Culture and Socialisation Notes in English Class 11 Sociology Chapter-4 Book-Introducing Sociology
0Team Eklavyaजून 09, 2025
Introduction
Culture is the collection of shared beliefs, values, customs, and practices of a group that influence their behavior and interactions.
This includes language, traditions, arts and norms.
You need culture to behave in culture
Culture is a common understanding that is learned and developed through social interaction with other individuals in a society.
The common understanding of any group distinguishes it from others and gives it an identity.
Culture is never a finished product.
It is always changing and evolving.
Its elements are constantly added, subtracted, expanded, contracted and rearranged.
The ability of individuals to develop common understanding with other individuals and to derive meaning from various signals is what distinguishes humans from other animals.
We learn to use various tools and techniques as well as non-physical signs and signals through interaction in different social settings with family members, friends and peers.
Most of the knowledge we receive is transmitted verbally or through books.
diverse environments, diverse cultures
Humans live in various natural environments such as mountains and plains, forests and prairies, deserts and river valleys, and islands.
They also live in different places like villages, towns and cities.
This leads to the development of different ways of life or cultures.
Example :
Tsunami hit Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
In this disaster, disparities in safety techniques are visible.
Modern culture
These people were not aware of the tsunami
Many people were killed
Ancient Culture
These people were not familiar with new technologies
Nevertheless, they predicted the disaster through their ancient techniques and escaped destruction.
Having access to modern science and technology does not make modern culture better than the culture of tribes living on islands.
Definition of culture
The word 'culture' is used in the context of acquiring knowledge of refined taste in classical music, dance and painting.
This sophisticated taste was meant to distinguish people from the 'uncultured' common people.
Sociologists do not view culture as a means of differentiating between individuals, but as a way of life in which all members of a society participate.
Every social institution develops its own culture.
According to Edward Tylor
Culture in its broadest sense is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morality, law, custom and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society
According to Bronilsa Malinowski
Culture includes inherited artifacts, objects, technological processes, ideas, habits and values
Clifford Greetz
Man is a creature caught in the web of his own self-woven ambitions.
I consider culture to be this trap…'
Dimensions of culture
Cognitive side
Normative aspect
Physical side
Cognitive side
The cognitive dimension of culture includes the shared mental frameworks, beliefs, values, and knowledge systems that shape the way people view, interpret, and react to the world and guide their decision making.
Normative aspect
The normative dimension of culture encompasses the shared rules, norms, and expectations that dictate acceptable behavior within a group, guiding how individuals interact and adhere to social standards and roles
Physical side
The material dimension of culture includes the tangible objects, artifacts, and physical items produced and used by a society, such as tools, clothing, architecture, and technology, that reflect cultural values and practices.
Culture and Identity
Identity is not inherited but is acquired by the individual and society through their relationships with other individuals.
It is the social role played by a person that gives him identity.
In modern society every person plays multiple roles.
For example; a person in a family could be a parent or a child
Subcultural groups
Any culture can have many subcultures. Subcultures are identified by style and interest.
A particular subculture may be identified by their language, clothing, preference for a particular type of music, or their interactions with other members of their group.
Group members are committed to the group's objectives and work together to achieve these objectives.
Ethnocentrism and cosmopolitanism
ethnocentrism
It is about using one's own cultural values to evaluate the behavior and beliefs of people from other cultures.
The cultural values that were presented as norms or standards were considered superior to the beliefs and values of other cultures.
cosmopolitanism
A person does not evaluate the values and beliefs of other people according to his own values and beliefs.
It accepts and accommodates different cultural trends and promotes cultural exchange and transaction to enrich each other's cultures.
Cultural Change
Cultural change is the process by which a society alters its cultural patterns.
The motivation for change can be internal or external.
intrinsic factor
New methods of agriculture or farming can increase agricultural production, which may change the nature of food consumption and lifestyle of the farming community.
external factor
This can take the form of conquest or colonisation, which can lead to profound changes in the cultural behaviour and attitudes of a society.
Changes in the natural environment or ecology can cause significant changes in people's lifestyles.
When forest-dwelling communities are restricted from accessing forests and their produce either due to legal restrictions or because of deforestation, it can have numerous adverse effects on its inhabitants and their way of life.
Along with developmental changes, revolutionary changes can also take place.
Socialization
Socialization is the process through which individuals learn and internalize the values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors of their society or social group.
It is important for the development of a person's social identity and integrating them into their cultural and social environment.
Socialization is a lifelong process but the most important process occurs in the early years which is called early socialization.
Secondary socialization is a process that continues throughout a person's life.
