20 Examples of Types of Culture

Examples / by admin / May 07, 2023

protection click fraud

There are various ways to categorize the types of culture according to different variables such as its function, its particularities, the way in which they have been built. The types of culture are innumerable because each social group can generate practices or produce objects that become a particular culture, that differentiates them from others and that has characteristic features and identity own. For example: each country has its own culture and if it were to decide to split into two different nations, this will result in two cultures that will eventually be different.

The word "culture" has several meanings, that is, it is a polysemous word. The definition The most general concept of culture is the one that maintains that it encompasses all aspects of the construction of reality in the world by part of human beings, through their customs, their way of life, their creations and the evidence of the evolution of species. Culture is different from nature, since the first is forged, produced, and the second is an already given environment.

instagram story viewer

Various authors have worked with the concept of culture and have proposed approaches with different particularities; there is no consensus on a universal definition. Some of these definitions are:

Culture as a complex whole. The English anthropologist Edward Tylor (1871) identifies culture as the integration of different aspects of a social group, such as beliefs, myths, customs, art, behaviors and behaviors acquired and adopted by people in a community.
Culture as a set of habits. The American anthropologist Franz Boas (1930) defines culture as the set of habits that originate and settle in a social group. These particular customs represent him and are part of his identity and history.
Culture as an abstraction. The English anthropologist Alfred Radcliffe-Brown (1943) states that culture is an abstraction. They are the elements that allow people to relate to each other from senses built for cooperation and community functioning.
Culture as a system of signs. The French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss (1958) defines culture as a communication system produced by the symbolic activity of humans, which is governed by rules and it is what differentiates them from nature.
Culture as something mental that is learned. The American anthropologist Ward Goodenough (1971) proposes culture as everything that a person he learns and knows so that his behavior is accepted by the other members of the community to which he belongs. belongs. This involves sensibilities, forms of expression, modes of behavior, etc.

See also: transculturation

types of culture

Next, the ways in which cultures can be typified are mentioned, understanding that every act of the human being can be considered a cultural element and that, over time, new forms of coexistence appear and transform these appreciations.

According to your form of expression

The culture of a certain social group can be studied in cases where there is evidence or ways to access their practices and customs. Many of the ancient cultures are unknown today because they left no record of their way of life and, therefore, many aspects of their functioning are unknown. According to this classification, the types of culture are divided into:

written culture. It is the one that has alphabetic systems in which it records history, norms, customs. For example: Greek culture can be studied from the philosophical texts that served to expand its thought to the West.
illiterate culture. It is the one that has the particularity of not having an alphabet or tools to account for its operation and traditions. In general, they are oral cultures, that is, their knowledge is transmitted through speech between its members and between generations. For example: many original peoples in Latin America did not leave writings about their customs or habits, however, some myths and legends are known that have survived by oral tradition.

According to the magnitude

A typification of the culture can be made according to the extension or massiveness it reaches, or the number of participants who share the common traits and who identify with it. According to this classification, the types of culture are divided into:

universal culture. It is the one that accounts for the history of all humanity and the codes that have been generated in its evolution. For example:the history of the main scientific advances in the world, such as electricity, which have changed the way of life of the entire planet.
particular culture. It is the one that is limited to a social group that is not the responsibility of all humanity. There are many dimensions to cultures that are unique. For example: The inhabitants of a country share many cultural characteristics that differentiate them from other countries.

According to spiritual beliefs

Religions have always been part of communities and account for a social order, a scale of values or other common variables such as the conception of the transcendence of being. According to this classification, the types of culture are divided into:

monotheistic culture. It is the one that has a single god as the supreme divinity and his beliefs revolve around the will of that being. For example:The Catholicism.
polytheistic cultures. It is the one that has two or more divinities whom it worships. For example: hinduism.
atheist culture. It is the rejection of the belief that there is a god or superior being.

According to the means of production

These types of culture are defined by the ways in which natural resources are exploited to satisfy needs and, based on this, the ways of life are different. Another of its characteristics is that they are geographically delimited. According to this classification, the types of culture are divided into:

industrial culture. It is the one that works around the massive and industrial production of products and services. For example: The city of Detroit, in the United States, is known for its great industrial production. It belongs to what is known as “the manufacturing belt”.
commercial culture. It is the one that has a high level of merchandise exchange and commercial offer, and its economy and customs revolve around this economic dynamic. Ports and borders between countries are often places with a broad commercial culture. For example:Singapore is a city well known for the great commercial power that its port represents.
Agricultural and livestock culture. It is one whose main activities are agriculture and livestock. They are also called rural cultures and one of their main characteristics is that urban centers tend to be small. For example: The Pampean region in Argentina is known for the extension of its fields and the agricultural-livestock activity.
nomadic culture. It is one in which social groups that do not have a physical space for settlement and tend to change places frequently. For example: the gypsy people lead a lifestyle based on permanent travel.

according to its evolution

The main characteristics to differentiate cultures according to their evolution are chronology, the milestones that have forged them and the level of development they have reached. According to this classification, the types of culture are divided into:

primitive culture. It is one whose state of evolution is basic and has not reached high levels of development in terms of economics, industry, architecture, technology, medicine or production compared to other groups social. For example: many tribes in Africa lack services that are universally considered basic and essential.
civilized culture. It is one that is characterized by a high degree of refinement and development in many aspects, both economic and political and social. In general, the great capitals of the world house the highest in scientific, artistic, educational or civil matters. For example: London is a city known for its financial and economic culture in general.

According to the aesthetic appreciation

This cultural typology is based on the appreciation and aesthetic criticism of the objects and actions of a social group, which are usually grouped around art. Although it is up to each community to define its criteria for evaluating art, specific types with different values have been given worldwide. According to this classification, the types of culture are divided into:

high culture. It is the one that refers to the elites or the most refined products, generally evaluated by the aristocracy or the upper social classes, and which is usually of privileged access. One can count in this category the artistic production of people praised for their work or the objects of luxury that have been historically recognized, in addition to accumulating wealth and fame for its importance among its peers. For example: Operas are considered artistic expressions of high culture.
mass culture. It is the one whose main characteristic is the breadth of its accessibility. A large number of people can enjoy this form of art that is distributed by mass media. For example: movies broadcast on television.
Popular culture. It is the one that refers to everything that is generated from the customs and traditions of a people that are part of their identity. For example:folkloric dances of certain regions.

according to their social order

This classification takes into account the political and social configuration of a country. The type of government and the institutional structure will give way to behaviors typical of a culture governed by the established order and the level and form of citizen participation in decisions that are the responsibility of the entire population. According to this classification, the types of culture are divided into:

democratic culture. It is one in which it is customary to include all the people in the group in common decisions through resources regulated by the Constitution. For example: The action of voting for the authorities of a nation is typical of a democratic culture.
monarchical culture. It is one in which power falls on a sovereign who considers himself attacked by a superior being and who has a long line of people who have been part of the monarchy. For example:the cult of Queen Elizabeth II of England.
lawless culture. It is one that refers to a social group that is not driven by any order or political structure, and that does not obey external mandates. For example: In 1929, a population in Korea declared itself anarchist, calling itself the Shinmin Free Province.
communist culture. It is the one associated with the communist political movement that considers, among other things, that all resources They are part of a community asset to which all people have the right to access on an equal basis. For example: the society proposed by the Revolution in Cuba in which private property was abolished.

Other types of cultures

Of a more specific nature, the term "culture" is used to determine climates or common denominators in certain areas, such as:

Corporate culture. It is the one that adheres to the behaviors typical of corporate environments in elements such as modes of behavior, protocols, organizational hierarchy, interpersonal relationships and other variables in a company. For example: report to the boss an absence during the working day.
digital culture. It is the one that refers to the behaviors, communities and creations of objects and services made online, such as They can be social networks, information on the web, virtual education and other practices carried out in Internet. For example: share photos of a trip on Instagram.
academic culture. It is related to educational environments and its members make up communities that are created with the aim of producing knowledge, such as universities and colleges. For example: Take final exams in a degree course.
sports culture. It is the one that refers to athletic practices at all levels. It includes, among other things, the language used, the institutions that organize events and sports teams. For example: train every day for a few hours.

Examples of Culture Types

Using a lot of spice in food is a feature of Mexican culture.
Mozart's compositions are considered part of high culture.
Video games that take place on the internet and in which people from all over the world participate are part of digital culture.
Meditating every day is a practice linked to Buddhist culture.
Not eating meat is a characteristic of vegetarian culture.
Writing novels is an activity linked to artistic culture.
The songs of The Beatles group are part of popular culture.
NASA's landing on the Moon is an event of universal culture.
The coronation of a new king is part of the monarchical culture.
Eating on Sundays at the parents' house is a tradition of family culture.