Elements of Culture Elements of Culture

• CultureCulture– All things that All things that

make up a personmake up a person’’s s way of life.way of life.

• 7 Elements7 Elements– Social OrganizationSocial Organization– Customs & Customs &

TraditionsTraditions– LanguageLanguage– Arts & LiteratureArts & Literature– ReligionReligion– Forms of Forms of

GovernmentGovernment– Economic SystemEconomic System

ELEMENTS OF ELEMENTS OF CULTURECULTURE

1. Social Organization1. Social Organization• Definition: smaller units of a culture to Definition: smaller units of a culture to

create social structure and help people create social structure and help people work together to meet basic needs work together to meet basic needs

1. Social Organization1. Social Organization• Family-basic way to pass on culture – Family-basic way to pass on culture –

– social controls: regulates individual or group social controls: regulates individual or group behaviorsbehaviors

– Nuclear: immediate family Nuclear: immediate family

•typical for industrialized societiestypical for industrialized societies

•Vary in size based on culture and Vary in size based on culture and traditionstraditions

– Extended: several generations living in one Extended: several generations living in one householdhousehold

•Common agricultural/traditional societiesCommon agricultural/traditional societies

•Economic unitEconomic unit

1. Social Organization1. Social Organization• Social Class – Social Class –

– Rank people by status Rank people by status – Ways: money, education, job, heritageWays: money, education, job, heritage– relative to culture and economyrelative to culture and economy– Social Mobility: ability to move social classSocial Mobility: ability to move social class

• Social GroupsSocial Groups– Members have similar interestsMembers have similar interests

2. Customs and Traditions2. Customs and Traditions

• Def: rules for behavior/how a society Def: rules for behavior/how a society expects people to behave = social controlsexpects people to behave = social controls

• Ways to express ideas, emotions, and pass Ways to express ideas, emotions, and pass on informationon information

• Examples: ways you eat, sleep, greet, Examples: ways you eat, sleep, greet, wear, obtain food, prepare foodwear, obtain food, prepare food

• Vary in importance Vary in importance – from daily behavior to right and wrong (written from daily behavior to right and wrong (written

law)law)

3. Language3. Language• Def: ways to communicate/express thoughts, Def: ways to communicate/express thoughts,

feelings, emotions, and knowledgefeelings, emotions, and knowledge

• Basic way to pass on cultureBasic way to pass on culture

• Helps unify and strengthen cultureHelps unify and strengthen culture– Issues of dialectsIssues of dialects

• All culture have language but not all develop All culture have language but not all develop forms of writingforms of writing

• Verbal/Non-VerbalVerbal/Non-Verbal

• Digital Language Digital Language

4. Arts and Literature4. Arts and Literature

• Def: ways to express ideas Def: ways to express ideas information and emotions, information and emotions, teaches teaches cultural valuescultural values; performing arts; performing arts

• Strengthens a cultures identityStrengthens a cultures identity

• Express cultural prideExpress cultural pride

• Examples: music, visual arts Examples: music, visual arts (pictures), dance, stories(pictures), dance, stories

5. Religion5. Religion•Def: a person’s belief system Def: a person’s belief system

that helps guide behavior and that helps guide behavior and teaches basic values teaches basic values = social = social controlscontrols– Where do we come from? How to Where do we come from? How to

act? Where are we going?act? Where are we going?

CosmologyCosmology: : The study The study and and explanation of explanation of the universethe universe

TheologyTheology: : A system A system of religious of religious beliefsbeliefs

5. Religion5. Religion•MonotheismMonotheism

– Worship one GodWorship one God•Christianity, Islam, JudaismChristianity, Islam, Judaism

•PolytheismPolytheism– Worship of many GodsWorship of many Gods

•Hinduism, BuddhismHinduism, Buddhism

•Sect: religious group, division, Sect: religious group, division, ““branchbranch”” or faction or faction

6. Forms of Government6. Forms of Government

• Def: a system for making decision for Def: a system for making decision for a society: order, protection, a society: order, protection, educationeducation– people who hold power and make the people who hold power and make the

lawslaws

6. Forms of Government6. Forms of Government• Types of Government:Types of Government:

– DemocracyDemocracy•People have supreme powerPeople have supreme power

– RepublicRepublic•Representative democracyRepresentative democracy

– DictatorshipDictatorship•Ruler or group holds power by forceRuler or group holds power by force

– A government that officially calls itself a A government that officially calls itself a "democratic republic" is usually a dictatorship"democratic republic" is usually a dictatorship

– FascismFascism

6. Forms of Government6. Forms of Government• Types of Government:Types of Government:

– Autocratic/Authoritarian Autocratic/Authoritarian •ruling with absolute authorityruling with absolute authority

– MonarchyMonarchy•power or sovereignty held by a single person power or sovereignty held by a single person

for life – inherited position - Ruling family for life – inherited position - Ruling family

•Constitutional MonarchyConstitutional Monarchy– has a written Constitution and has a monarch as has a written Constitution and has a monarch as

Head of StateHead of State

7. Economic Systems7. Economic Systems

• Def: how a society obtains food, clothing, Def: how a society obtains food, clothing, and shelter - Distribute goods and servicesand shelter - Distribute goods and services

• How people use limited resources to How people use limited resources to satisfy their wants and needssatisfy their wants and needs– Answers: Answers: – What goods and services should we produce?What goods and services should we produce?– How should we produce them? How should we produce them? – For whom should we produce them?For whom should we produce them?

• Traditional EconomyTraditional Economy• Produce what they Produce what they

need to surviveneed to survive• Hunting and Hunting and

Gathering, Farming, Gathering, Farming, and Herdingand Herding

• Surplus is tradedSurplus is traded• Market EconomyMarket Economy

• Buying and SellingBuying and Selling• Command EconomyCommand Economy

• Government Government controlledcontrolled

• Individuals have little Individuals have little economic powereconomic power

• Mixed EconomyMixed Economy• Individuals and Individuals and

Government make Government make decisionsdecisions

• Cars are a great Cars are a great example: People pick example: People pick & Government sets & Government sets standardsstandards

Economic Economic systemsystem

7. Economic Systems7. Economic Systems• Examples of Economic Systems:Examples of Economic Systems:

– Traditional economyTraditional economy•People produce what they need to survivePeople produce what they need to survive

•Hunting and gathering, farming, herdingHunting and gathering, farming, herding

– Market economyMarket economy•Free Market economy: people decided the Free Market economy: people decided the

basic economic questions based on supply basic economic questions based on supply and demandand demand

7. Economic Systems7. Economic Systems• Examples of Economic Systems:Examples of Economic Systems:

– Command economyCommand economy•Government controls the economy and answers Government controls the economy and answers

basic economic questionsbasic economic questions

• Individual has little inputIndividual has little input

– Mixed economyMixed economy•Bits of all economiesBits of all economies

• Individual makes some economic decisions and Individual makes some economic decisions and the government makes othersthe government makes others

•Most countries mixed economiesMost countries mixed economies

What determines cultural What determines cultural similarities and differences?similarities and differences?

• TechnologyTechnology

• Availability of moneyAvailability of money

• HistoryHistory

• Relationship with natureRelationship with nature

• Geography and climateGeography and climate