What is Culture and Society?
Culture is the shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that members of a society use to understand the world and interact with each other. Society is the organized group of people who share that culture within a defined territory.
Culture refers to the shared values, norms, symbols, and material objects of a group, while society is the organized population that shares and reproduces that culture across generations.
- •Physical, tangible objects
- •Includes tools, clothing, buildings
- •Can be seen and touched
- •Example: a smartphone, a temple
- •Ideas, beliefs, and values
- •Includes language, norms, symbols
- •Cannot be touched, only expressed
- •Example: a handshake greeting, a religious belief
Step-by-step worked examples
In Japan, bowing is a common greeting, while in the US, a handshake is standard. Are these examples of material or non-material culture, and why?
These are examples of non-material culture. Bowing and handshakes are learned norms/customs, not physical objects. They carry symbolic meaning (respect, greeting) shared and understood within each society. Differences show how non-material culture varies across societies while serving a similar social function.
A national flag is displayed at government buildings and sporting events. Classify this and explain why it matters to society.
A flag is an example of material culture — it is a physical, tangible object. However, it also carries strong non-material meaning (national identity, values, unity). This shows material and non-material culture are often linked: an object symbolizes shared beliefs. Societies use such symbols to reinforce collective identity and cohesion.
An immigrant family adopts the language and eating habits of their new country while keeping their traditional religious holidays. What sociological concept does this illustrate?
This illustrates cultural adaptation / partial assimilation, alongside cultural retention. The family adopts new non-material culture (language) for practical integration into the new society. They retain their original culture (religious holidays), showing culture is not simply replaced but blended. This demonstrates how individuals navigate multiple cultural memberships within one society.
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Which of the following is an example of material culture?
Q2.Language, norms, and symbols belong to which type of culture?
Q3.A society is best defined as:
Q4.Judging another culture's practices by the standards of your own culture is called:
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Common mistakes
Culture and society are the same thing. — Correct: Culture is the shared beliefs/values/objects of a group; society is the organized population of people who share and enact that culture.
Only physical objects count as culture. — Correct: Culture includes both material culture (objects) and non-material culture (beliefs, norms, language).
All members of a society share an identical culture. — Correct: Societies typically contain subcultures and countercultures with variations from the dominant culture.
Cultural relativism means having no moral standards at all. — Correct: Cultural relativism means understanding a culture within its own context, not necessarily approving of every practice without any ethical reflection.
FAQ
What is the difference between culture and society?
Culture is the shared beliefs, values, symbols and objects of a group, while society is the organized population of people who live together and share that culture.
What are examples of culture?
Examples include language, food traditions, religious beliefs (non-material culture), and clothing, tools, or architecture (material culture).
How to calculate cultural change in a society?
Culture doesn't have a numeric formula, but sociologists track cultural change through surveys, longitudinal studies, and analysis of shifts in values, language use, and practices over time.
What is cultural relativism in sociology?
Cultural relativism is the idea that a culture's beliefs and practices should be understood within its own context rather than judged by the standards of another culture.