GST123... The Concept of Culture and Nigerian Society 1

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Raising a new Generation of Leaders

GST. 221
THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE AND
NIGERIAN SOCIETY
LECTURER:
OLUFUNKE ADETUNDE
SOCIETY AND CULTURE
3
INTRODUCTION
Culture has several meaning to
different people. To some
people, appreciation of good
literature, music, and art work
etc.
To a biologist…culture is the
growth of micro-organisms or
bacteria in a laboratory dish.
To an anthropologist, culture is
the full range of learned human
behaviour patterns.
Introduction
• Culture is a strong human tool for survival and
at the same time, it is fragile; it constantly
changes and could lose its meaning because
culture basically exists in our minds…our foods,
building, government, dresses etc. are products
of culture and not culture in themselves.
5
WHAT IS CULTURE?
• The scientific meaning of culture, unlike the popular
meaning accords culture to all human beings once they live
in human societies - culture is a social heritage, transmitted
by one generation to another. Society is the breeding
ground of culture.
• From the sociological point of view, culture consists of the

sum total of skills, beliefs, knowledge, and products that are
commonly shared by a group of people and transmitted to
their children.
6
What is Culture?
• A classical and popular definition of culture is that given by
the English Anthropologist, Edward Tylor (1871) that
culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities
and habits acquired by man as a member of the society”
• Edward Tylor (1832-1917) was the first who
specified that culture is learned and acquired,
as opposed to being a biological trait.
7
Implications of Tylor’s Definition of Culture
• What does this definition imply about the concept
of culture?
i. Culture includes mental capabilities (thoughts)
ii. behavior (actions) also,
iii. culture is learned
iv. culture is shared
v. culture is social (exists within group)
vi. culture is an integrated whole
8
What is culture?
• Culture is the way of life shared by a group of
people living within a particular society.
• Culture provides the guidelines for human
interactions.
• Things and thoughts make up our culture.
9
Aspects of Culture
• Culture has both material and non-
material aspects.
• Material culture is the overt or
explicit aspect of culture – the
products of industry, technology,
arts etc. they are visible or
concrete acquisition of people in
society: artifacts such as bridges,
pots, cutlasses, hoes, houses,
cooking utensils, handicrafts, etc.
they are objects which people have
learned to make and use to satisfy
their needs in society.
Aspects of Culture
• Non-material aspects of culture
consist of knowledge,
philosophy, morals, motivation,
language, attitudes, values etc.
shared and transmitted in a
society. They are also referred to
as covert or implicit aspects of
culture. They are not visible or
tangible but they are manifested
through the behaviour of a
people.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
1. Culture is symbolic: culture is based on shared symbols.
Everyone in a society attaches the same meaning to a
particular symbol e.g. hitting your right/left foot while walking,
staff of office, languages, use of body parts to communicate
etc.
2. Culture is explicit: known and always discussed aspects of
culture e.g. the way we dress, food we eat, music, dance etc.
3. Culture is implicit: part of culture that is not usually discussed.

They are the unwritten norms e.g. publicly embarrassing your
king may prevent you from being considered for a position of
authority. You might even get punished or get your life
endangered.
12
14
Characteristics of culture (cont.)
4. Culture is covert: norms, values, ethics that a culture
professes etc
5. Culture is overt or manifest: as in the dresses, dance
steps, foods, building etc.
6. Culture is dynamic: It can change when it comes in
contact with other cultures.
7. Culture is learned and shared: It is transferable from
one generation to another.
15
Characteristics OF CULTURE to
emphasize
▪ Culture is socially transmitted from one generation to another
▪ Culture is relative (ie cultural relativity): treat the culture of other people
in its own right and not based on our culture.
▪ Culture is not static but stable; it changes in response to society’s

needs and to environmental demands as evident in the manner of
dress, hairstyles, dances, patterns of behaviour etc. However, there
will always be culture depicting, for instance, food, dressing,
music, dance steps etc.
16
Culture is Dynamic but Stable: An Example
Yoruba Women’s Dress codes 50 years
ago Yoruba women’s Dress codes Nowadays
ETHNOCENTRISM AND THE EVALUATION OF
CULTURE
• The diversity of cultural practices often lead some people to
question which practices are the best.
• Ethnocentrism is when one views his/her own culture as the
best and only proper way to behave and adapt.
• Since most humans believe their culture is the best and only
way to live, there are small amounts of ethnocentrism
everywhere in the world.
18
Impacts of Ethnocentrism
• Small doses of ethnocentrism help to create a sense
of cultural pride and to build strong, cohesive
groups.
• But taken to extremes, and certainly when it

includes an unwillingness to be tolerant of other
people’s cultures, ethnocentrism can be destructive.
Ethnocentrism is at the heart of colonization
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END
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www.covenantuniversity.edu.

Raising a new Generation of Leaders

• From the sociological point of view, culture consists of the

3. Culture is implicit: part of culture that is not usually discussed.

▪ Culture is not static but stable; it changes in response to society’s

• But taken to extremes, and certainly when it

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