Significance of Studying Culture

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICSCULTURE
"Culture is the sum of all the forms of art, of love, and of thought, which, in the course of centuries, have
enabled man to be less enslaved." Culture is the invisible bond which ties people together. It refers to
the pattern of human activity. The art, literature, language, and religion of a community represent its
culture. Our cultural values and beliefs manifest themselves through our lifestyle. Our moral values
represent our culture. The importance of culture lies in its close association with the ways of thinking
and living. Differences in cultures have led to diversity in the people from different parts of the
world.Culture is related to the development of our attitude. Our cultural values influence how we
approach living. ccording to the behaviorist definition of culture, it is the ultimate system of social
control where people monitor their own standards and behavior. Our cultural values serve as the
founding principles of our life. They shape our thinking, behavior, and personality.
Culture Affects Perception
!ow we perceive things is largely affected by our udgment skills, preconceived notions, attitude, and
emotions. These factors are closely linked with our culture. In perceiving something as good or bad, our
biasesplay a role and so does our way of thinking. In udging something as easy or difficult, our
attitude and our motivation levels play a key role. Our culture determines the structure of our thinking,
which influences our perceptions.#eople who belong to cultures that promote individualism tend to look
at only the main aspects of a situation, while those of a culture that promotes collectivism tend to
consider even the minor details. merican culture which is predominantly individualistic, promotes
giving freedom of choice to children since a young age. The $apanese culture which promotes
collectivism, rather encourages the parents%elders to make choices for their children. This is an
e&ample of how parenting is perceived in contrasting ways due to the differences in culture.'imilarly,
people of (astern cultures perceive success as being a collective effort, while those of the merican
culture perceive it as the fruit of individual effort.
SOCIETY
'ociety can be defined as a group of people who share a common economic, social, and industrial
infrastructure. It is an organi)ation of people who share a common cultural and social background. Do
you know how the word, *society* originated+ The word is a derivation of the rench word societe,
which came fromthe -atin word societas meaning *a friendly association with others*.#urpose of 'ociety
and its Importance
Support
One of the primary purposes of society is the formation of an organi)ed group of individuals who can
support each other in various ways. It is in the difficult times that you reali)e the importance of being a
part of society. Itis the members of your social group who come forward to give you the help needed.
The support given by society can be of the physical, emotional, financial, or medical form.
Form tion of Soci l Groups
society is characteri)ed by social networks. They form an integral part of it. 'ocial networks are
defined as the patterns of relationships between people. elationships give rise to social interactions
between people of a
society. Individuals who belong to different ethnic groups can come together, thanks to societies. Their
interactions give rise to strong social bonds that result in long/lasting relationships. society gives rise
to a family system and an organi)ation of relationships, which are at the heart of any social group.
Form tion of Culture
Culture is an important element of society. Individuals of a particular society share a common culture
that shapes their way of living. Their means of subsistence and their lifestyles are derivatives of their
culture. Culture defines the pattern of human activity in a society. It is represented by the art, literature,
language, and religion of the individuals who form it. Individuals belonging to a society are bonded by
common cultural values,traditions, and beliefs that define their culture. 0ou may like to know why
culture is important.
POLITICS
The importance of politics encompasses a discussion of intricate proportions. 1ased on the introduction
above,one could say that politics is indeed present when there is a collection of people that constitute a
community. #olitics is said to be a set of actions or occurrences that raises 2uestions on the community
or society as a whole. These 2uestions are raised because there is the distinct possibility that the set of
actions or occurrences will inevitably have a considerable effect in the general population at a particular
time.There are certain actors that are specifically involved in the practice of politics. 3ormally, one
would say that politicians are among the key actors in the practice of politics. This is accurate to some
e&tent. These individuals formulate bills, propose policies and advocate their views on how to enhance
the performance of the country4s economy. 3evertheless, they do not have the monopoly of employing
politics as a means of carrying out things. $udges and other members of the udiciary similarly engage
in politics when they make decisions and verdicts that inevitably affect the general public. 3ormally,
cases are used as precedence in carrying out decisions that involves the same principles of law.
3evertheless, the main mover and the predominant actor in the employment of politics is the people in
general. The public is capable of making changes based on their perspectives on how things should be
carried out. 'imple acts that a single individual like casting a vote or supporting a cause indicate a
participation in political practice. ll in all, it could be assumed that everyone do take part in the
practice of politics, one way or the other. It is characteri)ed as an act that points out the issues that
appears to be significant in a society. 1asically, it points out whether a specific situation is indeed
problem, and eventually presents how it could have an effect on society or the community as a whole.
The following discussion will be looking into the discussion of the three individuals regarding the issue of
refugees in the state. 5oreover, the discussion will also look into the fact on whether it is political to
some e&tent or ust basically an empty discussion among friends.
RATIONALE FOR STUDYING ANT!ROPOLOGY, POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGYANT!ROPOLOGY
The range of variations in human ways of life is staggering. The study of anthropology is holistic // the
study of humans as biological, cultural, and social beings. nthropologists study alternative ways in
which human beings meet their needs and e&amine overall integration and dissonance within a culture.
efusing to reduce the primary motives of human behavior to any single factor/whether it be
biological, economic, structural, political, technological, or geographic/anthropologists analy)e the
interrelationship of all of these factors in trying to understand human behavior. nthropologists study
the person both as an individual and as a member of society. nthropologists study, for e&ample,
religion and belief systems, the arts, music, gender roles, politics and work. 1ecause of the breadth

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SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICSCULTURE

Culture Affects Perception

Form tion of Soci l Groups

Form tion of Culture

RATIONALE FOR STUDYING ANT!ROPOLOGY, POLITICAL SCIENCE AND SOCIOLOGYANT!ROPOLOGY

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