First Anthropological Definition of Culture:
E. B. Tylor, 1871 from Primitive Culture
"Culture or civilization, taken in its wide, ethnographic sense, is that
complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, morals, law,
custom and any other habits and capabilities acquired by
man as a member of society."
Emphasized terms indicate major approaches to the definitions used by
anthropologists as outlined by Kroeber and Kluckhohn: Culture:
A Critical Review of Concepts and Definition.
1. Culture is the difference between humans and animals
Anthropocentric
Tools using versus tool making
Jane Goodall's chimpanzee studies In the Shadow of Man
Opposable thumb
Algebraic mentality
Power Grip vs. Precision Grip
Humans are the only animals to make and use tools as their primary means
of adapting to the environment
2. Culture is learned behavior.
Imitative learning
Other learning-language
Wolf or wild children
Signs vs symbols
Culture is an artificially created reality
3. Society carries culture.
Society-an interacting group of organisms of the same species
Society is the repository for culture-language is crucial
Society's members participate in it
Society & Culture outlast the individual
Society and Culture are the dominant determinant of social behavior
a. Stereotypes
b. Modal personalities
c. National character
4. Culture is patterned behavior
Functional prerequisites of culture
More recent concerns since Kroeber and Kluckhohn's book
1. Adaptive nature of culture
2. Culture is dynamic, in a constant state of change.