CULTURE

What is Culture?
Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language,
marriage, music and is different all over the world.
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people,
encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. The Center for Advanced
Research on Language Acquisition goes a step further, defining culture as shared patterns of
behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by
socialization. Thus, culture can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social
patterns unique to the group.

Characteristics of Culture:
● Culture is learned.
● Culture is shared.
● Culture is based on symbols.
● Culture is integrated.
● Culture is dynamic.

What is Cultural Relativism?

Cultural relativism suggests that ethics, morals, values, norms, beliefs, and behaviors
must be understood within the context of the culture from which they arise.
All cultures have their own beliefs and that there is no universal or absolute standard to
judge those cultural norms.

Benefits of Cultural Relativism

Cultural relativism has a number of benefits that can help people gain greater insight into
different cultures. This perspective can help:

● Promote cultural understanding:

● Protect cultural respect and autonomy:
● Foster learning:

What is Ethnocentrism?
It is the opposite of cultural relativism, which involves judging or understanding cultural
beliefs from the perspective of your own.

What is the difference between Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism?

Cultural relativism is the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than
viewing it through the lens of one’s own culture while Ethnocentrism is evaluating and judging
another culture based on how it compares to one’s own cultural norms.

Problems of Culture
Problems of culture encompass a wide range of issues that can arise within societies due
to cultural differences, misunderstandings, and clashes. These issues can lead to
misunderstandings, conflicts, and marginalization within societies. Examples include:
 ● Cultural Appropriation: When elements of one culture are adopted or appropriated by
members of another culture without proper understanding or respect, often leading to
misrepresentation or exploitation. Examples include wearing traditional clothing as a
costume, using sacred symbols out of context, or appropriating religious practices
without understanding their significance.

● Cultural Stereotyping: Oversimplified and generalized beliefs or attitudes about

individuals or groups based on their cultural background, often leading to discrimination
and prejudice. Examples include assuming all members of a certain ethnicity have the
same personality traits, believing that all individuals from a specific region have the same
cultural practices, or assuming certain professions are only suitable for specific genders.

● Cultural Hegemony: Dominance of one culture over others, where the dominant
culture's beliefs, values, and practices are seen as superior and imposed on others,
suppressing diversity and marginalizing minority cultures. Examples include the spread
of Western media and values worldwide, the homogenization of local cultures due to
globalization, and the dominance of English as a global lingua franca, which can suppress
indigenous languages and cultures.

● Cultural Isolation: Conversely, cultural isolation can occur when certain groups are
excluded or segregated from mainstream society, leading to feelings of alienation and
exclusion. One example of cultural isolation is the case of the Sentinelese people, an
indigenous tribe living on North Sentinel Island in the Andaman Islands of India. The
Sentinelese have limited contact with the outside world and fiercely resist any attempts at
outside intrusion. They maintain their isolation by using physical force and aggressive
behavior towards outsiders who approach their island.

● Cultural Preservation: Balancing the preservation of cultural heritage with the pressures
of globalization and modernization can pose challenges, especially for indigenous
communities. Example is many indigenous communities face pressure to adapt to
dominant cultures, resulting in the loss of their unique identity and knowledge systems.
This challenge is compounded by factors such as urbanization, economic development,
and the spread of mass media, which can disrupt traditional ways of life and weaken
intergenerational transmission of cultural practices.

Addressing these problems often requires promoting cultural awareness, fostering

intercultural dialogue, and advocating for social policies that respect and protect cultural
diversity.

The Positive Features of Cultural Relativism

● Respect for Differences: Cultural relativism teaches us to respect and value the
differences between cultures, instead of judging them based on our own standards.

● Preservation of Traditions: It helps protect traditional knowledge and practices,

especially those of indigenous communities.
 ● Learning from Each Other: Cultural relativism encourages us to learn from other
cultures, adapting and growing through shared experiences.

● Better Communication Across Cultures: By promoting understanding and empathy, it

makes it easier for people from different backgrounds to communicate and work together
without misunderstandings.

● Inspiring New Ideas: When different cultures come together, they can inspire each other
and create new solutions to common problems.

● Fostering Peaceful Communities: By respecting diversity and promoting inclusion,

cultural relativism helps communities to live together peacefully, with less tension and
conflict.

Presenter #3: Culture

Montecino, Sarah M.
Perez, Adrian Hero T.
Sanggayan, Elgien Faith D.
Tadus, Danielle Sophia S.