Culture

Definition
• Herskovit
Man made part of environment
• Linton
“The culture is social heredity which is transmitted
from one generation to other with accumulation of
individual experiences”.
• Beals and Hoijer
“Culture is the totality of designs for living practiced by man at all
places and times” within all the time and space a culture is the mode
of activities which differentiates the people of one society from
another”.
• Lowie
“Culture is the continually changing patterns of learned behavior
and the products of learned behavior( including
attitude,values,knowledge and material objects) which are shared by
and transmitted among the members of the society”.
Characteristics of Culture
• Culture is learnt
• It is not inherited biologically but learnt socially by man. It is not an inborn
tendency.
• Learned behavior
• Unlearned behavior are purely physiological and not cultural.
• Culture is Social
It does not exist in isolation neither is it an individual phenomenon. It is product of
society and develops through social interaction. It is shared by the members of society.
• Culture is Shared
It is not something which an individual can possess e.g custom, tradition, beliefs,
ideas, values, morals etc all are shared by the group or society.
• Culture is Transmissive
• It is capable of being transmitted from one generation to the next.
Parents pass on culture traits to their children and they in turn to their
children and so on.
• It is not transmitted through genes but by means of language.
• Language is the main vehicle of culture and makes it possible for the
present generation to understand the achievements of earlier
generations.
• Culture is Continuous and Cumulative
It is a continuous process and is growing with the passage of time.
• Culture is Consistent and Integrated
It has tendency to be consistent. At the same time different parts
of culture are interconnected e.g. the value system of society is
closely connected with its other aspects such as morality,
religion, custom, traditions, beliefs and so on. Change in one part
of culture will cause change in rest of the parts.
• Culture is Dynamic and Adaptive
It is not static but subject to slow and constant changes. Change
and growth are latent in culture.
It also intervenes in the natural environment and helps man in his
process of adjustment.
• Culture is Gratifying
Culture provides proper means for the satisfaction of our needs and
desires. These needs may be biological or social like food, clothing,
money etc.
• Culture varies from Society to Society
Every society has its own culture and it is unique to itself. It is not
uniformed. Ways of eating, speaking, practices are different in each
society.
• Culture is Super Organic and Ideational
Sometimes things can be understood only through their cultural
connotation.