What Is Culture In Sociology?

Definition of Culture in Sociology

Culture is a key idea in sociology, referring to the shared beliefs, values, customs, symbols, and objects that people in a society use to interact and understand their world. It shapes how we live, think, and connect with others. Edward Tylor, in his 1871 book Primitive Culture, defined culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” This means culture includes everything from traditions to everyday habits that make a society unique. Clifford Geertz, in his 1973 work The Interpretation of Cultures, described culture as a system of symbols that people use to communicate and make sense of life, like a web of meanings we live within. He used “thick description” to study how people interpret these symbols in their own context. Raymond Williams, in Keywords (1976) and Culture and Society (1958), said culture is not just fancy art or music but a “whole way of life,” including how ordinary people live and interact.

Key Concepts in the Sociology of Culture

The study of culture in sociology includes several important concepts that explain how it works in society. Norms are the rules that guide how people behave, like laws or unwritten customs, which Émile Durkheim said help hold society together in his book The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912). Values are shared ideas about what’s important, like Max Weber’s example in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905), where he showed how Protestant beliefs encouraged hard work and shaped the economy. Symbols, as Clifford Geertz explained, are things like words or objects that carry special meanings for a group. Material culture includes physical things like tools or art, which Karl Marx, in The German Ideology (1846), said are influenced by a society’s economy. Non-material culture covers ideas, beliefs, and values. Franz Boas, in Race, Language, and Culture (1940), introduced cultural relativism, meaning we should understand cultures on their own terms, not judge them by our standards. Subcultures, studied by scholars like Dick Hebdige in Subculture: The Meaning of Style (1979), are smaller groups, like punk fans, with their own unique values. Antonio Gramsci’s idea of hegemony, from his Prison Notebooks (1929–1935), shows how powerful groups use culture to make their ideas seem normal. Pierre Bourdieu, in Distinction (1979), talked about cultural capital, like knowledge or tastes, that gives people social status.

Major Thinkers and Their Contributions

Many thinkers have shaped how we understand culture in sociology, and their ideas are key for BA Honours students. Émile Durkheim, in The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912), argued that culture, especially religion, brings people together through shared rituals and beliefs, creating a sense of community. Max Weber, in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905), showed how cultural values, like the Protestant focus on hard work, can change the economy. Karl Marx, in The German Ideology (1846), said culture is shaped by the economy, with rich people using it to control ideas and keep power. Clifford Geertz, in The Interpretation of Cultures (1973), saw culture as a set of symbols that people interpret, and he used “thick description” to study their meanings. Pierre Bourdieu, in Distinction (1979), explained how cultural capital, like knowing about art or having good manners, helps people gain social status and reinforces class differences. Antonio Gramsci, in his Prison Notebooks (1929–1935), introduced hegemony, showing how powerful groups use culture to make their ideas seem like common sense. Raymond Williams, in Culture and Society (1958), argued that culture includes everyday life, not just high art. Stuart Hall, in Representation (1997), studied how media shapes our ideas about identity and culture.

Major Works in the Sociology of Culture

Some key books have shaped how sociologists study culture, and they’re great starting points for BA Honours students. Clifford Geertz’s The Interpretation of Cultures (1973) explains how culture is a web of symbols and uses thick description to understand them. Pierre Bourdieu’s Distinction (1979) shows how people’s tastes in art or music reflect their social class. Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905) connects cultural beliefs to economic changes. Raymond Williams’ Culture and Society (1958) redefines culture as everyday life, not just elite art. Dick Hebdige’s Subculture: The Meaning of Style (1979) looks at youth groups like punks and how they use style to resist mainstream culture. Émile Durkheim’s The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912) explores how cultural practices like religion unite people. Antonio Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks (1929–1935) introduces hegemony, showing how culture helps powerful groups stay in control.

5. Key Ideas and Theories

Sociology offers several theories to explain how culture works, which are useful for BA Honours students. Functionalism, from Émile Durkheim, says culture helps society stay together by creating shared norms and values, like how religious rituals unite people. Conflict theory, based on Karl Marx and Antonio Gramsci, sees culture as a way for powerful groups to control society by spreading their ideas, like through TV or movies. Symbolic interactionism, from thinkers like George Herbert Mead, says culture comes from people interacting and creating shared meanings through symbols like language. Cultural materialism, by Marvin Harris, argues that culture is shaped by practical things like technology or resources. Postmodernism, from Jean Baudrillard, suggests that modern culture is fragmented, with media creating “false” realities, like in social media. Arjun Appadurai’s idea of global cultural flows shows how culture spreads worldwide, mixing local and global traditions, like K-pop becoming popular globally.

References

• Boas, F. (1940). Race, language, and culture. Macmillan
• Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste (R. Nice, Trans.). Harvard University Press. (Original work published 1979)
• Durkheim, É. (1995). The elementary forms of religious life (K. E. Fields, Trans.). Free Press. (Original work published 1912)
• Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures: Selected essays. Basic Books
• Hall, S. (Ed.). (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. Sage Publications.
• Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1970). The German ideology (C. J. Arthur, Ed.). International Publishers. (Original work published 1846)
• Tylor, E. B. (1871). Primitive culture: Researches into the development of mythology, philosophy, religion, art, and custom. John Murray.
• Weber, M. (2001). The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism (T. Parsons, Trans.). Routledge. (Original work published 1905)
• Williams, R. (1958). Culture and society: 1780–1950. Chatto & Windus