What Is Culture
Define Culture.
Culture is defined as the way of life of a human being where he practices his beliefs, religion, behavior, roles and also his relationship towards other people. “Culture is a way of life. In a sense, all living things have culture (Borgman).
Other studies show that culture not only shows the way of living but also has many other meanings. According to Banks, most social scientists today view culture as consisting primarily of the symbolic, ideational, and intangible aspects of human societies. The essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or other tangible cultural elements but how the members of the group interpret, use, and perceive them. It is the values, symbols, interpretations, and perspectives that distinguish one people from another in modernized societies; it is not material objects and other tangible aspects of human societies. People within a culture usually interpret the meaning of symbols, artifacts, and behaviors in the same or in similar ways. Another scientist said that " Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may, on the one hand, be considered as products of action, and on the other as conditioning elements of further action." (Kroeber, 1952)
Define the following:
Universalism - Theological term which means that all man will be saved - being universal
Relativism - a theory where a person’s knowledge and values relate to the person.
Ethnocentrism - judging other culture because of the person’s values
Xenocentrism - practicing another’s culture rather than practicing one’s
Components of Culture: a) Vision b) Values c) Practices d) People e)
Culture is defined as the way of life of a human being where he practices his beliefs, religion, behavior, roles and also his relationship towards other people. “Culture is a way of life. In a sense, all living things have culture (Borgman).
Other studies show that culture not only shows the way of living but also has many other meanings. According to Banks, most social scientists today view culture as consisting primarily of the symbolic, ideational, and intangible aspects of human societies. The essence of a culture is not its artifacts, tools, or other tangible cultural elements but how the members of the group interpret, use, and perceive them. It is the values, symbols, interpretations, and perspectives that distinguish one people from another in modernized societies; it is not material objects and other tangible aspects of human societies. People within a culture usually interpret the meaning of symbols, artifacts, and behaviors in the same or in similar ways. Another scientist said that " Culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may, on the one hand, be considered as products of action, and on the other as conditioning elements of further action." (Kroeber, 1952)
Define the following:
Universalism - Theological term which means that all man will be saved - being universal
Relativism - a theory where a person’s knowledge and values relate to the person.
Ethnocentrism - judging other culture because of the person’s values
Xenocentrism - practicing another’s culture rather than practicing one’s
Components of Culture: a) Vision b) Values c) Practices d) People e)