Lesson for Understanding Culture Society and Politics

2. 2
It is a
compound of
two Greek
Word
“Anthropos”
and “Logos”
Which can be
translated as ‘Human’
and ‘reason’

3. 3
Anthropology – means “reason
about humans” or knowledge about
humans”
Social Anthropology would then
means knowledge about humans in
societies.
- Of course, cover the other social
sciences as well as anthropology.

4. 4
Culture
- Derives from the
Latin “Colere” –
Cultivate, to settle, e.g.
agriculture,
horticulture

5. 5
Cultural Anthropology
- Means ‘knowledge about cultivated
humans’. Knowledge about those
aspects of humanity which are not
natural, but which are related to that
which is
required

6. 6
Acquired
cognitive
symbolic
aspect of
existence
CULTURE SOCIETY
Social
organizati
on of
human
life
LIFE

7. 7
Culture comes in many
shapes and sizes. It
includes areas such as
politics, history, faith,
mentality, behavior
and lifestyle. The
examples above
demonstrate how a
lack of cultural
sensitivity led to
failure.

8. 8
The are many definitions of the word
“Culture”
Culture is developed within the individual as
well as the outside environment
It is continually changing and dynamic
Culture is reflected in communication
patterns
Culture is way of acting, a way of behaving
Culture is a collective phenomenon
People who grow up in similar environment
tend to share common attitudes and behave
in similar ways
Culture is not inherited, it is learned

9. 9
Culture is a complex whole which include knowledge,
belief, art, law, morals, custom and other capabilities
and habits acquired by man as a member of society
(Edward Taylor, 1958)
Culture is a complex whole that consists of all the ways we
think and do and everything we have as members of society
(Robert Bierstadt, 1974)

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Culture is what all human beings learn to do, to use,
to produce, to know, and to believe as they grow
to maturity and live out their lives in the social groups
to which they belong
Culture is the knowledge, language, values, customs
material objects that are passed from person to person
and from one generation to the next in a human group
or society

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CULTURE
(according to Geert Hofstede)
The collective programming of the mind
that distinguishes the members of
one category of people from another

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Culture is not only the way we do things.
It is also our attitudes, thoughts,
expectations, goals and values. It is the
rules of our society – the norms that tell
us what is and what is not acceptable in
the society
Culture can also be viewed from an
anthropological perspective, that is, in
its most traditional interpretation, such
as Aboriginal Culture

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Material Culture – formed by the physical
objects that people create
 Cars, clothing, books, buildings, computers
 Archeologists refer to these items as artifacts
Non-material Culture – abstract human
creations (can’t touch it)
Language, family patterns, work practices, political and
economic systems

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Better service to international guests
Improved relations in the workplace
Increased return in business
Improved the industry and the
organization reputations
Better service to local community

15. 15
CULTURE
HUMAN NATURE
Specific to
Individual
Inherited &
Learned
Specific
to
Group
or
Categor
Lear
ned
Unive
rsal
Inheri
ted
PERSONALITY

16. 16
Visible
Components
Dress
Habits Tradition
Appearance Behaviors
Language
Hidden
Components
Assumptions Time Orientation
Personality Styles Values
Expectations Rules/Roles
Thought processes Space Orientation

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Functional: each culture has a function to
perform; its purpose is to provide
guidelines for behavior of a group of people
Social Phenomenon: human beings
create culture; culture results from human
interaction and is unique to human society
Prescriptive: culture prescribes (sets
down or imposes) rules of social behavior
Learned: culture is not inherited; it is
learned from other members of the society

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Arbitrary: cultural practices and
behaviors are subject to judgment. Certain
behaviors are acceptable in one culture and
not acceptable in other culture
Value Laden: culture provides values and
tells people what is right and wrong
Facilitates Communication: culture
facilitates verbal and nonverbal
communication
Adaptive/ Dynamic: culture is constantly
changing to adjust to new situation and
environment; it changes as society changes
and develops

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Long Term: culture is developed
thousands of years ago and it was
accumulated by human beings in the
course of time and is the sum of
acquired experience and knowledge
Satisfy Needs: culture helps to
satisfy the needs of the members of a
society by offering direction and
guidance
(Source: Reisinger, 2003, p.14)

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Dominant culture consists of several subcultures
Subcultures can be based on race, ethnicity,
geographic region or economic or social class
Race: a genetic or biological similarity among
people (Asians, Caucasians, etc.)
Ethnicity: a wide variety of groups of people
who share a language, history and religion and
identify themselves with a common nation or
cultural system
Geographical region: geographic differences
within countries or similarities between
countries
Economic and social class: differences in the
socio-economic standing of people

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Each subculture community exhibits
characteristic patterns of behavior that
distinguish it from others within a
parent culture
Each subculture provides its members
with a different set of values and
expectations as a result of regional
differences

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SUB CULTURE
SUB CULTURE
DOMINANT CULTURE
Dominant culture directs
the form of public social
Sub cultures
indicate the form
of private social
interaction

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Cultural Differences in
Communication
Cultural Differences in
Social Categories
Cultural Differences
in Rules of Social
Behavior
Cultural Differences in
Service
Cultural Differences

24. 24
Different patterns of verbal communication
Language
Phonology (differences in sound)
Semantic (differences in meaning of words)
Syntactics (differences in the sequence of the
words and their relationships to one another)
Pragmatics (differences in effects of language on
perceptions)
Paralanguage
Intonation, laughing, crying, questioning

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Different patterns of non-verbal
communication
Body movement (kinetics)
Space and Touch: Use of personal space
(intimate, personal, social, public)
Sense of Time
Other non-verbal codes: clothing,
building, furnishing, jewelry, cosmetics,
skin and hair color, body shape

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Role, Status, Class, Hierarchy,
Attitudes towards human nature,
Activity, Relationships between
individuals.

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Describing reasons and opinions
Expressing dissatisfaction and criticism
Joking, asking personal questions,
complimenting and complaining,
expressing dislike, showing warmth,
addressing people, apologizing,
expressing negative opinions and gift
giving

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Cultural differences on the interaction
process between a service provider and a
visitor
Example: Chinese Hosts & American Tourists
Chinese escorting their guests everywhere,
providing them with a tight itinerary and not
leaving an opportunity to experience the
Chinese life style privately. The Chinese hosts
believe they have provided their guests with
courtesy.
American tourists may view such hospitality as
an intrusion and lack of trust.

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There are many dimensions of which
cultures differ
Some of the dimensions (scope) are:
According to Hall, cultures can be
differentiated on the basis of orientation
towards:
Human nature: agreements
Activity orientation
Human relationships: amount of space,
possessions, friendship, communication
Relation to time: past/ future
Space orientation: public/ private

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Hofstede (1980, 1984, 1991)
Power distance (PD): interpersonal
relationship develop in hierarchical society
Uncertainty Avoidance (UA): the degree to
which people feel threatened by ambiguous
situations
Individualism-Collectivism (IC): the degree
to which individual goals and needs take
primary over group goals and needs
Masculinity-Femininity (MF): the degree to
which people value work and achievement VS
quality of life and harmonious human
relations

31. 31

32. 32
Differing shapes of the individual
represent the influence of different
cultures on an individual
When an individual from Culture A
leaves its culture and reaches
Culture B, his or her behavior
changes because of the influence of
a culturally different society.

33. 33
1. In your own words, briefly define the term
CULTURE
2. Write 3 hidden and 3 visible components of
culture
3. List 3 important benefits of a multicultural work
force?
4. What is subculture?
5. Explain cultural differences in communication
and service and give examples

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THE END
“CONCEPT OF
ANTHROPOLOGY
AND CULTURE”
for the
Subject Course
UNDERSTANDING
CULTURE
SOCIETY &
POLITICS