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ASPECTS OF CULTURE
The learner will describe and compare patterns of culture such
as language, religion, and customs that make a specific region in
the world distinctive.
WHAT IS CULTURE?
 Culture
refers to a people’s way of
life – including how they meet their
needs, their language, religion, beliefs,
customs, institutions and technology.
What is Culture?
Customs
Rural or
Urban
Setting
Gender
Roles
Culture
Family
Structure
Religion
Social
Structure
Institutions
Customs
Things people usually do –
- how they dress
- the foods they eat
- how they celebrate
holidays
- and the great turning
points of life – birth,
coming of age, marriage,
parenthood and death.
Roles

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Roles are based upon
rules for proper behavior
of individuals in a
particular position or
situation.
Gender roles are those
specifically assigned to
men and women. In
certain countries women
are required to stay at
home or wear special
clothing.
Institutions
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Organizations developed
by each society to make
social roles clear and to
take care of social needs.
Families
Schools
Governments
Military/Army
Hospitals/Churches
Social Structure

A defined or undefined social
class system –

Upper Class – wealthy and
own large share of property.
Middle Class – professionals
who are educated and small
business owners
Working Class- manual
laborers who work in factories,
mining or transportation.
Lower Class – Uneducated and
unskilled. Take least desirable
and worst paying jobs.
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Rural or Urban – How people live together
In some cultures people
mostly live in the countryside.
Homes are small huts of mud
and thatch, or simple cottages.
Spend time as farmers,
livestock herders or village
craftsmen. Maintain traditional
ways.
Other cultures people live in
large cities with advanced
levels of technology. They have
roads, bridges and buildings.
Rural vs. Urban
Multicultural Societies
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Containing a mix of
peoples and cultures –
such as United States,
Brazil or England.
Sometimes minority (an
ethnic or religious group
other than the dominant
group) can be persecuted
or discriminated against.
Genocide is the
extermination of an entire
ethnic group.
RELIGION
One of the most important aspects of culture
is religion.
 Today, seven major religions have the greatest
number of followers around the world:
animism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism,
Christianity, Islam and Sikhism.
 Confucianism and Daoism have significant
followings primarily in China and the Far East.

What is Religion?
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A set of beliefs about the meaning of life, the nature of the
universe and the existence of the supernatural (including
a God or supreme being).
A set of customs and practices that relate to the worship of
God, or several gods, and a set of rules for the conduct of a
good life.
An organization, such as a church or other place of
worship, which oversees the conduct of religious
practices.
Most religions designate some special places as sacred or
holy.
ANIMISM
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Belief that many things in
nature have their own spirit.
Earliest forms of religion.
Peoples have believe that
animals, plants, and even
places had their own
spirits.
Practiced by Native
Americans, Mesoamericans,
Australian Aborigines.
JUDAISM
Origins of Judaism
Judaism emerged in the Middle East, Canaan
or Palestine .

Emerged 4000 years ago in the area along the
Mediterranean occupied by present day Israel, Lebanon,
and Jordan.
First religion to assert the existence of one God- or the
concept of monotheism.
HISTORY OF JUDAISM

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Teaches that the Hebrew people are descended from
Abraham, the patriarch with whom God formed the
Covenant.
Ancient Hebrews migrated from Israel to Egypt to escape
food shortages. They remained there hundreds of years,
where they became enslaved by the Egyptians.
Moses later led the Jews out of Egypt and back to Israel.
It was during this migration where God gave Moses the
Ten Commandments which were meant to guide the
conduct of God’s people and initiated a solemn covenant
with this people.
Fundamental Beliefs of Judaism
There is only one God.
God is the ultimate authority and possesses final
dominion over the universe
Life is Holy.
The Torah is a guide to correct and upright living.
Group worship and prayer are indispensable elements
of a righteous life.
HOLY TEXTS OF JUDAISM
The first books of the Old Testament give the
history of the ancient Hebrews and their
relationship with God.
 The first five books are referred to as the
Torah.
 Ten Commandments emphasized living justly
and following God’s commandments. They
forbade believing in false gods, stealing, murder,
adultery, and other forms of immoral behavior.

CHRISTIANITY
ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY
 Christianity
began about 2,000 years ago.
It is based upon the teachings of Jesus.
 Began as a small sect in country of
Palestine in the Middle East.
 Eventually became the major religion of the
Roman Empire.
Who was Jesus?
A
Jew born in Bethlehem.
 Mother was Mary, father Joseph.
 Worked as a carpenter along with his
father.
 Jesus preached forgiveness, mercy and
sympathy for the poor and helpless.
Crucifixion

The Romans crucified
Jesus for claiming he was
the Messiah or Savior.

After his death, a band of
followers, known as the
Apostles, believed Jesus
had risen from the dead
to redeem mankind.
BELIEFS
Christians believe Jesus was the son of God and
sacrificed himself to save humankind from
punishment for their sins.
 Christians believe that after his death, Jesus
was resurrected and rose to heaven.
 Christians believe they will be saved and will go
to Heaven after death if they have faith in
Christ as their savior.

THE HOLY BIBLE

The sacred book of
Christianity consists of the
Old Testament (the Jewish
Bible) and the New
Testament which describes
the life of Christ and the
works of the Apostles.
The Spread of Christianity
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Became the major religion of the Roman Empire.
Later, Christians divided into Orthodox Christians,
Catholics and Protestants.
Pope is head of the Catholic Church – Catholics believe
he is God’s deputy on Earth.
Orthodox Christians are mainly found in Greece and
Russia.
Protestants reject the Pope’s authority and believe that
people should interpret the Bible for themselves.
HINDUISM
ORIGINS OF HINDUISM
 The Aryans
came from Central Asia,
crossed the mountain passes through
the Himalayas and arrived in India
about 1500 B.C.E.
 The Aryans brought with them a new
religion to India called Hinduism.
ORIGINS OF HINDUISM
 Began
on Sub-Continent of India around
the Indus River over 4,000 years ago.
 No founder
Hinduism is unique in that it cannot be
traced to any specific individuals or historic
event.
 The faith is an extraordinary collection of
variations and expansions.

POLYTHEISM AT ITS GREATEST
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Over 1,000 gods
There is freedom to believe in one god, many gods or no
god.
Hindus believe that there are many gods and goddesses,
however, it is a manifestation of one Supreme Being.
BRAHMA
One of three
main Hindu
gods.
Personification
of the Absolute,
the creator of
the world.
VISHNU

Known as the Preserver
and protector.
SHIVA
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Symbolizes the various
forms of energy. Embodies
both creation and
destruction.
CIRCLE OF LIFE
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Hinduism is based upon the idea of reincarnation – the
concept that all living beings are in a cycle of death and
rebirth, and that human beings are reborn several times in
different forms or bodies.
The doctrine of reincarnation holds that one is trapped
by the cycle of life and death until one attains true
realization.
KARMA
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Refers to a person’s behavior in life which Hindu’s believe
will determine that person’s form in the next life.
People who live a good life will be reborn in a higher
caste. Those who do not will be born into a lower caste.
Social Hierarchy and Hinduism
The mixing of the Aryan and native Dravidian
peoples led to a new social order.
 The Aryans put new social and religious rules
in place which established rigid social castes or
classes.
 Caste systems were rigid and based upon
birth.
 People lacked social mobility – the ability to
change classes.
 People could not marry outside their caste.

THE CASTE SYSTEM
Priests
Warriors
Landowners
Peasants
Untouchables
The Untouchables
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Untouchables performed the
lowliest tasks, such as
handling dead bodies or
sweeping streets.
They were completely
outside the social order.
A touch of an Untouchable
to someone of a higher
caste made them unclean.
Upper caste Hindus did not
feel guilt as they believe the
segregation was divinely
ordained.
HOLY BOOKS
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Vedas – collection of books that outline spiritual
principles accepted by Hindus as fundamental to their
religion.
The Upanishads are direct accounts from spiritually
advanced mystics. They set out the principle of
reincarnation.
SACRED OBJECTS
Hindus believe
the Ganges
River is sacred
and has the
power to wash
away sin and
evil.
Sacred Objects
Hindus believe the
cow is sacred and
religious Hindus
do not eat beef.
How was the hereditary caste system closely
connected to Hindu beliefs in reincarnation?
 People
who live a good life will be reborn
in a higher caste. Those who do not will
be born into a lower caste.
 Caste
segregation was divinely ordained.
BUDDHISM
The right attitude toward life is the basis for sound living.”
Buddha
Origins
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Buddha was born in the foothills of Himalayas in presentday Nepal.
Buddhism did not survive in India as primary religion,
however in later years it was adopted in Asia – Burma,
Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Tibet.
Japanese branch is called Zen Buddhism and has attracted
many western followers.
The Prince Who Left the Palace
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Siddartha Gautama was born the son of a wealthy
and powerful ruler of a small kingdom.
Gautama had never been outside the palace until he
ventured out when he was 29 years of age.
He was shocked by the human suffering he saw
outside the palace as he had never faced old age,
illness or death.
He saw his royal lifestyle as empty and useless and
vowed to become a holy man.
The Awakening
 Gautama
spent years
pursuing a life of
deprivation and asceticism.
 One day he sat under a
Bodhi tree and vowed not
to move until he saw true
liberation.
 When he arose he had
true enlightenment and
thus became, Buddha.
Blinded to the Light
 Buddha
claimed that all beings possess
enlightenment but that some are blinded to
this fact.
 Suffering was caused by human desire. To
end suffering one must come to accept the
world as it is and block out selfish desires.
 Three habits – anger, desire and ignorance
– prevent most people from enlightenment.
NIRVANA (Before it was a rock band)
 Nirvana
is the state of final liberation from the
cycle of birth and death or “Perfect Peace” –
a state of eternal peace and bliss.
 Believers must give up attachment to worldly
belongings and live a life of self-denial that
can bring a person to nirvana.
The Four Noble Truths
 Life
is Suffering.
 Suffering
 Craving
 The
has a cause: craving and attachment.
and attachment can be overcome.
path toward cessation of craving and attachment is
an Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path
Right understanding
 Right purpose
 Right speech
 Right conduct
 Right livelihood
 Right effort
 Right alertness
 Right concentration

The Middle Way
Buddha
rejected the idea of
the caste system of Hinduism
and the idea of a divine
creator.
GODS AND HOLY BOOKS
 Buddhists
do not believe in a single
Supreme Being or God.
 They do not have a primary holy book.
Their basic beliefs are found in books
called Sutras.
ISLAM
Who Was Muhammad
Born in Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula
 At age of 40, Muhammad had a vision that
commanded him to convert Arab tribes to the
belief in a single god, “Allah” – the same God
worshipped by Jews and Christians.
 Islam was founded by Muhammad in 600 C.E.

The Migration
Muhammad was driven away from his home in
Mecca because the community and
businessmen were angered by his insistence on
monotheism – (one god).
 Shortly after the persecution and death of
many of his followers, Muhammad was the
target of an assassination plot.
 Muhammad fled to neighboring city of Medina
in 622 C.E.
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630 C.E.
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Muhammad attracted many followers in Medina and he
became leader of the community governed by Islamic Law
(Sharia Law).
Muhammad attacked and captured Mecca in 630 C.E. He
created the first Islamic state.
The Qur’an
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The holy book of Islam
Muslims believe that the Qur’an consolidates all past
revelations from God. It is the Word of God whose
instrument was the Prophet Muhammad.
A surah is a chapter within the Qur’an.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Confession of one’s faith in God and his
prophet Muhammad.

“There is no God but God; Muhammad is the Prophet of
God.”
Daily Prayers and Ritual Worship
Muslims must pray five times a day; before sunrise, after
midday, at midafternoon, shortly after sunset, and in the
fullness of night. Muslims direct their prayers toward the
city of Mecca.
Pay the Zakat

The Zakat is a tax on property paid by all Muslims for
the benefit of the poor. The amount of the Zakat is fixed
usually at 2.5 percent of one’s wealth.
Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
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During the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Rigidly observed period of abstention, reflection and
purification.
Between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan, adult
Muslims do not smoke, eat, drink or have sex.
Pilgrimage or Hajj
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Every Muslim who is of sound body, sane and able to
afford the journey is expected to make a pilgrimage to
the holy city of Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime.
Two Main Divisions within Islam
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Sunni sect is larger of group because of its broad platform
of essential doctrines.
Shiite sect, dominant in Iran, places heavy emphasis on the
lineage of the Imams (regarded as the successors to
Muhammad) and on their authority as cleric
representatives.
The Mosque – Islam’s Holy Temple

A mosque is a building
used by Muslims for
worship and prayer. The
mosque features a niche
or other central point that
directs the worshipper in
the direction of Mecca.
Misconceptions about Islam
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Islam is a global faith; it is not a regional or Middle Eastern
phenomenon.
Most Muslims are not Arab.
Islam does not justify suicide attacks or the slaughter of
non-Muslims civilians;
Jihad is, first and foremost, the struggle with one’s own
faults and worldly desires.
The Qur’an does not mention the promise of seventytwo virgins to any suicide attacker fighting on behalf of
Allah.
Sikhism
Sikhism
 Sikhs
live mainly in Northern India.
 Combines both Hindu and Muslim
beliefs.
 Reincarnation
 One God
 Know God through meditation
Reject Caste System
 Sikhs
do not have caste systems – they
believe that everyone has equal status in
the eyes of God.
Sikhism

Sikh men do not cut their
hair and it is often worn
under a turban.
Confucianism
Confucius
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Confucius who lived during the Zhou Dynasty in
China. It was a period of great turmoil.
Confucius established a philosophy based upon what
he believed was the basic order of the universe.
Stressed following traditional ways which had
worked well in the past to achieve peace and
harmony.
Stressed the importance of the family where children
should show devotion - filial piety – to their
parents.
Confucianism
Major Beliefs of Confucianism
 There
is a natural order to the universe
and to human relationships. Each person
has a role in society, which reflects his or
her position in the universe.
 In each relationship, there is a superior
and inferior. The superior must show
love and responsibility, while the
inferior must show loyalty and
obedience.
Major Beliefs of Confucianism
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Each person’s social role brings a number of
obligations. If everyone fulfills these roles by meeting
their obligations, people and society will be in harmony.
If the ruler benefits his people and provides them with
food and protection, then the people will obey their
ruler, who will continue to hold the Mandate of
Heaven (right to rule).
Daoism
“the way”
Daoism
 Daoism
or Taoism is philosophy
established in 5th century China
based upon teachings of Lao Tzu.
“The Way”
Daoists believe that nature has a “way” in
which it moves and that people should
accept the “way” of nature rather than try to
resist it.
 Daoists have a deep respect for nature and
harmony, and accept things rather than trying
to change them.

“The Way”
“ You look at it, but it is not to be
seen,
Its name is Formless.
You listen to it, but it is not to be
heard;
Its name is Soundless.
You grasp it, but it is not to be held;
Its name is Bodiless.”
Enlightenment
 People
can achieve enlightenment
only by “non-striving”, enjoying
nature and using contemplation to
abandon earthly concerns.