3.

1B: Culture and Society

Culture is what differentiates one group or society from the society represents the people who share those beliefs and
next; different societies have different cultures. practices. Neither society nor culture could exist without the
other.
Learning Objectives
Defining Culture
Differentiate between the various meanings of culture
within society Almost every human behavior, from shopping to marriage to
expressions of feelings, is learned. Behavior based on learned
customs is not necessarily a bad thing – being familiar with
Key Points
unwritten rules helps people feel secure and confident that their
Different societies have different cultures; a culture behaviors will not be challenged or disrupted. However even the
represents the beliefs and practices of a group, while society simplest actions – such as commuting to work, ordering food
represents the people who share those beliefs and practices. from a restaurant, and greeting someone on the street – evidence
Material culture refers to the objects or belongings of a a great deal of cultural propriety.
group of people, such as automobiles, stores, and the
physical structures where people worship. Nonmaterial Material culture refers to the objects or belongings of a group of
culture, in contrast, consists of the ideas, attitudes, and people (such as automobiles, stores, and the physical structures
beliefs of a society. where people worship). Nonmaterial culture, in contrast,
In 18th and 19th century Europe, the term “culture” was consists of the ideas, attitudes, and beliefs of a society. Material
equated with civilization and considered a unique aspect of and nonmaterial aspects of culture are linked, and physical
Western society. Remnants of that colonial definition of objects often symbolize cultural ideas. A metro pass is a
culture can be seen today in the idea of ” high culture “. material object, but it represents a form of nonmaterial culture
During the Romantic Era, culture became equated with (namely capitalism, and the acceptance of paying for
nationalism and gave rise to the idea of multiple national transportation). Clothing, hairstyles, and jewelry are part of
cultures. material culture, but the appropriateness of wearing certain
Today, social scientists understand culture as a society’s clothing for specific events reflects nonmaterial culture. A
norms, values, and beliefs; as well as its objects and school building belongs to material culture, but the teaching
symbols, and the meaning given to those objects and methods and educational standards are part of education’s
symbols. nonmaterial culture.
These material and nonmaterial aspects of culture can vary
Key Terms subtly from region to region. As people travel farther afield,
civilization: An organized culture encompassing many moving from different regions to entirely different parts of the
communities, often on the scale of a nation or a people; a world, certain material and nonmaterial aspects of culture
stage or system of social, political or technical development. become dramatically unfamiliar. As we interact with cultures
high culture: The artistic entertainment and material other than our own, we become more aware of our own culture
artifacts associated with a society’s aristocracy or most – which might otherwise be invisible to us – and to the
learned members, usually requiring significant education to differences and commonalities between our culture and others.
be appreciated or highly skilled labor to be produced.
popular culture: The prevailing vernacular culture in any The History of “Culture”
given society, including art, cooking, clothing, Some people think of culture in the singular, in the way that it
entertainment, films, mass media, music, sports, and style was thought of in Europe during the 18th and early 19th
nationalism: The idea of supporting one’s country and centuries: as something achieved through evolution and
culture; patriotism. progress. This concept of culture reflected inequalities within
Culture encompasses human elements beyond biology: for European societies and their colonies around the world; in short,
example, our norms and values, the stories we tell, learned or it equates culture with civilization and contrasts both with
acquired behaviors, religious beliefs, art and fashion, and so on. nature or non-civilization. According to this understanding of
Culture is what differentiates one group or society from the culture, some countries are more “civilized” than others, and
next. some people are therefore more “cultured” than others.

Different societies have different cultures; however it is When people talk about culture in the sense of civilization or
important not to confuse the idea of culture with society. A refinement, they are really talking about “high culture,” which is
culture represents the beliefs and practices of a group, while different from the sociological concept of culture. High culture

3.1B.1 https://socialsci.libretexts.org/@go/page/7929
refers to elite goods and activities, such as haute cuisine, high Although we still see remnants of this idea of high culture today,
fashion or couture, museum-caliber art, and classical music. In it has largely fallen out of practice. Its decline began during the
common parlance, people may refer to others as being Romantic Era, when scholars in Germany – especially those
“cultured” if they know about and take part in these activities. concerned with nationalism – developed the more inclusive
Someone who uses culture in this sense might argue that notion of culture as a distinct worldview. Although more
classical music is more refined than music by working-class inclusive, this approach to culture still allowed for distinctions
people, such as jazz or the indigenous music traditions of between so-called “civilized” and “primitive” cultures. By the
aboriginal peoples. Popular (or “pop”) culture, by contrast, is late 19th century, anthropologists changed the concept of culture
more mainstream and influenced by mass media and the to include a wider variety of societies, ultimately resulting in the
common opinion. Popular culture tends to change as tastes and concept of culture adopted by social scientists today: objects
opinions change over time, whereas high culture generally stays and symbols, the meaning given to those objects and symbols,
the same throughout the years. For example, Mozart is and the norms, values, and beliefs that pervade social life.
considered high culture, whereas Britney Spears is considered This new perspective has also removed the evaluative element
pop culture; Mozart is likely to still be popular in 100 years, but of the concept of culture; it distinguishes among different
Britney Spears will likely be forgotten by all but a few. cultures, but does not rank them. For instance, the high culture
of elites is now contrasted with popular or pop culture. In this
sense, high culture no longer refers to the idea of being
“cultured,” as all people have culture. High culture simply refers
to the objects, symbols, norms, values, and beliefs of a
particular group of people; popular culture does the same.

Aboriginal culture: Early colonial definitions of culture equated

culture and civilization and characterized aboriginal people as
High culture: Ballet is traditionally considered a form of “high
uncivilized and uncultured.
culture”.
This definition of culture only recognizes a single standard of
refinement to which all groups are held accountable. Thus, 3.1B: Culture and Society is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was
people who differ from those who believe themselves to be authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.
“cultured” in this sense are not usually understood as having a
different culture; they are understood as being uncultured.

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