THE PAKISTANI CULTURE 1
THE PAKISTANI CULTURE
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
, THE PAKISTANI CULTURE 2
INTRODUCTION TO PAKISTANI CULTURE:
The word “culture” has been derived from the Latin term “cultura” which means “cultivating”.
This word was used in the context of agriculture. Figuratively it got associated with “to foster” or
“to honor” someone. Numerous people have made efforts in defining culture. One of the
definitions of culture is as: “The set of attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors shared by a group
of people, but different for each individual, communicated from one generation to the next
(Juang, 2016)”. Culture is composed of the beliefs, values, language and practices that people
have in common. These practices link them to each other and make them a separate group.
Within the various concepts of sociology, the concept of Culture also has its place because
sociologists recognize its significant role in people’s social lives. Culture is important in making
strong social bonds, in identity of a specific population and in helping a person understanding his
position in this world. Each nation exhibits its own culture and set of traditions and rituals.
This paper has its main focus on Pakistani culture. Pakistan is a developing country situated in
Asia and came into existence in 1947. It shares borders with India, China, Iran and Afghanistan.
It’s the only Muslim country having nuclear power. Its national language is Urdu. However,
there are number of regional languages. English is its official language. As major religion
followed by Pakistanis is Islam therefore, Islam has big influence on is culture. For centuries
Hindus and Muslims lived together in the region of sub-continent which is now divided into
three countries; Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Due to this reason Pakistani culture has also
some influence of Hindu culture. This paper will focus on three dimensions of Pakistani culture;
Collectivism, Power distance and Masculinity vs Femininity.
THE PAKISTANI CULTURE
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
, THE PAKISTANI CULTURE 2
INTRODUCTION TO PAKISTANI CULTURE:
The word “culture” has been derived from the Latin term “cultura” which means “cultivating”.
This word was used in the context of agriculture. Figuratively it got associated with “to foster” or
“to honor” someone. Numerous people have made efforts in defining culture. One of the
definitions of culture is as: “The set of attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors shared by a group
of people, but different for each individual, communicated from one generation to the next
(Juang, 2016)”. Culture is composed of the beliefs, values, language and practices that people
have in common. These practices link them to each other and make them a separate group.
Within the various concepts of sociology, the concept of Culture also has its place because
sociologists recognize its significant role in people’s social lives. Culture is important in making
strong social bonds, in identity of a specific population and in helping a person understanding his
position in this world. Each nation exhibits its own culture and set of traditions and rituals.
This paper has its main focus on Pakistani culture. Pakistan is a developing country situated in
Asia and came into existence in 1947. It shares borders with India, China, Iran and Afghanistan.
It’s the only Muslim country having nuclear power. Its national language is Urdu. However,
there are number of regional languages. English is its official language. As major religion
followed by Pakistanis is Islam therefore, Islam has big influence on is culture. For centuries
Hindus and Muslims lived together in the region of sub-continent which is now divided into
three countries; Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Due to this reason Pakistani culture has also
some influence of Hindu culture. This paper will focus on three dimensions of Pakistani culture;
Collectivism, Power distance and Masculinity vs Femininity.
