CULTURE
Culture determines…
•Food we eat
•Clothing
•Music
•Games we play
•How to express emotions
•What is good or bad
•What is high or low culture (if any)
Culture
determines …
Culture
determines…
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Culture Determines …
MEANING OF THE WORD CULTURE
•The word "culture" derives from a French
term, which in turn derives from the Latin
"colere," which means to tend to the earth
and grow, or cultivation and nurture”
(Cristina De Rossi)
•In this sense culture is the man-made
environment and the people living in a
society actually grow their way of life over
time.
•Western culture, European culture, Pakistani
INTRODUCTION
•Culture is the ways of thinking, the ways of
acting, and
the material
people’s way objects that together form a
of life.
•Culture
how is NOT society-culture is a blueprint for
we live, think and act, while society is a group
of
people within a geographic area.
•Culture includes the traditions we inherit and pass
on to the next generation
•Culture: totality of our shared language, knowledge,
DEFINING CULTURE
•Culture … is that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society. (Edward B. Taylor ,1871:1)
•Culture is the ways of thinking, the ways of acting,
and the material objects that together form a people’s
way of life (Macionis, 2012: 54).
TYPES OF CULTURE
•Material culture a component of culture that
consists of the physical or tangible creations (such
as clothing, shelter, and art) that members of a
society make, use, and share.
•Nonmaterial culture a component of culture that
consists of the intangible human creations of
society (such as attitudes, beliefs, and values) that
influence people’s behavior.
Characteristics of Culture
•Culture is learnt; Culture is not inherited
biologically, but learnt socially by man. It is
not an inborn tendency. There is no cultural
instinct as such culture is often “Learned
ways of behavior”.
•Culture is social; Culture does not exist in
isolation. Neither is it an individual
phenomenon. It is a product of society. It
originates and develops through social
interactions. It is shared by the members of
society.
Characteristics of Culture
•Culture is shared; Culture in the sociological
sense, is something shared. It is not something
that an individual alone can possess. For
example, customs, traditions, beliefs, ideas,
values, morals etc. are all shared by people of a
group or society.
Characteristics of Culture
•Culture is transmissive; Culture is capable of being
transmitted from one generation to the other. Parents pass
on culture traits to their children, and they in turn to their
children, and so on. Culture is transmitted not through genes
but by means of language. Language is the main vehicle of
culture.
Characteristics of Culture
•Culture is dynamic and adaptive; Though culture is
relatively stable it is not altogether static. It is subjected to
slow but constant changes. Culture is responsive to the
changing conditions of the physical world as it assists us
to survive and adapt to the changes.
Characteristics of Culture
•Culture varies from society to society; Every
society has a culture of its own. It differs from
society to society. Culture of every society is
unique to itself. Cultures are not uniform.
Components of Culture
•Values
•Norms
•Symbols
•Language
Components of Culture
3. Symbols:
A symbol is an object, word,
or action that stands for
something else.
• Symbol is anything that
• Pakistani flag:The green
color represents Islam and
carries a particular meaning the Muslim majority in
recognized by people who Pakistan and the white stripe
share a culture (a flag, a represents the minorities. In
the center, the crescent and
word, a flashing red light, a star symbolize progress and
raised fist, an animal etc). light respectively.
•Non-verbal gestures can be very “symbolic”
and diverse.
Argentina, rotating one’s index finger around the front of the ear means
In
“You have a telephone call,” but in the United States it usually suggests that
a person is “crazy” (Axtell, 1991). Similarly, making a circle with your
thumb and index fi nger indicates “OK” in the United States, but in Tunisia it
means “I’ll kill you!” (Samovar and Porter, 1991).
1.Peace Symbol: A Dove
2.Peace Symbol: anti-nuclear emblem
3.Health Care
4.A nazar is an eye-shaped amulet, Turkish believes that it protects against the evil eye.
Events / way of life in high culture can be expensive and formal.
RELATIVISM
the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in
relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not
absolute.
Basically, countercultures exist with the purpose of changing dominant culture.
Culture and Related Concepts
•CULTURAL LAG ; the term was coined by William F. Ogburn, an
American sociologist in 1922.
•Material culture tends to develop and advance at a faster rate than
non-material culture. A gap between the technical development of a
society (material culture) and its moral and legal institutions
(nonmaterial culture) is cultural lag.
•The term cultural lag refers to the notion that non- material culture
takes time to catch up with technological innovations, and that social
problems and conflicts are caused by this lag.
technology can spread through society in a matter of months, but it can take generations for the ideas and beliefs of society
to change.
It refers to the gap when a new item of material culture is introduced and when it becomes an accepted part of nonmaterial
culture.
Culture Shock
• Culture shock is a feeling of dislocation, of being
out of place in a new culture.
• Culture shock is the term we use to describe the
feelings of confusion and uncertainty that are
experienced when you come into contact with a
culture that is vastly different from your own.
• Culture shock can be commonly seen in foreign
students, immigrants and refugees.
• Suddenly, you find yourself unable to understand,
communicate, and function effectively.
Persistent feelings of uneasiness, loneliness, and anxiety that occur when a person
has shifted from one culture to a different one
Cultural Competence vs. Cultural Awareness
•Cultural competence:
The ability
different to effectively operate within
cultural
contexts
•Cultural awareness:
members ofand
Sensitivity understanding toward
other
ethnic groups
SOURCES OF CULTURAL COMPETENCE
-A professional social worker become familiar
with backgrounds of client groups with
whom (s)he works with
- research literature
- visit the cultural community
- interview key respondents
-become participant observer
CULTURAL COMPETENCE
•It is very much important to study about
the culture for helping professionals such
as social workers.
•“cultural competence”— understanding
the specific culture, language, social and
economic distinctions of particular people
and families—more important than ever.
The NASW Code of Ethics refers to cultural
competence in section 1.05
•Diversity
1.05 Cultural Competence and Social
•(a) Social workers should understand culture
and its function in human behavior and
society, recognizing the strengths that exist in
all cultures.
•(b) Social workers should have a knowledge
base of their clients’ cultures and be able to
demonstrate competence in the provision of
services that are sensitive to clients’ cultures
and to differences among people and cultural
groups.
•It can be argued that effective care is impossible
without a working knowledge and understanding of a
person’s or group’s culture and background.
•A social worker with cultural competency is in a
position to serve better (even as an outsider)by
understanding and accepting the diverse beliefs,
norms and values of local culture .
•Culturally competent social workers are also
better able to address issues of gender and help
persons with disabilities, older adults, and
transgender people.
•A working knowledge of these groups’ cultures
and values helps social workers tailor care so it is
effective and appropriate for their clients’ needs.
