Culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, practices, and traditions that define a group or society. This category covers topics related to cultural diversity, including the study of different cultures, sub-cultures, and their significance in shaping our world. From exploring the origins and evolution of culture to examining the impact of globalization on cultural practices, this category provides insights into the diverse and complex nature of human culture.
Modern feminism has a lot of detractors and problems to name a few. Some people give the opinion that it is overly concerned with identity politics and that it is dividing rather than unifying people while others assert that it is too derogatory towards men and is fostering an atmosphere of hostility.
Ruth Benedict, a prominent figure in the field of anthropology, made significant contributions with her theory of "Culture and Personality." This theory suggests that individual personality traits are heavily influenced by cultural factors, rather than being innate or biologically predetermined.
The relationship between culture health and disease is a complex and intricate one. Culture shapes beliefs, attitudes, and practices relating to health and illness, and these, in turn, influence the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of diseases.
Derived from the Tongan word "Tabu," meaning "forbidden" or "prohibited," Taboo refers to actions, behaviours, or subjects that are considered forbidden, offensive, or socially unacceptable within a particular culture or society.
Deculturation, a term often mistaken for acculturation, refers to the process where a person, group, or society loses their original culture due to oppression, colonization, or other factors that lead to cultural disruption.
Cultural evolution is a concept that attempts to explain the way societies develop over time, emphasizing how cultural practices, ideas, and technologies change and spread across generations. This understanding of cultural evolution provides a lens through which we can comprehend the broad outlines of prehistoric cultures.
Cultural Materialism, a theoretical framework originally coined by anthropologist Marvin Harris, provides an insightful perspective for examining socio-cultural phenomena. As a research strategy, it uses the material conditions of life, specifically the production and reproduction of life, to illuminate cultural practices and beliefs.
An ethnic group represents a category of people who identify with each other, usually on the basis of presumed similarities such as common ancestry, language, history, society, culture or nation. Ethnicity is often an inherited status, but it can also be adopted, shed, and renegotiated over time.
Stereotypes, widely held simplified and generalized perceptions or images of a particular type of person or thing, play a significant role in how individuals perceive and interact with the world around them. From the viewpoint of cultural anthropology, stereotypes not only shape social interactions but also influence societal structures and cultural norms.
Alterity, from the Latin 'alteritas', denotes the state of being 'other' or 'different'. The term is used predominantly in philosophical and cultural contexts to explore the concepts of diversity, difference, and identity. It is fundamental to any process that seeks to understand the self and the other and
Culture complex is a concept used to illustrate a constellation of related cultural traits. These can be anything from material objects, ideas, practices, and shared understanding. Culture complexes cluster around crucial aspects of social life such as cooking, hunting, or family structures.
Rites of passage are ceremonies or rituals signifying an individual's progress from one stage of life to another. This concept was first coined by ethnographer Arnold Van Gennep in his work "The Rites of Passage" (1909), where he identified these rituals as a universal phenomenon existing in all cultures.
