Culture in View of Sociology

Introduction:

Culture is one of the important concepts in sociology .its significance in sociology is quite different from every body.

No human society can exist and develop without its culture . The main difference between the animal and human societies is of culture only.Animal societies have no culture because they don’t have the systems of learning and transmitting social experiences. Sociologists are keenly interested in the study of culture because the study of human society is incomplete without it.

Definition of Culture:

Culture is the design, pattern, way and procedures of different activities which the members of a society follow and transmitted from generation to generation.

Characteristics of Culture:

1. Culture is learned: Most of the behavior is learned in society .This learning might be conscious or unconscious but no body can deny the process of learning. The uniformity of culture in a society is a clear example.i.e mostly the same patterns of culture prevail among the members of a society.

Culture is something learnt and acquired e.g. wearing clothes or dancing. It is not something natural to the person.

2. Social Concept: Culture is not an individual concept but on the other hand it is a   Social concept. It doesn’t relate to individual behavior but concerns group    behavior.  

3. Culture is actually shared: All the traits, attitudes, ideas, knowledge and material objects like radio, television and automobiles etc. is actually shared by members of society.However, every memberof society may not share these material and non-material objects equally. For instance. Every person is not possessing radio, automobile etc. which are found in our culture. 

4. Culture is transmitted: All the cultural traits and objects are transmitted among the members of society continually. Most of the cultural traits and material objects are transmitted to the members of society from their forefathers.  

5. Culture is ever changing: Culture never remains static but changing. It is changing in every society, but with different speed and causes. It constantly under goes change and adapts itself to the environments.    

6. Linked with the past: Culture is communicated and transmitted from one generation to the next. It has a link with the past because it has come from the past. Without past culture would not have survived.

Types of Culture

1. Material Culture: From material culture we understand material and physical objects. For instance, house, road, vehicles, pen, table, radio set, book etc.
2. Non-material culture: In non-material culture we include non-material objects. For example religion, art, ideas, customs, values system, attitudes, knowledge etc. It does not have physical shape.
3. Real Culture: Real culture is that which can be observed in our social life. The culture on which we act upon in our daily life is real culture.
4. Ideal Culture: The culture, which is presented as a pattern to the people, is called ideal culture.