EXERCISES

Q1. From which word does the term “culture” originate?
Answer: The word culture comes from the root Latin word “colere”.

Q2. Mention distinguishing feature that distinguishes man from other animals.
Answer: One distinguishing feature that distinguishes man from other animals is that man is a tool-making animal.

Q3. Name the book in which Clyde Kluckhohn and Alfred Kroeber discussed various definitions of culture.
Answer: Clyde Kluckhohn and Alfred Kroeber discussed various definitions of culture in their book Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions (1952).

Q4. E.B. Tylor defined culture in what year?
Answer: E.B. Tylor defined culture in 1871.

Q5. In which book did Tylor put forward the definition of culture?
Answer: E.B. Tylor put forward the definition of culture in his book Primitive Culture.

Q6. What do you understand by cultural tradition?
Answer: Cultural tradition refers to the customs, beliefs, and practices that are typically passed down from one generation to the next within a specific society or group.

Q7. In which two groups of cultural traditions have been divided?
Answer: Cultural traditions have been divided into: Material or tangible culture and Non-material or intangible culture.

Q8. What are the two parts of culture?
Answer: The two parts of culture are: Material or tangible culture and Non-material or intangible culture.

Q9. Who first put forward the idea of cultural relativism?
Answer: Anthropologist Franz Boas put forward the concept of cultural relativism for the first time.

Q10. What is cultural anthropology?
Answer: Cultural anthropology is the study and explanation of human culture and behaviour. It studies the cultural heritage and lifeways of various ethnic groups living in various geographical and cultural environments of the world.

Q11. What is the culture?
Answer: Culture refers to a person’s way of life, which encompasses their values, beliefs, art, morals, and so on. It means the verbal and non-verbal behaviour and material and non-material creativity of a group of people. The total way of life of an ethnic group is defined as the culture of that group.

Q12. Give the definition of culture put forward by Tylor.
Answer: According to E.B. Tylor, culture or civilization is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”.

Q13. What is culture according to Linton?
Answer: According to Ralph Linton, “Culture is social heredity”.

Q14. What is enculturation?
Answer: Enculturation is the learning process through which a child, born and nurtured in a socio-cultural environment, gradually acquires the characteristics and norms of that culture. It is an innate and continuous process through which a child socializes with the parents and other elderly persons.

Q15. What is acculturation?
Answer: Acculturation is the process of change in cultural elements like customs, beliefs, artifacts, etc., that results from the contact of one or more cultures, or the situation of change due to extensive borrowing from one culture to another. It encompasses occurrences when groups of people of different cultures come into first-hand contact with ensuing changes in the original cultural patterns of either group.

Q16. What do you understand by ethnocentric and ethnocentrism?
Answer: A person who judges other cultures only in terms of his or her own culture and maintains a feeling that his or her own culture is superior to others is known as ethnocentric. This attitude is known as ethnocentrism.

Q17. Write briefly about the innovation.
Answer: Innovation refers to the creation or introduction of something new or improved that adds value to society or solves problems in a novel way. It involves the development of new ideas, methods, products, or technologies that improve existing systems. In anthropology, innovation signifies the process through which humans invent new tools, techniques, or concepts that gradually transform cultural and social life. Innovation is a key factor in cultural evolution, leading to advancements in technology, communication, and lifestyle. Examples of major human innovations include the wheel, writing, and the internet, all of which significantly shaped civilizations.

Q18. Mention the characteristics of culture.
Answer: The fundamental characteristics of culture are as follows:

1. Man-made: Culture is created by humans through social interaction and innovation.
2. Learned or acquired: Culture is not inherited biologically; it is learned and transmitted across generations.
3. Integrated: Various elements of culture are interrelated and function together as a whole.
4. Dynamic: Culture is constantly evolving and adapting to new circumstances.
5. Changeable: Cultural practices, norms, and values can be modified over time.
6. Cumulative: Culture builds upon the knowledge, experiences, and achievements of previous generations.
7. Universal: Every human society possesses some form of culture.
8. Abstraction: Culture exists in ideas, beliefs, and symbols, not only in tangible objects.
9. Vehicle of heritage: Culture transmits traditions, knowledge, and values from one generation to another.
10. Distinct: Each culture is unique and reflects the identity of its people.
11. Moulds human personality: Culture influences behavior, attitudes, and social identity.
12. Satisfies human needs: Culture provides solutions for social, economic, and psychological needs.

Q19. Give an idea of the concept of culture.
Answer: The anthropological concept of culture is broad. Culture encompasses a person’s entire way of life, including their values, beliefs, art, morals, etc. It includes both the verbal and non-verbal behaviour, as well as the material and non-material creativity of a group of people. It is learned and passed down from generation to generation.

Q20. Mention and explain the definition of culture given by Tylor.
Answer: E.B. Tylor defined culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” This definition emphasizes that culture is an integrated system encompassing both material and non-material aspects of human life. It is acquired through learning rather than inherited genetically, and it is shared within a society, making it a collective phenomenon experienced by all members of the community.

Q21. Write about the two aspects of culture with examples.
Answer: Culture can be divided into two main aspects: material (tangible) culture and non-material (intangible) culture.

1. Material or Tangible Culture: This refers to the physical, visible components of culture that can be touched or handled. Examples include books, clothing, tools, buildings, and temples.

2. Non-material or Intangible Culture: This encompasses the invisible components of culture that cannot be physically touched but are experienced through thought and social practice. Examples include ideas, beliefs, customs, values, and ideals.

Both aspects together form the complete cultural system of a society, influencing human behavior, social norms, and collective identity.

Q22. Write about enculturation.
Answer: Enculturation is the innate and continuous learning process through which a human baby, born in a particular socio-cultural environment, gradually acquires the characteristics and accepted norms and values of that culture and society. An individual learns his culture unconsciously through enculturation. The process is sometimes controlled by reward or inspiration, and sometimes by punishment, to inculcate accepted norms and values.

Q23. Explain the concept of cultural relativism.
Answer: Cultural relativism is the concept put forward by Franz Boas, which acts as a directive principle to study various societies from an anthropological perspective. Its main essence is to study other cultures with an unbiased view, recognizing that each culture grows and evolves in its own environment and has its own history. It teaches us to view all the customs of a society objectively rather than ethnocentrically.

Q24. Discuss cultural diffusion elaborately.
Answer: Cultural diffusion is the process by which cultural elements are borrowed from one society and incorporated into another society’s culture. It serves as an important mechanism for cultural change and development.

There are three main types of diffusion:

1. Direct Diffusion: Cultural elements are adopted by neighboring societies that are in direct contact.
2. Indirect Diffusion: Cultural traits are transferred through a third party or intermediary, such as travelers, merchants, or traders, between societies that are not in direct contact.
3. Stimulus Diffusion: Occurs when a local version of a cultural feature is developed or invented in response to the influence of another culture.

Cultural diffusion is also selective, meaning that societies accept only certain traits that are compatible with their existing cultural framework.

Q25. Discuss acculturation elaborately.
Answer: Acculturation is the process of cultural change that occurs when groups of people from different cultures come into extensive, first-hand contact. The concept was first developed by Redfield, Linton, and Herskovits in 1936. Acculturation not only brings about changes in the cultures involved but also leads to greater similarities between them.

Acculturation can occur due to two main factors:

1. Self-interest: A weaker society may adopt elements of a more powerful society’s culture to adapt to the situation or to gain advantages, such as improved social status or modernization.
2. External pressure: A dominant group, such as a ruler, conqueror, or colonizer, may force a weaker group to adopt their cultural traits.

Through these processes, acculturation shapes societies by blending or modifying cultural practices while sometimes preserving core traditions.

Q26. Summarize the importance of acculturation and diffusion.
Answer: Acculturation and diffusion are major forces driving cultural change. Acculturation explains how societies adapt and modify their cultural patterns through extensive first-hand contact with other societies. Diffusion describes how cultural elements are borrowed, shared, and selectively integrated from one society to another, promoting cultural development and global interactions. Together, these processes highlight the dynamic, adaptive, and interconnected nature of human cultures.