What seems ordinary to the people from one society may seem outlandish to those from others. Each acts can have different meanings in different societies. Let’s say a whale may be unaware that it floats in seawater, members of a society are generally unaware that they are following a belief and custom in their behavior. They seldom wonder why they believe and act as they do. Only by imaginatively stepping outside one’s own body of belief and custom can one become aware of its actual nature.

From the total life experiences of the people develops a set of rules and procedures for meeting their needs. The set of rules and procedures, together with a supporting set of ideas and values, is called Culture.

A person who is commonly considered ”cultured” can identify operatic arias, read a French menu and select the right fork and other practices of the so-called elite. But people who are bored or unused to what is called the ”classics” , belch in public and speak in four-letter words also have culture. Like most sociological concepts, Culture is a word with both popular and a sociological meaning.

Culture and Society.

The Classic Definition of Culture

Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. – Sir Edward Tylor, 1871

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Simply stated: Culture is everything which is socially learned and shared by the members of a society.
The individual receives culture as part of a social heritage and, in turn, may reshapre the culture and introduce changes which then become part of the heritage of succeeding generations.

Culture is often confused with society. But the two words have different meaning. Whereas culture is a system of norms and values. Society is a relatively independent, self-perpetuating human group which occupies a territory, culture sharing, and group collaborations.

A society as an organization of people whose associations are with one another, a culture is an organized systems of norms and values which people hold. Thus, the what we call tribes, - a number of different societies, yet to a considerable extent they shared a similar culture. Adjoining societies may have quite share different cultures, as with the United States and Mexico, or may have quite a similar cultures as with the United States and Canada.

The boundaries of both concepts /Culture and Society/ are indistinct. In history itself, many times two societies became so interwoven they become one. Thus many societies were absorbed into Roman society and then just being adopted by many other socio-groups which became the norms of most people around the world. Though certain number of groups uninhabited by the modern people are still able to succeed with their own culture that they have been brought up with and passed from one generation to another.

In this particular topic, I hope I was able to let you differentiate what culture and society is. I do also want everyone to know how it originated and been developed into what we call the modern society. This write up is based on the lecture and discussion with a Sociology teacher when I was still in high school. I was just able to rewrite it in a way I have perceived the discussions after 20 years.

Thank you so much for reading my blog post. Follow me @fycee for more mind-boggling topics about society and culture with its continuation.