Culture is an identity of a particular group of people. it defines a specific nation. Moreover, culture is the common characteristics and knowledge shared by a particular group of people (generally referred as a society).
Basic characteristics of culture:
- Learned from birth (not inherited).
- Shared by all members of the same cultural group.
- Adapted to specific conditions.
- Dynamic and ever-changing.
Types of Culture
- Material Culture: Physical objects and tangible belongings of people in a society are part of Material Culture. This includes Buildings, Trains and Buses, Markets, Automobiles etc. These are things which we can see and touch.
- Non-material Culture: Intangible things that become a part of culture in society is called Non-material Culture. This includes People's ideas, belief system, norms & values, attitude and behavioral patterns etc. These are things which we cannot see or touch.
Material and Non-material objects of culture are linked with each other for example: School buildings are part of material culture, however teaching methods belong to non-material culture. Similarly, jewelry is an object of material culture but it represents the tradition and values of a society, which comes under non-material culture.