IMPORTANCE AND FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE

FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE:

a. Importance to the individual:(1) Culture distinguishes man from animal. It is the culture that makes the human animal a man. It regulates his conduct and prepares him for a group life. Without culture he would have been forced to find his own way which would have meant a loss of energy.

(2) Culture provides solution for complicated situations. Culture provides man a set of behaviour for difficult situations. In the absence of culture man would have been baffled even at the simplest situations. Culture not only defines but also determines what we eat and drink, when to sleep, when to laugh etc.

(3) Culture provides traditional interpretation to certain situations. Through culture man gets traditional interpretations for many situations according to which he determines his behaviour. For example, if a cat crosses his way he postpones the journey.

(4) Culture shapes personality. No child can develop human qualities in the absence of cultural environment. Culture prepares man for group life. It is culture that provides opportunities for the development of personality and sets limits on its growth.

B. IMPORTANCE FOR THE GROUP: (1) Culture keeps social relationship

intact. Culture has importance not only for men but also for the group. Culture prepares man for group life. Group life would have been poor, nasty, and short if there had been no cultural regulations. Group solidarity rests on the foundation of culture.

(2) Culture has given a new vision to the individual. Secondly, culture has given a new vision to the co-operation of the individuals. Culture teaches him to think of himself as a part of the larger whole. It provides him with the concepts of family, state, nation etc. and makes possible the coordination and division of labor.

(3)Culture creates new needs. Finally, culture also creates new needs and drives, for example, thirst for knowledge and arranges for their satisfaction. It satisfies the moral and religious interests of the members of the group.

1. Culture helps the individual fulfill his potential as a human being.

2. Through the development of culture, man can overcome his physical disadvantages and allows himself with fire, clothing, food, and shelter.

3. Culture provides rules of proper conduct for living in a society

4. Culture also provides the individual his concept of family, nation, and class.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM

Practices considered immoral or taboo to a certain group of people but are accepted by other groups with a different cultural orientation.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM

According to Rosaldo (2003) Cultural relativism is in essence an

approach to the question of the nature and role of values in culture. If values and shared ideals which give rise to beliefsand norms of behavior around which a people or a group organizes its collective life, and goals, cultural relativism declares that these values are relative to the cultural ambiance out of which they arise.

According to Anthropology Cultural relativism is a key methodological

concept which is universally accepted within the discipline. The concept is based on theoretical considerations which are the key to the understanding of “ scientific” anthropology as they are the key to the understanding of anthropological frame of mind.

According to Glazer Cultural relativism is an anthropological approach which posits that all cultures are of equal value and need to be studied in a neutral point of view. The basis of cultural relativism is a scientific view of culture, which also rejects value judgments on culture.

According to Hunt (1998) The central point in cultural relativism is that in particular setting certain traits are right because they work in that setting while other traits are wrong because they clash painfully with parts of the culture.

Prepared by: Maria Shuzeth

D. Dela cruz