CULTURE



Culture:

A set of distinctive spiritual, material,
intellectual and emotional features of
society or a social group, and that it
encompasses, in addition to art and
literature, lifestyles, ways of living
together, value systems, traditions
and beliefs.



CULTURE

MULTICULTURALISM

CUSTOMS



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SECTION 1



CULTURE



CULTURE:

The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere,
with its root meaning "to cultivate", generally
refers to patterns of human activity and the
symbolic structures that give such activity
significance.

Different definitions of "culture" reflect
different theoretical bases for understanding,
or criteria for evaluating, human activity.

Anthropologists most commonly use the term
"culture" to refer to the universal human
capacity to classify, codify and communicate
their experiences symbolically.

Defining culture:

Different definitions of culture reflect
different theories for understanding
or criteria for evaluating human activity.


A common way of understanding culture
sees it as consisting of three elements:

1. values

2. Norms

3. Artifacts.



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SECTION 2



MULTICULTURALISM



Multiculturalism:

Multiculturalism is the public policy for
managing cultural diversity in a multiethnic
society, officially stressing mutual respect
and tolerance for cultural differences within
a country's borders.

As a policy, multiculturalism emphasizes the
unique characteristics of different cultures,
especially as they relate to one another in
receiving nations. The word was first used in
1957 to describe Switzerland, but came into
common currency in Canada in the late 1960s.
It quickly spread to other English-speaking
countries.

Multiculturalism...is a theory (albeit vague)
about the foundations of a culture rather than
a practice which subsumes cultural ideas.
(Harrison, 1984)

Looked at broadly, the term is often used to
describe societies (especially nations) which
have many distinct cultural groups, usually as
a result of immigration. This can lead to anxiety
about the stability of national identity, yet can
also lead to cultural exchanges that benefit the
cultural groups. Such exchanges range from major
accomplishments in literature, art and philosophy
to relatively token appreciation of variations in
music, dress and new foods.



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SECTION 3



CUSTOMS



CUSTOMS

In sociology, a norm, or social norm,
is a rule that is socially enforced.

Social sanctioning is what distinguishes
norms from other cultural products or social
constructions such as meaning and values.

Norms and normlessness are thought to affect
a wide variety of human behavior.

Traditional norms such as the Golden rule have
been followed by many people over a long period
of time. Therefore norms are closely related to
customs.

On the other hand, a norm may arise as a formal
description of an implicitly followed custom.

In social situations, such as meetings, norms are
unwritten and often unspoken rules that govern
individuals' behavior. Norms are most evident when
they are not followed or are broken.

This is often experienced when an individual finds
him/herself in a foreign environment dealing with
an unfamiliar culture where the norms are different.









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