Students will define culture and examine how it affects them. Quote for Thought: Reality is a product of language and culture; that's what I learned. If you have a multicultural class or have international exchange students
in your school, help your class develop a project to foster better understanding and communication among the students. Have students research the customs and culture of the groups that are represented in your classroom or school. Invite the students to plan ways to help students from other cultures feel more welcome. Geography, English Language Arts, Arts & Music, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Intercultural Understanding | Lesson Plan Read More Intercultural Understanding | Lesson Plan Read More Chapter 8: The Characteristics of Culture The Concept of Culture:If you ask 100 anthropologists to define culture, you’ll get 100 different definitions. However, most of these definitions would emphasize roughly the same things: that culture is shared, transmitted through learning and helps shape behavior and beliefs. Culture is of concern to all four subfields and while our earliest ancestors relied more on biological adaptation, culture now shapes humanity to a much larger extent.
Culture has five basic characteristics: It is learned, shared, based on symbols, integrated, and dynamic. All cultures share these basic features.
CULTURE AND ADAPTATION Biological adaptation in humans is important but humans have increasingly come to rely upon cultural adaptation. However, not all adaptation is good, and not all cultural practices are adaptive. Some features of a culture may be maladaptive, such as fast food, pollution, nuclear waste and climate change. However, because culture is adaptive and dynamic, once we recognize problems, culture can adapt again, in a more positive way, to find solutions. ETHNOCENTRISM AND THE EVALUATION OF CULTURE The diversity of cultural practices and adaptations to the problems of human existence often lead some to question which practices are the best. Ethnocentrism is when one views their own culture as the best and only proper way to behave and adapt.
Multiple Cultural WorldsMost individuals are members of multiple cultural worlds. Culture exists at several levels. We typically refer to smaller cultures within a larger culture as subcultures. People have some type of connection to that subculture but must also be able to operate effectively within the larger culture. Some of the diversity we see across subcultures is based on class, race, ethnicity, age, and gender. Social stratification is often the result of our recognition of these worlds as different and a belief that they are somehow inferior to our own or to the larger culture.
Valuing & Sustaining DiversityAnthropologists recognize the importance of diversity and thus try to help maintain or prevent the extinction of cultures. By describing, documenting and even advocating for cultures they study, anthropologists help to contribute to continued cultural survival and diversity.3 What is meant by culture is learned?It is important to remember that culture is learned through language and modeling others; it is not genetically transmitted. Culture is encoded in the structure, vocabulary, and semantics of language.
What defines a person's culture?Culture is the shared characteristics of a group of people, which encompasses , place of birth, religion, language, cuisine, social behaviors, art, literature, and music. Some cultures are widespread, and have a large number of people who associate themselves with those particular values, beliefs, and origins.
What is the example of culture is learned?Whenever we brush our teeth, cross our legs, send our parents' a birthday card, kiss someone, listen to music, or go out for recreation we are practicing learned behaviors which are a part of our culture.
What are aspects of culture?What are the five aspects of culture? The five aspects of culture are values and beliefs, language, symbols, rituals, and norms. These aspects shape all other customs.
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