furthermore, some
anthropologists explained culture by associating it with theories. In the
context of functionalism, culture is patterned and as a means of
maintaining the societies. With regards to Freudian psychology, culture
has different stages that began in early childhood, as individuals grow
the culture acquired may change through time.

Through time another theory in sprout to interpret culture and as a

counterpart of the prior theories. The conflict theory suggested that there
are disparities in the culture, either acquired or imposed. This started
factions within culture, identifying groups, according to the theory
conflict occurred between the cultures that considered superior over the
others, the inferior. More so, culture continued to be interpreted by other
scholars. According to Barth 1969, culture can be costumery in a natural
setting but outside its boundary, it became a cultural competence.

Furthermore, culture affect individuals’ experiences, with this culture is

not simply socialization but the backbone of experiences, for culture
dictated so.
 Culture Is Ordinary
Raymond Williams

Culture is basic, as the author explicated its definition from his

experiences. According to the author, culture has two aspects, first our
known meaning and learning, and second, our observations and other
meanings coming from the others. By this, we compare our personal
perspective with another individual’s perspective towards culture.

The meaning of culture can be as simple as perspectives toward

gestures, language, conversations, art, music, place and space.

The Politicization of “Culture”

Susan Wright

The shifting of definition culture from a traditional viewpoint to a new

meaning portrayed how dynamic it is. Culture is ever-changing, in this
article by Wright, (1998) she presented culture as a means of power.
Wright introduced the concept of cultural racism. This publicized that
the white culture is superior among other cultures in the world. This
gave the authority to the whites to be oppressive, concentrating that their
way of living as the focal point of all cultures. The inferior culture was
not recognized, in fact, the superior culture was imposed among other
societies, this damaged the primitive culture of some societies. Culture is
powerful, and it’s not debatable.