What is culture?

A Good Definition of Culture

• Culture– From the latin word cultura • Means “to cultivate”

• What do we call culture? – Any information that is transmitted from person

to person through direct teaching, imitating, or writing.

Why do we need culture?

• It guides behavior of the individuals within the culture.

– Allows for norms to be set.

– Norms• Shared rules of conduct

that tell people how to act in specific situations

Culture and the Social Sciences

• Anthropology– Comparative study of

past and present cultures• Necessary to understand

how humans have evolved.

Culture and the Social Sciences

• Psychology– Social science that deals with

the behavior and thinking of organisms

– It focuses on the individual, not a society

– By figuring out how individuals think, you can see how a culture will change over time.

Culture and the Social Sciences

• History– Study of past events

– Why study past events?• To see where societies are

moving towards.

• French Revolution• American Revolution• WWI • WWII• War in Iraq?

Culture and the Social Sciences

• Political Science– Examination of the organization

and operation of governments.

– Why do some cultures desire…• Democracy

– People vote – Always a majority– Minority is threatened

• Communism– People vote (usually only 1

candidate)

– Equal distribution of everything

Other things Called “Culture”Popular Culture

Mainstream society stuff that fades in and out of fashion.

Usually…ClothesMusicLanguageVideo games

Facebook?

So how does the human race evolve into the cultures of the 21st century?