Culture: Introduction and Concept, Culture and Trait, Characteristics

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Introduction and Concept

  • Humans learn as members of group
  • Can be Behaviour, value, attitude, belief, skills, etc.
    • Values- ideals shared by a group; vary with time
    • Material โ€“ ever-changing due to advancements
    • Norms- rules
  • Material vs non-material culture

Culture and Trait

  • Trait is the smallest unit of culture
  • Related to need or situation
  • Symbols and beliefs . E. g. Mangal sutra, belief in God
  • Sum of cultural traits = culture
  • Culture complex?

Characteristics

Illustration: Characteristics
Illustration: Characteristics

Associated Terms

  • Cultured individual
  • Explicit and implicit culture
  • Sub-culture
  • Contra-culture
  • Culture area
  • Cultural diffusion
  • Acculturation
  • Ethnocentrism
  • Cultural lag
  • Sensate culture
  • Assimilation
  • Enculturation
  • Cultural relativism

MCQs

Q. 1. Transmission of traits from one culture to another is sociologically termed as

a) Acculturation

b) Diffusion

c) Assimilation

d) Enculturation

Ans. d

Q.2. The view that without using the values of oneีšs own cultured to judge all others is known as:

a) Individualism

b) Ethnocentrism

c) Culture of objectivity

d) Cultural relativism

Ans. d

Q.3. Ethnocentrism refers to:

a) Appreciating cultural traits of other groups

b) The tendency of a cultural group to uphold and sustain traditional culture

c) The attitude that oneีšs own culture or group is superior to another

d) The attempt to modernize traditional cultural values

Ans. C

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โœ Manishika