SH1661

The Complexity of Culture

Culture is a people’s way of life. E.B. Taylor describes culture as “that complex whole, which encompasses
beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a
person learns and shares as a member of society.

The What, How, and Why of Culture

The Anatomy of Culture and Society

Anthropology Sociology
The What The How The Why
Refers to the contents of Refers to the processes that Refers to the reasons for compliance
culture guarantee the transmission of the and the mechanism that facilitate
contents performance
Actions Through
Learned socialization/enculturation:
Individuals are exposed to and
experience lessons in everyday
interactions.
Language Shared Through conformity:
The actions of individuals are
routinized and institutionalized in
contexts like family, church, schools,
and government.
Attitude Through social control:
Conformity, or its absence thereof, is
meted out through the system of giving
Communicated rewards and imposing punishments

Enculturation and Culture Shock

Enculturation refers to the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of a culture or group by a
person, another culture, etc.
Culture Shock is the feeling of uncertainty, confusion, or anxiety that people experience when visiting, doing
business in, or living in a society that is different from their own. Social norms can vary significantly across
countries and regions. Culture shock can arise from an individual's unfamiliarity with local customs,
language, and acceptable behavior.

Aspects of Culture
E.B. Taylor, an English anthropologist, was the first to coin to term culture in the 18th century. The study of
society is incomplete without a proper understanding of the culture of that society because culture and
society go together.
➢ Explicit culture – refers to similarities in words and actions which can be directly observed.
➢ Implicit culture – exists in abstract forms that are not quite obvious

Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is social because it is the product of behavior.
2. Culture varies from society to society.
3. Culture is shared.
4. Culture is learned.
5. Culture is transmitted among members of society.
6. Culture is continuous and cumulative.
7. Culture is gratifying and idealistic.

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 SH1661

Functions of Culture
1. Culture defines the situation.
2. Culture defines attitudes, values, and goals.
3. Culture defines myths, legends, and the supernatural.
4. Culture provides behavior patterns.

Ethnocentrism refers to the tendency of each society to place its cultural patterns at the center of all things.
It is the practice of comparing other cultural practices with those of one’s own and automatically finding
those other cultural practices to be inferior. The term was coined by William Graham Summer.

Cultural Relativism is the idea that all norms, beliefs, and values are dependent on their cultural context
and should be treated as such. It promotes a greater appreciation of the cultures one encountered along
the way.

Xenocentrism refers to a preference for the foreign. It is characterized by a strong belief that one’s own
products, styles, or ideas are inferior to those which originate elsewhere.

Xenophobia is the fear of what is perceived as foreign or strange. It may include fear of losing identity,
suspicion of other group’s activities, aggression, and the desire to eliminate the presence of the other group
to secure a presumed purity.

Reference:
Contreras, A., Dela Cruz, A., Erasga, D., & Fadrigon, C. (2016). The Padayon Series: Understanding
Culture, Society, and Politics. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.

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