Culture includes far more than objects, customs, or formal rules. In this lesson, we explore how anthropologists define culture and how the contrast between blinking and winking reveals its key features.
Nineteenth-century British anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor 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” (1873, 1:1).
All flashcards
What is Tylor’s definition of culture?
Culture is a complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities and habits acquired as a member of society.
What is an innate behavior?
An innate behavior is one a person is born able to perform rather than having to acquire through teaching or social experience. Blinking is an example.
Why is winking considered cultural?
Winking is not a biological necessity; people learn how to perform it and learn the social meanings associated with it.
What does it mean to say culture is shared?
People in a group have common understandings that help them make sense of actions and practices, though interpretations may still vary.
What is enculturation?
Enculturation is the process of acquiring cultural knowledge, behaviors, values, and expectations through instruction and participation in social life.
Quiz questions
How did E. B. Tylor define culture?Answer: As a complex whole including knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and acquired habits and capabilities.
Which contrast between blinking and winking is accurate?Answer: Blinking is innate and serves a bodily function; winking is deliberate and learned.
Why might people in the same society interpret a wink differently in different situations?Answer: Its meaning depends on social context, even when people share understandings of the gesture.
What does the example of a household’s layout illustrate about cultural learning?Answer: Everyday surroundings can transmit assumptions without anyone explicitly teaching them.
In the described Ojibwa beliefs, what might a guardian spirit in a visionary dream provide?Answer: Knowledge connected to activities such as hunting, warfare, or medicine.
Based on Introduction to Anthropology by Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.