What is Culture? Lesson

Holding Hands Globe Before we can begin to understand how sociologists view culture, we must first understand what culture is. No matter where in the world you happen to be, culture is always the knowledge, values, customs and physical objects that are shared by members of a society. Obviously the types of knowledge, values, customs and physical objects shared vary from society to society. The characteristics of cultures vary from society to society. Ultimately, the definition for culture rings true throughout the world.

The ways people feel think and act are described as "human nature." However, sociologists have spent a great deal of time studying this supposed "human nature" and have found that, in reality, it is our knowledge, values and customs that shape the way we think and act. Even biological attributes like reflexes, drives and instincts can be negated by the influence of culture. To use a somewhat disgusting example, think about blowing your nose. If you were walking through the mall on a Saturday afternoon and you needed to get rid of some mucus in your nose, would you just blow it out into the air without using a tissue? Probably not. However, how many times have you seen a soccer or hockey game broadcasted around the world that shows the players doing just that- blowing their nose without the aid of tissue out onto the ground or ice? It is natural to want to get the yick out of your nose when it is full because your reflexes and drives urge you to do so. Because of the knowledge, customs and values of our society, we know it is inappropriate to not use a tissue or handkerchief in the mall but perfectly acceptable (although still gross) to do it on the playing field during a game. There really isn't a "human nature" that guides our behavior. That is why culture, or the knowledge, customs, values and physical objects shared by a society, is so crucial to understanding social behavior.

So should we discount the role of instincts, drives, and reflexes in our lives? Certainly not. In some ways, those topics form the hereditary aspects of culture. Humans have a natural drive to reduce their level of discomfort. We don't like to sleep on the ground without shelter, for instance. It is our culture that will guide our behavior to reduce the level of discomfort and build a bed or a hammock or a stilt house or a boathouse. Humans have an automatic reaction or reflex to physical stimuli. It is our culture that will guide our reactions to a kiss, whether to kiss back, flee or slap the person. In this way, our instincts are kept in check by our culture. These instincts should not be overlooked and are the reason, despite our diversity, that we share cultural traits.

Cultural Universals are those traits that exist in all cultures and reflect the presence of our sociobiological needs. Humans love; all cultures have their own marriage or bonding rituals. Humans gather together; all cultures direct the formation of authority and the definitions of family. Humans procreate; all cultures usher the raising of the next generation. Humans question; all cultures have methods to guide spiritual or scientific quests. Humans grieve; all cultures have their own funeral or mourning rituals. Humans differ; all cultures create a variety of handling natural situations. This variety in how cultures express the cultural universals is called cultural particulars- red bridal gowns versus white ones, funeral pyres versus organ donation, mosque versus temple, and so on....

Wedding

Did you notice the material and non-material components of culture? The definition of culture includes a material component (physical objects) as well as the non-material component (knowledge, values, and customs). When studying society, sociologists must pay attention to the material culture as well as the nonmaterial culture for both are important to the society and carry symbols that will illustrate what is meaningful to the society. Is it considered enough in the United States to learn the information that you study in classes or is it necessary to obtain that physical object- the diploma- to symbolize what you have learned? Clearly, the latter, as without the diploma you could be barred from many careers, the military, and institutes of higher learning. The symbolic meaning behind the diploma reflects the standards of our culture. Symbols are one of the elements of culture that sociologists pay particular attention to in order to determine a society's culture. There are others as well.

Elements of Culture: Symbols, Language, Values, and Norms

Watch the presentation below to learn about the different elements of culture.

Although the elements of any culture are pretty straightforward, they can still be rather tricky to study and gleam meaning from, especially when you consider the difference between Ideal and Real Cultures. Ideal culture is that which describes how people should behave. In the United States, all Americans are guaranteed by the Constitution the right to freedom of expression. In our Ideal Culture, Americans are encouraged to speak their minds freely, even if that expression relates information with which not everyone agrees. In our real culture, Americans can experience a backlash if they express an opinion, not in keeping with someone else's. Consider any public figure who speaks out for or against a controversial issue and how he/she is treated afterward. Therefore we don't always express ourselves freely. Basically, the difference between an ideal culture and a real culture is that one specifies the ideal behaviors of society while the other describes the actual behaviors. Still, there is much for the sociologist to learn about a society from the two, so both the ideal and the real culture must be acknowledged to truly form an understanding of the society at hand.

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