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The following points highlight the ten important subsidiary culture concepts. Some of the subsidiary culture concepts are: 1. Culture Trait or Culture Item 2. Culture Complex 3. Culture Pattern or Culture Configuration 4. Sub-Culture and Contra-Culture 5. Cultural Alternatives 6. Cultural Universals 7. Cultural Specialties 8. Core Culture 9. Cultural Diffusion 10. Acculturation and Others.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 1. Culture Trait or Culture Item:
When we talk about a very small bit of culture, we use the terms ‘trait’ or ‘item’. We may think of various types of culture traits. Thus, a spoon may be regarded as an item of material culture. The idea that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ may be looked upon as an item of ideational culture. To say ‘Namaste’ or good morning to an acquaintance is an item of culture associated with behaviour or social norms.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 2. Culture Complex:
A culture complex is a functional combination of closely inter-related traits within a culture. That is, culture complex refers to a combination of culture items or culture traits. Thus, shoe making is a culture complex which is a product of combination of various culture traits, such as tanning of leather, use of appropriate needles and other implements, the art of sewing, etc.
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Likewise, cooking is a culture complex which -consists of various culture items like the art of making fire, the use of spices in proper proportions, the making of utensils, the art of growing vegetables, etc.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 3. Culture Pattern or Culture Configuration:
Just as item combines with item or trait with trait to form a culture complex, so also various culture complexes combine together to produce a culture pattern or culture configuration.
Culture complexes of a group may be lumped into the following six categories:
(i) Economic,
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(ii) Familial,
(iii) Educational,
(iv) Political,
(v) Religious, and
(vi) recreational.
Culture complexes of these six basic types combine with one another in an almost infinite number of ways to create the general culture fabric of a society. When we speak of an agrarian society or a technological society, we actually refer to particular types of culture pattern characteristic of a particular society.
When we speak of Indian culture or French culture we do so keeping in view the unique culture pattern or configuration which obtains in Indian society or French society.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 4. Sub-Culture and Contra-Culture:
Culture of a sub-group is called sub-culture. For example, Assamese or Maharastrian culture, though essentially a part of Indian culture, has some distinctive features of their own. Therefore, Assamese culture and Maharastrian culture may be characterised as sub-cultures.
In a highly stratified society, different social classes may develop distinctive cultural features of their own — say, in the matter of dress, etiquette, food habits and even intonation. Such social classes may be said to have developed sub-cultures.
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When, however, differences of a sub-group are emphasised more than similarities, endangering the persistence of the culture of which it is an off-shoot, the particular subculture develops into what Yinger characterised as contra-culture.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 5. Cultural Alternatives:
When we speak of culture as a cementing bond in society or as a normative pattern to which the members of society conform, we do not mean that culture is a mould which shapes all individuals alike. On the contrary, culture presents alternative lines of action or conduct for individuals in certain cases which are equally acceptable. Such alternative lines of action or conduct are called cultural alternatives.
A discerning observer of cultural scene in contemporary India will confirm the existence of various forms of greeting which are equally accepted as ‘proper’. “The point is that there are cultural alternatives as well as cultural specifications and not all cultural patterns are cultural imperatives”.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 6. Cultural Universals:
Those culture traits which are necessary to all members of the society and are followed by all of them are called cultural universals.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 7. Cultural Specialties:
Cultural specialties are elements of culture which are shared by some, but not all, groups within a society. For example, baby nursing is a female specialty not shared by men. Nearly every group in society — each age-group, sex group, occupational group, religious group — has certain traits not shared by other groups.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 8. Core Culture:
That part of the total culture of a society which is shared by most members of the society is called core culture.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 9. Cultural Diffusion:
Cultural diffusion refers to a process by which culture traits and culture complexes spread from one society to another. Thanks to modern means of transportation and electronic communication, what is developed in one society is spread to other societies all over the world.
This applies not simply to items of material culture but also to items of non-material culture. If there are no artificial restrictions like an embargo imposed by a government, political and religious ideas may spread like wild fire from one continent to another.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 10. Acculturation:
The process of acquiring the item or items of culture of a society not one’s own is called acculturation. When in Rome, we are advised to do as the Romans do. If one is in contact with another culture for a prolonged period of time, he is likely to acquire in course of time some elements of the culture with which he has been in contact.
If, for example, an Indian, having lived in the U.S.A. for several years, acquires the American habit of taking dinner at 6 or 6.30 p.m., he may be said to have been acculturated to some elements of American culture.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 11. Cultural Relativism/Relativity:
The principle of cultural relativism may be stated thus:
Standards are relative to the culture in which they appear. It is almost impossible to find absolute standards in human societies. In its simplest terms, cultural relativism means that actions that are moral in some societies are immoral in others, that propositions considered true in some are false in others, and that conduct that is approved and even prescribed in some is disapproved and even forbidden in others.
The principle of cultural relativity raises a question about the possibility of universal norms. Are there any actions that are acceptable alike in all societies or condemned alike in all? Anthropologists and sociologists are not in complete agreement on this issue. We may think of some universal norms. But some exceptions readily come to mind. Thus, all cultures condemn pre-meditated murder.
Exceptions are, however, made during war. Likewise, incest taboo is universally accepted as a proper code of conduct. But one will immediately recall that marriage between brothers and sisters was permissible among the members of the royal family in ancient Egypt.
A distinction may be made between a cultural absolute and a cultural universal. Some elements of culture may become universal without becoming absolute. For example Western type of clothing may be universal, but can never be absolute in the sense that this kind of dress would be the only proper clothing to wear.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 12. Syncretism:
The process of re-interpretation with retention of original function is called syncretism. Religion provides many examples of syncretism. In parts of Catholic Negro America, African deities have become identified with Catholic saints.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 13. Cultural Survival:
Sometimes culture traits, items or complexes survive in a society long after their original function has disappeared and sometimes even after the limited reason for their establishment has been forgotten.
We observe today many customs and practices which were considered useful and meaningful by those among whom those customs and practices developed. Even though those customs do no longer carry any meaning to us, yet we follow them through sheer habit. These are called cultural survivals.
A very interesting example may be cited:
“The sleeves of men’s jackets still have three or four buttons at or near the cuff, but these buttons serve no function whatever, except possibly a decorative only. According to one theory, Frederick the Great of Prussia introduced these buttons on uniforms in order to discourage his soldiers from indulging in the somewhat unaesthetic — to say nothing of unhygienic — practice of wiping their noses on their sleeves”.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 14. Culture Conflict:
The term culture conflict is an ellipsis. That is, it is people who are in conflict with one another, not cultures. The reason which prompts people to fight with one another may sometimes have a cultural base. In such cases it is convenient to describe the conflict in terms of the concept of culture conflict.
For example, the cow is a sacred animal and beef is a forbidden food in terms of Hindu culture. To a Moslem, on the other hand, the cow is like any other animal and there is no taboo against the eating of beef.
When Hindus and Moslems live side by side and there is no attempt on either side to make suitable adjustments, their cultural attitude towards this animal alone may be, and have been in the past, perennial sources of conflict.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 15. Ethnocentrism:
Ethnocentrism is related to the principle of cultural relativism. We have a tendency to evaluate other cultures in terms of our own. That is, the ways of behaviour of people, who belong to a culture other than our own, are measured and evaluated in terms of the standards and norms with which we are familiar.
History is replete with examples when people of one cultural group looked upon those who belonged to another cultural group as barbarians.
Subsidiary Culture Concept # 16. Temporocentrism:
Bierstedt has defined temporocentrism as “the unexamined and largely unconscious acceptance of one’s own century, one’s own era, one’s own lifetime, as the center of sociological significance, as the focus to which all other periods of historical time are related, and as the criterion by which they are judged”.
We have a tendency to look upon the present as more important than the past, all the present practices as superior to those of the past.