Power& Culture: An Anthropologist's View

Power& Culture: An Anthropologist's View

Society with power
Every society has power in one way or another. When we think society as a system; every system has its organs, links and issue. Power organizes the links beyond organs or sometimes it even influences the issue. By using power, the peace in society can be stabilized. It helps to organize economy, and it rules people.
All of the societies; from last developed to high ones; power is always a significant part of organizing. Basically talking, power firstly occurs in families. It contains dominance between men& women and parents& children.
Four purpose of power can exercised in families. For instance families work together for economic enterprises. Cooperation helps to keep safety and develop the economy.

Culture
Culture includes all the ways of living and things of life that are common to a society
Culture does not refer to an individual's habits or behaviour.
One culture can be completely different than another or they might have something in common. (subculture)
Culture and society chained together.(they shape each other)
Culture is learned from social agencies and transferred from one generation to another

Multiculturalism's aim is to protect cultural diversity. In theory, that is a very generous and kind idea. But in reality, that is a little bit impossible. For example Ottoman Empire has a lot of culture in it. But some of them are unintentionally integrated.

Symbols can be anything that has a special meaning for those who use it

Beliefs are ideas about what is true. Old wives' tale can also seen as beliefs.

Values are ideas about what is desirable. They can be related to beliefs. Every member of a society may not be shares the same values. It seems like kind an individual thing but society commonly considers same values

Norms can be defined as behaviours and action of an individual. (For example: When a young man gives his seat to an elder person.)

Religion is a remarkable affect on culture. It has its own rules, beliefs, values. And it is obvious that religions impacts on people's life and culture

Family& Marriage

The family is the fundamental agent of socialization in society. It is the first institution where a newborn child can learn culture and social role. Within the family authority does exist.

Marriage means a men& women decide to live together in good and the bad times under laws and the society's approval.(at least in Turkish society.) Marriage's meaning can change one culture to another. Some culture encourages the marriage with romantic love& some can defense polygny.

Of course there are important differences in authority in agricultural& industrialized societies. In agricultural societies male is dominant. He do the heavy works. He gets the money. He holds the power. Women's task is house work, taking care children. And of course, there is an inequality.

However in industrialized societies, women are more independent. They have jobs, economic independent and they do not need their husband or men to stand up their foot. Also in industrialized societies women tend to have one or two children.

Divorce

Sometimes thing just do not go so well in marriages and they have to separate. But in families with children, women have more responsibility after the divorce. She takes the custody of children and the court may make father to provide payments

Gender

Historically men are physically strength than women. This made them dominance in society. Women gathered and men hunted. There are other arguable theories about the dominance between men& women, but unfortunately there are sexual inequalities in almost every culture around the world