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What is Culture?
Anthropology 330
Kimberly Porter Martin
What is Culture?
DEFINITION
Culture is the abstract,
learned, shared rules
and standards for
generating behavior
and understanding
experience.
KEY COMPONENTS
 Abstraction means that culture is ideas
in people’s heads, not physical objects.
Culture is learned, not genetically
programmed.
Culture is shared and social, not
personal and individual.
Culture is rules and patterns, whether
conscious or unconsciously followed .
People decide how to behave using
their culture’s rules and patterns.
DIFFERENT from the
Textbook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Learn THIS definition!
People understand the world through
their culture’s patterns of belief.
What is Society?
DEFINITION
A society is a
group of people
living according
to a shared
culture.
KEY COMPONENTS
 A society is a concrete
phenomenon
 A society is a group
of people living their
lives
 The thing that makes a
group of people a society
is that they share a
common culture
Cultural Products
 Behavior
 Beliefs
 Symbols
 Material
 Societies
culture
Behavior
 Actions
 Activities
 Events
 Relationships
Beliefs
 Interpretations
 Ideas
 Ways
of understanding
 Assumptions
 Perceptions of truth/reality
Symbols
DEFINITION
Something
that stands
for
something
else
KEY ASPECTS
 The ability to symbolize is the
most fundamental aspect of
culture.
 Symbols help people identify,
sort,and classify things,
ideas, and behaviors.
 When people symbolize using
language, they can express
experiences that took place
earlier or suggest events that
may happen.
Material Culture
DEFINITION
The concrete
products made by
people that meet
the standards and
expectations of a
group
TYPES OF MATERIAL
CULTURE
•Artifacts are portable objects
made by people, eg. Tools,
food, decorative or religious
articles, vehicles, etc.
•Features are alterations in the
environment made by people
– eg. Roads, architecture,
irrigation systems, etc.
Pluralistic Societies
DEFINITION
 Societies
composed of a
number of
different
cultural or
subcultural
groups.
•India
415 Distinct Languages
461 and 465 Distinct Tribal Groups
Plus immigrant groups
•China
29 Languages Spoken
China denies having indigenous groups
Plus immigrant groups
•There are very few monocultural
societies left in the world
Subcultures
DEFINITION
A subdivision of a
national culture that
shares some features
with the larger
society and also
differs in some
important respects.
EXAMPLES OF SUBCULTURES
Ethnic subcultures
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=a
NUyd1UeD5k&feature=related
Gay subculture
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=N
puaKLrajsw
Aryan Brotherhood Subculture
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=1
BhNgCevbAc&feature=related
Rave subcultures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Jlip8LHcJaI&feature=related
Anthropological
Perspectives
The emic approach (insider view) seeks to describe
another culture in terms of the categories, concepts,
and perceptions of the people being studied.
 In the etic approach (outsider view), anthropologists
use their own categories and concepts to describe the
culture under analysis.

What is Ethnocentrism?
DEFINITION
Ethnocentrism is
judging another
culture using your
own culture’s rules
and standards.
KEY COMPONENTS



Judgement or evaluation
of the behaviors and ideas
of others
Imposing your own
standards when they may
not apply
Thinking your way is the
best or only correct way
What is Cultural Relativism?
DEFINITION
Cultural relativism
is judging another
culture using its
own rules and
standards.
KEY COMPONENTS



Judging or evaluating the
behavior or ideas of others
Looking at ideas and
behaviors from the
perspective of the culture
you are viewing.
Trying on other points of
view
Culture Shock
DEFINITION
A psychological
disorientation
experienced when
attempting to
operate in a
radically different
cultural
environment.
Aspects of Culture Shock
Confusion over how to behave.
Surprise or disgust after realizing
some of the features of the new
culture.
Feeling a loss of old familiar
surroundings and ways of doing
things.
Feeling rejected by members of the
new culture.
Loss of self-esteem because you
don’t seem to be functioning
very effectively.
Doubt over your own cultural values.
Symptoms of Culture Shock
Compulsive eating
or drinking
Chauvinistic excesses
Boredom
Irritability
Stereotyping and
hostility toward host
nationals
Withdrawal
Exaggerated
cleanliness
Loss of ability to work
effectively
Marital stress and
family tension
Unexplainable
weeping
Homesickness
Excessive sleep
Coping with Culture Shock
What is Ethnicity?
DEFINITION
Ethnicity is the group
with which one
chooses to identify on
the basis of shared
ancestry and/or
heritage.
KEY COMPONENTS




We choose which parts of our
heritage to actively use
We choose how much of our
heritage to actively use
We take part of our personal
identity from these choices
This is a different part of diversity
than culture or race
What is Race?
DEFINITION
Race is a socially
constructed category
based on arbitrary
physical and cultural
characteristics that is
used for purposes of
discrimination.
DIFFERENT from the
Textbook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Learn THIS definition!
KEY COMPONENTS




Race is NOT a biological reality
Race is an arbitrary set of ideas
created by certain cultures
Racial groups are not defined the
same ways from one society to
another
Race is used to divide people into
groups so that they can be treated
differently in society
Racism Vs. Ethnocentrism
Racism is the belief that people with different
physical features and/or cultural traditions are
inferior to one’s own group.
Ethnocentrism is judging another person or group
using your own group’s cultural standards and
rules.
Prejudice vs automatic pilot.
Powerpoint Study Guide
Culture
Emic
Society
Etic
Behavior
Ethnocentrism
Symbols
Cultural Relativism
Material Culture
Culture Shock
Pluralistic Societies
Ethnicity
Subcultures
Race