Three factors bring change in the culture of a society. These are:
Inventions: The process of creating new cultural elements out of the existing elements. Since the modern
man has a comparatively richer reservoir of cultural elements at his disposal, therefore he creates more
inventions than the man in the olden times. The modern man does not have to reinvent the wheel; he has
to use this wheel, improve uponit and bring something new.
Discovery: It is the process of finding that already exists.
Diffusion: It means the spread of cultural traits from one society to another. It is the borrowing of culture
by one group from another. For purposes of diffusion contact between the two groups or societies is
necessary. In the olden times, due to the lack development of means of transportation and communication,
contact between different societies was limited. Therefore the diffusion was also limited. Whatever the
diffusion took place it was more a result of physical contact. But in the modern times there is a revolution
in the means of transportation and communication. Presently people don’t have to be in physical contact
with other societies for knowing about each other’s culture and for borrowing from each other. With the
help of electronic media people get exposure to other cultures and may like to borrow their cultural traits.
With the facilitation of diffusion process cultural change is quite rapid now days.
Ethnocentrism
The practice of judging other’s culture by the standards of one’s own culture. People consider their own
culture as superior to others and apply their standards for evaluating the patterns of behavior of others.
The whole judgment is centered on one’s own culture.
Xeno-centrism
Considering other’s culture as superior to one’s own.
Cultural relativism
The practice of judging a culture by its own standards; a particular pattern of behavior is right or wrong as it
is declared by the people who follow it. Since those people are follow a particular practice, supposedly it
might be serving some useful function in that society.Nevertheless, the same practice may be useful for
one group and may be harmful for the other in the same society.
A global culture
Today, more than ever before, we can observe many ofthe same cultural practices being followed the world
over. We find people wearing jeans, hear the familiar music, and see advertising for many of the same
products in different countries. People learn some international language for purposes of communication.
Are we moving toward the single global culture?
Societies now have more contact with one another than ever before, involving the flow of goods,
information, and people. We are globally connected through:
• The global economy: the flow of goods.
• Global communication: the flow of information.
• Global migration: the flow of people.
These global links make the cultures of the world more similar. But there are three limitations to the global
culture thesis. First, the global flow of goods, information, and people is uneven. Generally speaking,
urban areas have stronger ties to one another, while many rural villages remain isolated. Then the greater
economic and military power of the Western society means that this society influences the rest of the world
more than happens the other way around. Second, the global culture thesis assumes that people everywhere
are able to affordvarious new goods and services. That is not so as the poor countries cannot afford it.
Third, although many cultural practices are now found throughout the world, people everywhere do not
attach the same meaning to them. People have to interpret the other’s cultural practices from their own
perspective.
Culture and Human Freedom
Culture may put all kinds of constraints on the behavior of people and at the same time there is the
freedom, which may be provided by the same culture.
Culture as constraint:Cannot live without culture therefore we haveto accept it. We are the prisoners of
culture.
Culture as freedom: Culture provides the opportunity to make and remake our world.
Inventions: The process of creating new cultural elements out of the existing elements. Since the modern
man has a comparatively richer reservoir of cultural elements at his disposal, therefore he creates more
inventions than the man in the olden times. The modern man does not have to reinvent the wheel; he has
to use this wheel, improve uponit and bring something new.
Discovery: It is the process of finding that already exists.
Diffusion: It means the spread of cultural traits from one society to another. It is the borrowing of culture
by one group from another. For purposes of diffusion contact between the two groups or societies is
necessary. In the olden times, due to the lack development of means of transportation and communication,
contact between different societies was limited. Therefore the diffusion was also limited. Whatever the
diffusion took place it was more a result of physical contact. But in the modern times there is a revolution
in the means of transportation and communication. Presently people don’t have to be in physical contact
with other societies for knowing about each other’s culture and for borrowing from each other. With the
help of electronic media people get exposure to other cultures and may like to borrow their cultural traits.
With the facilitation of diffusion process cultural change is quite rapid now days.
Ethnocentrism
The practice of judging other’s culture by the standards of one’s own culture. People consider their own
culture as superior to others and apply their standards for evaluating the patterns of behavior of others.
The whole judgment is centered on one’s own culture.
Xeno-centrism
Considering other’s culture as superior to one’s own.
Cultural relativism
The practice of judging a culture by its own standards; a particular pattern of behavior is right or wrong as it
is declared by the people who follow it. Since those people are follow a particular practice, supposedly it
might be serving some useful function in that society.Nevertheless, the same practice may be useful for
one group and may be harmful for the other in the same society.
A global culture
Today, more than ever before, we can observe many ofthe same cultural practices being followed the world
over. We find people wearing jeans, hear the familiar music, and see advertising for many of the same
products in different countries. People learn some international language for purposes of communication.
Are we moving toward the single global culture?
Societies now have more contact with one another than ever before, involving the flow of goods,
information, and people. We are globally connected through:
• The global economy: the flow of goods.
• Global communication: the flow of information.
• Global migration: the flow of people.
These global links make the cultures of the world more similar. But there are three limitations to the global
culture thesis. First, the global flow of goods, information, and people is uneven. Generally speaking,
urban areas have stronger ties to one another, while many rural villages remain isolated. Then the greater
economic and military power of the Western society means that this society influences the rest of the world
more than happens the other way around. Second, the global culture thesis assumes that people everywhere
are able to affordvarious new goods and services. That is not so as the poor countries cannot afford it.
Third, although many cultural practices are now found throughout the world, people everywhere do not
attach the same meaning to them. People have to interpret the other’s cultural practices from their own
perspective.
Culture and Human Freedom
Culture may put all kinds of constraints on the behavior of people and at the same time there is the
freedom, which may be provided by the same culture.
Culture as constraint:Cannot live without culture therefore we haveto accept it. We are the prisoners of
culture.
Culture as freedom: Culture provides the opportunity to make and remake our world.
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