4.4 Modes of Acquiring Culture
1. Imitation. This takes place during the process of socialization. As the child grows,
he imitates the things around him: the language and behavior of the people around
him, both the desirables and the undesirable. This process continues even until
the adult life of the individual.
2. Indoctrination. This takes the form of formal teaching or training which may take
place anywhere the individual finds himself interacting with his fellow humans. This
formal teaching takes into account the cultural components of the society where
the learning individual lives.
3. Conditioning. Through the social norms prevailing in one's social and cultural
milieu, the individual acquires a certain pattern of beliefs, values, behavior, and
actions through the process of conditioning. This process is further reinforced by
system of reward punishments found in the cultural system
4.5 Importance to the Individual
1. Culture distinguishes man from animal. It is the culture that makes the human
animal a man. It regulates his conduct and prepares him for a group life. Without
culture he would have been forced to find his own way which would have meant
a loss of energy.
2. Culture provides solution for complicated situations. Culture provides man a
set of behavior for difficult situations. In the absence of culture man would have
been baffled even at the simplest situations. Culture not only defines but also
determines what we eat and drinks, when to sleep, when to laugh, etc.
3. Culture provides traditional interpretation to certain situations. Through
culture man gets traditional interpretations for many situations according to which
he determines his behavior. For example, if a cat crosses his way, he postpones
the journey.
4. Culture shapes personality. No child can develop human qualities in the
absence of cultural environment. Culture prepares man for group life. It is culture
that provides opportunities for the development of personality and sets limits on
its growth.
1. Imitation. This takes place during the process of socialization. As the child grows,
he imitates the things around him: the language and behavior of the people around
him, both the desirables and the undesirable. This process continues even until
the adult life of the individual.
2. Indoctrination. This takes the form of formal teaching or training which may take
place anywhere the individual finds himself interacting with his fellow humans. This
formal teaching takes into account the cultural components of the society where
the learning individual lives.
3. Conditioning. Through the social norms prevailing in one's social and cultural
milieu, the individual acquires a certain pattern of beliefs, values, behavior, and
actions through the process of conditioning. This process is further reinforced by
system of reward punishments found in the cultural system
4.5 Importance to the Individual
1. Culture distinguishes man from animal. It is the culture that makes the human
animal a man. It regulates his conduct and prepares him for a group life. Without
culture he would have been forced to find his own way which would have meant
a loss of energy.
2. Culture provides solution for complicated situations. Culture provides man a
set of behavior for difficult situations. In the absence of culture man would have
been baffled even at the simplest situations. Culture not only defines but also
determines what we eat and drinks, when to sleep, when to laugh, etc.
3. Culture provides traditional interpretation to certain situations. Through
culture man gets traditional interpretations for many situations according to which
he determines his behavior. For example, if a cat crosses his way, he postpones
the journey.
4. Culture shapes personality. No child can develop human qualities in the
absence of cultural environment. Culture prepares man for group life. It is culture
that provides opportunities for the development of personality and sets limits on
its growth.
