Characteristics of Society and Culture

Module 1 Objective 3

Culture

Anthropologist E B Tylor (1871) defines culture as that complex whole which includes: knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs and habits and any other capabilities acquired by man as a memeber of society.

Culture (E)

Jencks (1993) distinguishes culture as the whole way of life of a people.

Characteristics of Culture

1) Culture is shared
2) Culture is learned
3) Culture is taken for granted
4) Culture is symbloic
5) Culture varies over time and space
6) Culture is relative

Globalization

Anthony Giddens (2001) defines globalization as the intensification of worldwide social relations that link distant localities in such a way that the happenings that occur in one part of the globe are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa.

Tangible Culture

Artifacts
Monuments
Utensils
Places of Worship
Food
Clothing
Musical Instruments

Intangible Culture

Norms
Values
Religion
Laws
Sanctions
Mores
Taboos
Customs
Language

Subsections of Culture

1) High Culture- High vs Low Brow OR Bourgeoisie vs Proleriatariat
2) Popular Culture
3) Folk Culture
4) Mass Culture
5) Global Culture
6) Subculture
7) Cyber Culture

Society

A society is the largest unit or group to which humans belong to.

Creolization

Edward K Braithwaite (1971) Creolization is a process through which the various groups in the caribbean absorbs each other culture and culural products.

Creole Society

Edaward Kamau Braithwaite states a creole society is characterised by creolisation where in this society there is the mixing and merging of cultural products and societal insttuion such as language, religous rituals, festivals, musical expressions, cuisine and people.

Characteristics of Society

A shared common purpose

A defined territorial space

Citizenship within a space

Continuity over time and space