Culture can be defined as all the ways of life which include knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capability acquired by man as a member of society.
The unique feature of culture is that it is highly variable and is also subject to change. That varies based on society. Culture is the major factor that differentiates a man from an animal. It is the culture that shapes our attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms.
ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
A culture is a complex one, and it is a combination of many elements. The following are the major elements that contributed to culture.
- Language: Language is the most important element of culture. Culture is usually reflected in the language which we use in day-to-day interaction with other people. The use of language distinguishes human beings from other species, like animals.
- Belief: Belief is a statement or idea about reality which people accept as true. For example, many people in India believe in God and their marriages are fixed when the horoscopes of the bride and the groom match. However, beliefs are not static or fixed and are subject to change over time. For example, when people migrate to cities, they may change some of their superstitious beliefs. But on many other occasions, the beliefs towards something are so strong that we may not be able to change it.
- Norms; are the prescribed rules of society that guide the behavior of the members of society.
Sutherland (1961) says that social norms are group-developed and group-held standards of behavior of the group’s members.
For example, in every society, there are norms governing dressing patterns. On particular occasions, we tend to wear a particular kind of dress. We wear different dresses when we go to a party, a funeral, an office, or even a hospital. But norms vary from society to society.
Norms can be categorized into formal and informal. Formal norms are written down and punishable when violated. For example:- Rules imposed by schools and colleges like uniforms and tags. Informal norms, on the other hand, it is not formally written, but are generally accepted. Wearing different dresses on different occasions is an informal norm. Nobody going to punish you if you violate the norm.
4. Values are the general guidelines regarding the conduct or how to behave in society. According to Abraham ‘values are agreements among members of the society as to what is desirable and what is undesirable in society’. They are generalized guidelines that define what is good or bad, ugly or beautiful.
For example, paying attention when the national anthem is played, and respecting elders is a value of Indian society. Different cultures have different value systems. An American value system is different from the Indian value system. Certain values are also given importance in a culture over others. Schaefer and Lamm (1999) give the example of Papua culture in which contributing to the public good is much more valuable than making a personal profit.
5. Sanction: is a reaction by members of a social group, indicating approval or disapproval of a mode of conduct or behavior. Sanctions can be both positive and negative. Sanctions are penalties and rewards for the social conduct of a person. Positive sanctions can be rewards, praise, etc. If anyone does any desirable behavior or action, he will be awarded rewards and prise. On the other hand, if anyone violates a norm in society, he has to face or approach negative sanctions like fines, imprisonment, etc.
Schaefer and Lamm (1999) say that the norms and sanctions in a culture reflect that culture’s values and priorities. The most cherished or most loved values will be the most heavily sanctioned, and the less critical matters will be lightly sanctioned.