This document discusses cultural studies and defines some key aspects of culture. It introduces cultural studies as an emerging field that analyzes everyday activities like films, media, communities, and education that shape people's lives. It then provides exercises for students to define culture based on listing words and meanings. Finally, the document defines characteristics of culture, stating that culture is learned, shared, cumulative, changes over time, ideational, and diverse.

2. Why & how should we study CS?
• Cultural Studies is an emerging area of research
and teaching that brings in new perspectives to
the study of culture and society.
• Cultural Studies in is not interested in studying
forms and practices that have been commonly
associated with culture (as in ‘classical’ dance,
music, or literature).
• It is interested in analysing those activities that
shape the everyday of the majority of the people
around us: films, everyday ‘politics’, communities,
media, law and education.

3. Activity
• Write down a list of words (not less than 10)
that mean ‘culture’ to you.

4. Activity
• In your group, classify these words to
illustrate different meanings of culture.
1 2 3 4

5. Activity
• Finally, write a succinct definition of culture
based on your classification of the words
that you’ve written.
Culture
is

6. Iceberg Model of Culture
Surface Culture
(What can be
easily seen)
Deep Culture
(Difficult to see)
Doing
Ways of life, dress,
laws, customs, behaviour,
rituals, festivals,
language, literature, arts
Thinking
Beliefs, philosophy,
ideologies, norms,
family roles, biases
Feeling
Values, ethics, tastes,
attitudes, desires,
assumptions,
expectations, myths

8. Characteristics of Culture
• Culture is Learned.
– the first essential characteristics of culture
– can be learned indirectly
• through observation and imitation
• through experience
• through watching (documentaries) and reading books
– taught by parents / family / friends (generation to
generation)
– A person feels like an outsider until they’ve learned
the ways of the culture

9. Characteristics of Culture
• Culture is shared by group of people.
– People of the same community share
• values, beliefs, and traditions
• literature and history
• language and mannerisms, and the way they
communicate
• certain personality traits
• their roles in the family and society
• their occupations and lifestyles

10. Characteristics of Culture
• Culture is cumulative.
– Knowledge is stored and passed on from one
generation to the next
– New knowledge is being added to what is
existing.
– Culture elements are added up as the needs
arise.

11. Characteristics of Culture
• Culture changes.
– All cultural knowledge does not eternally
increase.
– While new cultural traits are added, some old
ones are lost because they are no longer useful.
– Certain traditions or rituals are eliminated.
– Language and mannerisms of people change.
– Migration and globalization lead to a mixing of
cultures.
– Gender roles change.

12. Characteristics of Culture
• Culture is ideational.
– It is an ideal pattern of behaviour which the
members are expected to follow.
– It gives us a range of permissible behaviour
patterns.
– It tells us how different activities should be
conducted in different roles: husband, wife,
parents, child, etc.

13. Characteristics of Culture
• Culture is diverse.
– The sum total of human culture consists of a
great many separate cultures, each of them
different.
– E.g.: The choice of a marriage partner involves
many different parts of culture as religion,
economic class, education, etc.

14. For more materials, visit
https://sites.google.com/site/sjcculturalstudies/