DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE
A.
SOME DEFINISION OF CULTURE
·
Sir Edward Taylor
Culture is that
complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, customs and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society
·
Patrick R. Moran
Culture is the
evolving way of life of group of persons, consisting of a shared set of
practices associated with a shared set of products, based upon a shared of
perspectives
·
The basic definition of culture
Culture is the
pattern of thought and behavior that are transmitted by a society that can be
used to predict the actions of members of that culture
·
Culture is an integrated pattern of human
knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic
thought and social learning
·
The sets of shared attitudes, values, goals
and practice that characterize an institution, organization or group
·
Oxford dictionary
Culture is customs, beliefs, art, and
way of life
B. CHARACTERISTICS
OF CULTURE
Culture
is shared, by which mean that every culture is shared by a group of people.
Depending on the region they live in, the climatic conditions they thrive in
another historical heritage, they form a set of values and beliefs. This set of
their principles of life shapes their culture. No culture belongs to an
individual. It is rather shared among many people of a certain part of the
world. It belongs to a single community and does not any single human being.
Culture
is learned. The members of a culture share certain ideals, which shape their
lives. Generations learn to follow these ideals and principles. Culture
propagates thought generations, which adapt their old customs and traditions as
a part of their culture. The ideals they base their lives on as a part of their
culture. Culture values are imparted from one generation to another. Thus
resulting in a continual of traditions that are a part of culture. The
language, the literature and the art forms pass across generations. Culture is
learned, understood and adopted by the younger generation society. No
individual is born with a sense of his/ her culture. He/ she have to learn it.
Some characteristics of culture, they
are:
1.
Culture is learned and acquired. Not all
things shared generally by a population are cultural for it to be considered
cultural it must be first learned as well as shared
2. Culture is shared
and transmitted. Culture is passed on to succeeding generations primarily through
Language/ Communication
3. Culture is
social. Product develops by many people interacting in a group. No man is an
island; he is always a part of a group
4. Culture is
ideational. Culture uses ideas and symbols to give meanings to his environment
and experiences. Every individual sees and approaches his world according to
standpoint of his culture
5. Culture gratifies
human needs. Human has biological needs such as food, shelter, clothing, protection,
love, security and sex
6. Culture is
adaptive
7. Culture is
cumulative. People are able to retain certain features of their culture that
are Significant
.
C.
THE FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE
1.
Trademark or special
feature that distinguishes one society from another
2. Brings together,
contains and interprets the values of a society in a more or less systematic manner
3. Provides one of
the most important bases for social solidarity. Social Solidarity inspires
loyalty and devotion. When the nation has common feelings, common objectives it
results to common national pride
4. Provides a blue print
of, as well as the materials for social structure
5. The culture of
any society is the dominant factor in establishing and molding the social
personality. Social stamp is expected despite differences of individuals
6. Culture of a
society provides behavioral pattern. It also provides norm to follow. This
explains why student will not come in class wearing her bathing suit.
7. Culture provides
individual with the meaning and direction of his existence
8. Culture shape
behavior
9. Culture provides
a standard by which we evaluate other’s behavior
10.
Culture
gives meaning to event or acts
11.
Culture
allow for communication of event or acts
12.
Culture
provides boundary maintenance ( differentiates one ethnic/ cultural group from
another)
‘’ The function of culture is to give us an
all encompassing pattern for living. It provides us with the rules for our
membership of humankind within a social group’’
REFERENCES
Patrick R. Moran. 2001. ‘’Teaching Culture’’. Newbury House Teacher Development
Wikibooks.org/wiki/ IB-cultural
http://www.Uwec. Education/bonstem
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