What is Culture?
Sociologists think of the five parts of culture as consisting under two major categories: material and non-material culture (non-material culture is also called symbolic culture).
Types of Culture
Material culture is any physical object to which we give social meaning.
Material culture can be art, tools, machines, weapons, clothing, furniture – the list goes on and on. Basically, any physical thing that people create, use, or appreciate might be considered material culture. Examining material culture can tell us a great deal about a particular group or society.
A great example is people's clothing. Specific logos can indicate if the person follows the latest fashion trends or it could even be a clue about a person's social class. Clothing can also indicate certain interests a person might have. For example, if an individual is wearing jewelry that has a cross hanging from it, that could be an indication that the person is a Christian.
Anthropologists use material culture to provide clues into the life of ancient cultures. One reason we know so much about human history is because of material culture.
Ultimately, the biggest difference between material and non-material culture is that material culture is something that you can physically touch and non-material culture is an idea and takes no physical form.
Non-material culture influences material culture. Religion and faith are two examples of non-material culture, but there are many material items associated with religion, such as books of worship and places of worship.
Non-Material or Symbolic culture is the ideas associated with a cultural group, including ways of thinking (beliefs, values, and assumptions) and ways of behaving (norms, interactions, and communication).
Non-material culture involves ideas and ways of behaving.
For example, "riding a bicycle" is an example of non-material culture. The act of riding is a behavior. However, it is important to recognize that this non-material cultural example involves a material object - a bicycle.
The terms "non-material" and "symbolic" culture can be used interchangeably. It really depends on the sociology text that you’re reading on which one of these terms are used. Symbolic culture can be something as specific as a certain rule or custom, like driving on the right side of the road in the United States and on the left side in the United Kingdom.
Symbolic culture can also be a broad social system such as democracy or a large-scale social pattern such as marriage. Because symbolic culture is so important to social life, the next portion of the lesson examines each of its four main components:
- Symbols
- Language
- Values
- Norms
