CULTURE: MEANING, CHARACTERISTICS AND RELATIONSHIP

WITH EDUCATION

Introduction:
Whenever we visit a new place, we encounter so many new things like peoples’
dressing styles, food habits, beliefs, rituals, customs, patterns of work, practices,
ideologies etc. It makes us say that the people, here, have different culture from
ours. So, this small word of seven letters ‘culture’ encapsulates all things, either
material or non-material, representing the way of living or designing of life.
Majumdar and Madan have rightly said, “Life of people is their
culture.”The concept of culture is among the most widely used ideas in
sociology which refers to the ways of life of the members of a society. In order
to know a society, it is a prerequisite to understand its culture. It is a well-
known fact that society is composite of a group of people who interact with
each other, reside in a definable area and share a common culture. This culture
is referred to the group’s shared values, beliefs and practices. It includes all that
is socially transmitted from one generation to another. Culture and society are
considered to be the two sides of the same coin. Men acquire culture, being the
members of a society. Every society has its own set of beliefs, values,
moralities, ideas, etc. That is the reason behind the presence of a variety of
culture. It varies from society to society; place to place and nation to nation.
Along with culture, education also tends to change. Education and culture
cannot be separated from one another as they are inter-dependent. Educational
processes and patters are guided by the society’s cultural patterns.

Meaning and Definition of Culture:

From anthropological view, the term culture is used in many senses, but, in
general, it is referred to the collective behavioural patterns that are transmitted
socially from one generation to another. According to Ralph Linton (1947),
“Culture is the configuration of learned behaviour whose components and
elements are shared and transmitted by the members of a particular
society.”Here configuration stands for a sort of pattern (Ottaway). This term
cultural pattern is started being commonly used with the publication of R.
Benedict’s book ‘Patterns of Culture’ in 1935. In the words of E. A. Hoebel,
“Culture is the sum total of integrated learned behaviour patterns which
are characteristics of the members of a society and which is, therefore, not
the result of biological inheritance.” A.F. Walter Paul said, “Culture is the
totality of group ways of thought and action duly accepted and followed by
a group of people.”

Another definition, given by Taylor (1971), says, “Culture is that complex

whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morality, law, practice and
other capabilities and habits, acquired by man as a member of society.”A
very comprehensive definition adopted by the World Conference on Cultural
Policies, Mexico City (1982) considered culture as “the whole complex of
distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that
characterize a society or social group.”According to Mazumdar, “Culture is
the sum total of human achievements, material as well as non-material,
capable of transmission, socially, i.e., by tradition and communication,
vertically as well as horizontally.”These definitions are comprehensive in
nature as they emphasize on the true meaning of culture which is distinct,
inclusive of material as well as non-material aspects, connected with social
values, transmittable and to be acquired and learned by virtue of being member
of a society. Material culture includes all tangible man-made things or objects
created byhuman interaction such as clothes, books, tools, vehicles, utensils,
TV, radio, etc. whereas non-material culture includes those intangible ideals,
attitudes and values which bring modification in behaviour of an individual
such as language, literature, customs, tradition, values, beliefs, etc. Thus, culture
can be referred to the system of learned behaviour shared by and transmitted
among the member of a group.

Characteristics of Culture:
On the basis of earlier mentioned definitions of culture, its various
characteristics are given in the following manner:

1. Culture is man-made: The development or existence of culture is not a

natural thing coming directly from sky, but is man-made. Kimball
Young (1939) rightly said, “The cultural world is the creation of man
himself as he has learned how to manage nature and himself
throughout his entire existence.”In the words of Taylor, “Culture
consists of the works of man.”
2. Culture is an acquired trait:Contrasting to biological heredity, culture
can be called as the social heredity (Ottaway).Its meaning and definitions
say that it is not innate but is acquired and learned by the people through
social contacts and interaction, no matter formally or informally.
According to Robertson (1992), “Culture is that which individuals,
groups and societies produce and acquire in order to function
effectively.”
3. Culture is a distinct entity: It has distinctiveness which makes it vary
from place to place. It varies widely around the globe. Different societies
of the world have their distinct cultural patterns which help in
establishing different identities of different nations. Every society is
characterized by its distinct and unique culture.
4. Culture is material as well as non-material: Culture includes intangible
ideas, customs, traditions, beliefs, etc. along with tangible objects and
 things created by human interaction. The look at an object gives idea
about its culture.
5. Culture is transmittable: Cultural traits are transmitted from one
generation to another. This transmission is a continuous process. Every
generation has freedom to modify cultural heritage and transmit it to
coming generations.
6. Every culture has utility: A culture is considered to be good if it
possesses the quality of being utilized by the individual as well as the
entire society. It should be ideal for the group. The decay of any cultural
pattern depends upon its level of utility.
7. Culture is dynamic in nature: Culture is not static but dynamic. It tends
to change according to the changing trends and time. Our own beliefs,
ideas, thinking patterns, behaviours, etc. are different from our
forefathers’. That’s due to the changing nature of culture.
8. Culture is social, not individual heritage: Culture is not an individual
product, but a social product which is being shared by the members of the
group.
9. Culture is symbolic: Culture and its transmission are based on symbols
which are exclusive to human beings. Symbols are the central component
of culture. Symbols refer to anything attached with meaning and used for
communication with others. Language is one of the symbols of culture
which helps in preservation and creation of culture for retrospective as
well as prospective analyses.

Culture and Education:

Each characteristic of culture depicts its strong relationshipand intimate
connectionwith society and its major unit called education. Culture is an
acquired trait which happens through education, be it formal, informal or non-
formal. Culture is transmittable from one generation to another with the
powerful tool of education. Importance and utility of culture is known to the
individuals through education. Culture is considered to be dynamic because of
an important tool called education. Education helps in resolving the cultural
conflict. Education conserves as well as renews the culture and its patterns.
Education is a part of culture which works for its preservation, conservation,
modifications, creation and re-creation. So, culture and education cannot be kept
separately in different boxes but are to walk and grow together to influence each
other. Their relationship is reciprocal in the sense that culture influences and
shapes education and, simultaneously, is influenced and shaped by education
too. Cultural pattern of a society determines its educational system. For
instance, a materialistic society’s goals of education and processes are different
from the society which believes in development of spirituality and morality.
Educational system, simultaneously, affects the culture of that society by
shaping and influencing the thinking and behaviour of its members. For
example, the culture of patriarchal society is changing with awareness and
education regarding rights of women being human being and the dynamics of
gender roles in current era.

Culture has its influence on education and its institutions by determining and
formulating educational aims and objectives, constructing curriculum,
organizing co-curricular activities, selecting methods of teaching, textbooks and
creating social environment, rich in good teacher-taught relationship. Similarly,
education also has its powerful influence on culture and its patterns.
Preservation, transmission, development, continuity of a culture, removal of
cultural lag is possible through the use of an effective and strong instrument
called education. Therefore, undoubtedly, education and culture are mutually
interdependent, complementary and supplementary in all their aspects and
activities (Sharma, 2003).The major evidence regarding the strong relationship
between education and culture is reflected through one of the aims of education
which states about educating child about the cultural heritage.

Role of Schools in Preservation and Promotion of Culture:

School is a miniature of society which is a specially designed formal agency
which is set up by the society in order to socialize the generations to
come.Acquisition of culture is done through the process of socialization.
Schools do not only educate the child by following definite curriculum and
certain number of subjects and provide grades on completion of courses opted,
but also develop social and cultural values, attitudes, norms and morality which
remain with them throughout their life. Schools’ total activities and programmes
are organized, referring to the cultural ideas and values of a particular society in
which they exist. So, schools, in various ways, become the center of promoting,
reforming and developing the cultural patterns of society.National Policy on
Education (1986) observed, “The curricula and process of education will be
enriched by cultural content in as many manifestations as possible.
Education can and must bring about the fine synthesis between change
oriented technologies and the country’s continuity of cultural
traditions.”Cultural traits are acquired in the setting of schools, created by
different agents such as teachers, peer groups, textbooks, co-curricular
activities, methodologies, cultural responsive teaching etc. Teacher-taught
relationship and teachers’ behaviour towards students put an impact on mindset
of students and help in development of cultural values and patterns. Every
society’s culture is preserved through its education system. Schools are made
with the purpose of transmitting cultural heritage and for improving the society
by modifying or eliminating the cultural practices which are not found to be
beneficial for the society.
In addition, the preservation also includes the process of transmission of culture.
Its transmission from one generation to another guarantees the preservation of
the same (Sharma, 2003). This transmission is done with the help of schools
through social interaction, occurring among different members. In the words of
Ottaway, “Culture is entirely dependent on the interaction of individual
with the social environment and has to be leant from the social group.”
Promotion of culture should be done through schools by imparting the values
and morals of the society in which it exists. For promotion of culture, schools
should become the effective and useful tools for community integration,
community integrated learning, democratic values, etc. There should be respect
for diversity through multicultural education instead of monocultural
education.According to the International Conference on Education’s
(1992)recommendation no. 78 regarding contribution of education for cultural
development, “In order to be able to better satisfy the demands of
contemporary society and to respond to the challenges of the 21st century,
the school must open up to its social, economic and cultural environment
and become a place for fruitful dialogue, broadening its horizon to cover
the cultures of the world, whether regional, national or local.”

Conclusion:
On the basis of all the points given on culture and its relationship with
education, it can be, undoubtedly, stated that culture is not only one particular
aspect of life, but it is the entire way of life which is dynamic and varies from
place to place, society to society and nation to nation. Since time immemorial,
the precious cultural heritage is preserved and promoted through education
system by its reflection in textbooks, teachers’ behaviours, behaviours of peer
groups, schools’ norms and policies, etc. Education can be called as the cause of
the transformation of culture and cultural transformation is the cause of
education and its institutions. Both are interdependent, complementary and
supplementary to each other.
OBJECTIVES:
The main objective of this module is to acquaint students with the:
 Concept and definition of Culture;
 Characteristics of Culture;
 Relationship of Culture and Education; and
 Role of schools in preservation and promotion of culture.

GLOSSARY:
i. Society: A group of people, who interact with one another, reside in a
definable area and share a culture.
ii. Culture: Culture is a collective term used for the way of living by a
society which includes belief, ideas, traditions, customs, behaviors,
etcwhich are transmitted socially from one generation to another.It is
also called as the ‘design of life’.
iii. Culture as man-made:The development or existence of culture is not
a natural thing coming directly from sky, but is man-made. Kimball
Young (1939) rightly said, “The cultural world is the creation of man
himself as he has learned how to manage nature and himself
throughout his entire existence.”
iv. Culture as an acquired trait:Contrasting to biological heredity,
culture can be called as the social heredity. Its meaning and definitions
say that it is not innate but is acquired and learned by the people
through social contacts and interaction, no matter formally or
informally.
v. Culture as a distinct entity:It has distinctiveness which makes it vary
from place to place. It varies widely around the globe. Different
societies of the world have their distinct cultural patterns which help
 in establishing different identities of differentnations. Every society is
characterized by its distinct and unique culture.
vi. Culture as dynamic:Culture is not static but dynamic. It tends to
change according to the changing trends and time. Our own beliefs,
ideas, thinking patterns, behaviours, etc. are different from our
forefathers’. That’s due to the changing nature of culture.
vii. Material and non-material culture:Material culture includes all
tangible man-made things or objects created by human interaction
such as clothes, books, tools, vehicles, utensils, TV, radio, etc.
whereas non-material culture includes those intangible ideals, attitudes
and values which bring modification in behaviour of an individual
such as language, literature, customs, tradition, values, beliefs, etc.
viii. Education:Education is a process of overall development of person. It
helps in developing and enhancing the cultivation of physical, mental,
emotional and moral powers of the child.
ix. Culture and education:Culture is transmittable from one generation
to another with the powerful tool of education. Importance and utility
of culture is known to the individuals through education. Culture is
considered to be dynamic because of an important tool called
education. Education helps in resolving the cultural conflict.
Education conserves as well as renews the culture and its patterns.
Education is a part of culture which works for its preservation,
conservation, modifications, creation and re-creation.
x. Schools for preservation and promotion of culture:School is a
miniature of society which is a specially designed formal agency
which is set up by the society in order to socialize the generations to
come. Schools do not only educate the child by following definite
curriculum and provide grades on completion of courses opted, but
also develop social and cultural values, attitudes, norms and morality
 which remain with them throughout their life.Every society’s culture
is preserved and promoted through its education system. Schools are
made with the purpose of transmitting cultural heritage.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. Define society.
Answer: Society is a group of people, who interact with one another, reside in
a definable area and share a culture.
2. What do you understand by culture?
Answer: Culture is a collective term used for the way of living by a society
which includes belief, ideas, traditions, customs, behaviors, etcwhich are
transmitted socially from one generation to another.It is also called as the
‘design of life’.
3. What is meant by material culture?
Answer: Material culture includes all tangible man-made things or objects
created by human interaction such as clothes, books, tools, vehicles, utensils,
TV, radio, etc.
4. What is meant by non-material culture?
Answer: non-material culture includes those intangible ideals, attitudes and
values which bring modification in behaviour of an individual such as language,
literature, customs, tradition, values, beliefs, etc.
5. Discuss culture as an acquired trait.
Answer:Contrasting to biological heredity, culture can be called as the social
heredity. It is not innate but is acquired and learned by the people through social
contacts and interaction, no matter formally or informally.
6. What makes culture dynamic in nature?
Answer: Culture, by nature, is not static but dynamic. It tends to change
according to the changing trends and time. Our own beliefs, ideas, thinking
patterns, behaviours, etc. are different from our forefathers’. That’s due to the
changing nature of culture.
7. What are the characteristic of culture?
Answer:Culture is man-made, acquired, a distinct entity, social heredity,
transmittable, material and no-material and dynamic in nature.
8. What is the relationship between culture and education?
Answer:Culture is transmittable from one generation to another with the
powerful tool of education. Importance and utility of culture is known to the
individuals through education. Culture is considered to be dynamic because of
an important tool called education. Education helps in resolving the cultural
conflict. Education conserves as well as renews the culture and its patterns.
Education is a part of culture which works for its preservation, conservation,
modifications, creation and re-creation.
9. What is the meaning of school?
Answer:School is a miniature of society which is a specially designed formal
agency which is set up by the society in order to socialize the generations to
come. In schools, teachers, peer groups, textbooks, curricular and extra-
curricular activities, etc. facilitate socialization of the students.
10. What is the role of school in preservation and promotion of culture?
Answer: Schools develop social and cultural values, attitudes, norms and
morality which help in socialization of students. Every society’s culture is
preserved and promoted through its education system. Schools are made with
the purpose of transmitting and preserving cultural heritage. Schools’ total
activities and programmes are organized, referring to the cultural ideas and
values of a particular society in which they exist. So, schools, in various ways,
become the center of promoting, reforming and developing the cultural patterns
of society.
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