Culture is understood as the behaviors, traditions and knowledge of a particular social group, including the tongue, at Typical foods, at religions, local music, Art, clothing, among countless other aspects.
For the social sciences (among them sociology and anthropology), culture is a network of sharing symbols, meanings and values of a group or society. They are formed artificially by man, that is, in an unnatural way.
THE origin of the word culture comes from the Latin term collar, which means to care for, cultivate and grow. That's why the term is also associated with other words, such as agriculture, which deals with the cultivation and growth of crops.
The elements that make up a culture are shared by members of society, thus creating a cultural identity.
THE Brazilian culture, for example, it is known for its great mix of peoples, the big parties like carnival, the musical diversity and even good football.
But it is wrong to say that all Brazilians, as well as citizens of other countries, have the same behavior or reproduce the same culture for which their country is known.
That because each state or small region has its typically local culture, with different typical foods, musical styles, behaviors, dialects, among other aspects, that create the identity of a particular social group.
Culture is also a cumulative mechanism, because changes brought about by one generation are passed on to the next.
It loses and incorporates other aspects, in a way to improve the experience of new generations and add new elements.
Thus, culture is always changing, motivated, in most cases, by the exchange between different peoples. In fact, it is impossible to talk about culture without talking about exchange, an aspect that characterizes cultures around the world.
Find out more about the meaning of anthropology, cultural diversity and multiculturalism.
Types of culture
Popular culture
popular culture is the basis of the culture of any people and region. An important characteristic of this type of culture is that it starts from the bottom up, that is, it is the popular classes who determine what this culture is and how it should be reproduced.
In popular culture, its elements, such as dances, musical style, costume, among others, are transmitted from generation to generation by a people.
For example, at parties, we can identify Frevo, as belonging to the state of Pernambuco, and Chula, from Rio Grande do Sul, created, consequently, by the people.
Learn more about the meaning of Popular culture.
high culture
High culture is the one reproduced by the middle or upper class of a people, like intellectuals and artists, being financed by the economic elite. It's the kind of culture that's concentrated in academia.
a great example it was the Renaissance movement. Its artists, mainly painters, were financed to produce art that would be appreciated by the social elite of the time.
It is important to know that, even though it is considered an elite culture, high culture will not necessarily be produced by these people, but financed by them.
Some examples of high culture there are exhibitions in museums, paintings, ballet, opera, among others.
See more about high culture.
mass culture
Mass culture unites aspects of high culture and popular culture, transforming them into a more accessible, simple It is like entertainment for general consumption.
Mass culture is mainly focused on large media, such as TV and social media, focused on consumption.
A big issue is that, through mass culture, high and popular cultures are no longer an experience, an experience and an identity, to become an entertainment content that can be sold from any manner.
An example is the painting of Monalisa, by Leonardo da Vinci. Considered part of erudite culture, Monalisa's painting begins to be used by mass culture in prints of t-shirts, or with edited photos, reproduced mainly on social networks, in a form of training.
An example of popular culture transformed by mass culture is the countryman. This musical style emerged in rural areas, in a way of describing country life, but the culture of mass, through the university sertanejo, transformed the style into entertainment accessible to others public.
See more about mass culture and cultural industry.
material culture
Material culture is those aspects of culture that are tangible, that is, those that can be touched. They are physical and concrete objects.
Material culture are elements produced manually by human beings, which become physical aspects of a people's culture and tradition.
Some examples of material culture are: an indigenous headdress, the Pelourinho in Bahia, the Ouro Preto National Center, among many others.
immaterial culture
Immaterial culture is considered intangible, that is, the elements that cannot be touched.
They are, basically, customs and traditions that are not physical and that need to be reproduced and experienced. Generally, a social group preserves this type of culture out of respect for its ancestry.
Some examples of immaterial culturel are Cordel Literature, Roda de Capoeira, Frevo, among others.
See also the meaning of Brazilian culture.
Organizational culture
Organizational culture is the set of habits, beliefs and norms that establish the behavior of employees within a given company.
Organizational culture defines the principles that build an organization's identity, the way people relate, communicate and transform themselves.
Learn more about the meaning of Organizational culture.
elements of culture
Culture is defined by abstract elements, that is, ideas, beliefs, values and symbols, and concrete elements, that is, physical objects that form its structure.
These elements are associated with material and immaterial cultures as follows:
- Elements of immaterial culture: they are all the ideas and symbols that make up a culture. These elements structure an abstract culture, that is, values, beliefs, symbols and language are what make up a social group.
- Elements of material culture: are all the physical objects that make up culture. Unlike materials, the immaterial elements of culture are made up of elements that can be touched, such as typical foods, clothing and monuments.
Also read about the meaning, types and examples of stereotypes.
See also about the meaning of:
- cultural identity;
- Afro-Brazilian culture;
- types of culture;
- culture for sociology;
- african culture;
- indigenous culture.