TheConceptOfCulture-CsuB文化的概念和B.ppt

THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE Tylors definition of “culture: that complex whole which includes, knowledge, belief, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Enculturation is the process by which a child learns his or her culture. Culture is Learned Cultural learning is unique to humans. Cultural learning is the accumulation of knowledge about experiences and information not perceived directly by the organism, but transmitted to it through symbols. Symbols are signs that have no necessary or natural connection with the things for which they stand. Geertz defines culture as ideas based on cultural learning and symbols. Culture is Learned Culture is learned through both direct instruction and through observation (both conscious and unconscious). Anthropologists in the 19th century argued for the “psychic unity of man.” This doctrine acknowledges that individuals vary in their emotional and intellectual tendencies and capacities. However, this doctrine asserted that all human populations share the same capacity for culture. Culture is Shared Culture is located and transmitted in groups. The social transmission of culture tends to unify people by providing us with a common experience. The commonalty of experience in turn tends to generate a common understanding of future events. Culture is Symbolic The human ability to use symbols is the basis of culture (a symbol is something verbal or nonverbal within a particular language or culture that comes to stand for something else). While human symbol use is overwhelmingly linguistic, a symbol is anything that is used to represent any other thing, when the relationship between the two is arbitrary (e.g. a flag). Other primates have demonstrated rudimentary ability to use symbols, but only humans have elaborated cultural abilities—to learn, to communicate, to store, to process, and to use symbols. Culture and Nature Humans interact with cultural constructions of nature, ra