Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

What does it mean that culture is all-encompassing?

Good Essays
243 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What does it mean that culture is all-encompassing?
By describing culture as all-encompassing, anthropologists are referring to the fact that culture not only includes, but is largely responsible for all human behavior. It is my opinion that humans, for the most part, can be characterized as a sum of their learned behaviors. There are, however, some human behaviors, such as eating, drinking, and reproducing, that are often assumed to be instinctual. I feel, however, that they may not be. Humans are born with biological needs to eat and drink along with an innate desire for reproduction, which is visible in all cultures, but the expression of these necessities are widely varied. It is my belief that one's culture dictates how a person acts on these instincts by teaching them what is "normal" and acceptable. Cultures force natural or instinctive drives to adapt to suit the well being of a much larger group of people.

But these three fundamental components of life (food, drink, and reproduction) are not the only possible examples that can be used to explain the broadness of meaning behind the idea of culture. Culture shapes the way people think, act and react to changes within their society and within their environments. But, culture also refers to the creative expressions of peoples, (written and oral stories, artwork, craftsmanship, and ideas) the beliefs people hold (religion, morals, laws, tradition, and societal structure) and how they live (adaptation to environment, tools, homes, and foods). Culture plays a role in all human expression.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Do non-human primates have culture similar to humans? Communication skills mostly support that these primates have culture because primates learn communication through gestures and facial expressions. Anthropological definition of culture is all aspects of human adaptation, including technology, traditions, language, religion, and social roles. Culture is a set of learned behaviors; it is transmitted from one generation to the next through learning and not by biological or genetic means.…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    So, what is culture? Up until the last few years, humans were supposedly the only living beings to have culture, therefore it is difficult to find a true definition as nearly all contain the word “human” or “people.” But to some them all up, culture is distinguishing actions, attitudes, feelings, values, and behavioural patterns of a particular group or population. It may seem like humans are the only primates that can fit this definition, but new surprising discoveries say otherwise.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Over the course of the last century one of the greatest debates in psychology concerns, the basis of behaviour, specifically whether behaviour is innate i.e. genetically controlled, or whether it is learnt through the socio-cultural environment. This is often referred to as the Nature vs. Nurture debate. There are two main arguments on this issue. The ‘Nativist’ claims that all behaviour is innate believing that genes control the majority of animal behaviour. On the other hand, the empiricist position suggests that all behaviour is learned through an individuals cultural experience and conditioning – that individuals begin life as blanks slates. Extremes of both these positions are reductionist, since they explain all behaviour at one level of explanation. This debate has evolved in such a way that the modern question is not whether behaviour is innate or learned, but rather how much of behaviour, if any, is genetically determined. Most psychologists now accept that both heredity and the environment are necessary for human existence and influence our behaviour. Therefore the question has shifted to considering to what extent nature or nurture affects our behaviour and how they interact– not so much nature or nurture, as nature via nurture. The debate endures because both sides have the ability to create a scientific environment to support their cause.…

    • 2173 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I believe that cultures are equally good and while the may vary greatly in certain beliefs, many cultures are also similar. For example, many cultures around the world have some type of “coming of age” ceremony. The ceremonies may be vastly different, but the purpose is essentially the same across the different cultures.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sociology Quiz

    • 305 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Culture refers to ways of life that people create through their interactions with one another.…

    • 305 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    Culture is one of the most basic elements that makes up the identity and personality of each individual. Every individual has their own culture rooted from the community they lived in and the family they grew up making up the personal identity people have in the general society Personal views, aspects of reasoning and judgment and the general logical thinking of an individual are affected significantly by the culture he or she has.…

    • 3543 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    Culture involves learned and shared behaviours, norms, values, and material objects. It also encompasses what people create to express values, attitudes, and norms. Culture is largely undiscussed by the people who share it. (Beamer and Varner (2008) Culture… (p. 5))…

    • 2867 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Diversity Considerations

    • 1380 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The different cultures and lifestyles that surround us are the major factors that affect and influence behavior in all societies. Culture is the way we are brought up and the beliefs, values and attitudes that are instilled in us by our parents and or guardians. Society also instills culture in us and how we are educated and trained throughout life. We are trained in school and within our homes; we are taught different lifestyles through whom we interact with and the environment in which we grow up in and the conditions and situations we are used to.…

    • 1380 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Culture is the sum total of the customs, traditions, believes, rituals, mythology, economic and political realities and all such other factors which affect the lives of a people in a particular area and determine their social behavior.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Where Worlds Collide

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What is culture? Culture is a way of life – for most people anyway. People’s culture is what makes them as a whole, such as their religious beliefs, political views, and much more. The text Two Kinds, Where Worlds Collide, and Everyday Use shows that culture influences people’s views and the world.…

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Culture is a key aspect of who we are. It shapes us. Culture defines us as diverse beings with traditional differences that can be found in our beliefs, customs, and morals. These differences allow us to distinguish ourselves from other societies or groups. From birth, culture is embedded deep within- as we learn the patterns and behaviors that are the accepted norm. Over time diverse cultures can blend together to form one larger culture, which is the case of the United States.…

    • 3321 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Put simply, anthropological research is the study of anthropology. “Anthropology is a comparative study of culture, society, and human difference. The field challenges us to consider the many ways in which people’s lives are shaped by social relations, cultural images, and historical forces”. (Biehl, J. G. (2004). Introduction to Anthropology.). By this we can see that as a whole, anthropology is the study of people and their behavior towards one another, the way they live their lives according to society and societies beliefs of how one should live as well as most of the time, the culture that they involve themselves in.…

    • 1011 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexican Culture Essay

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Every culture has its different leisure activities whether it’s from extreme sporting or quietly reading a book; whether it’s a toddler playing with his blocks or a senior playing chess with his friends. Some leisure activities that are popular in Mexico that all fit in the same category are fiestas which are parties, music and dancing. All three of these activities are important to one another because they occur at the same time and it’s a way created for family and friends to get closer with one another.…

    • 1064 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Culture holds multiple meanings depending on the person, ethnicity, community or country. To many it means art, music, cuisine, religion, social habits, and language. To me, culture means the gifts a country or community has to offer.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is culture? How is it important to our lives? Culture, according to the textbook, means "the total knowledge, altitude, and behaviors shared by and passed on by the members of a specific group." Culture can be shaped and developed, shared, and changed overtime. This is important because culture benefits our ways of life. culture can include food/shelter, religion, language, educations, etc,. This is the reason why how does culture shape and develop, spread, and change over time.…

    • 620 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays