AN101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Ethnography, Culture Shock, Ethnocentrism
Document Summary
As anthropologists see it, culture consists of the abstract values, beliefs, and perceptions of the world that lie behind people"s behaviour and that are reflected in that behaviour. Members of a cultural group share these elements, and when they are acted upon, they produce behaviour that is intelligible to other members of that culture. Culture is learned largely through the medium of language rather than inherited biologically. While distinct cultures differ in numerous ways, anthropologists have noted that cultures display remarkable similarities in that they fulfill the needs of their members. To survive, a culture must satisfy the basic needs of its members and deal with problems and matters that concern these members. It must provide for its own continuity, and it must furnish an orderly existence. In doing so, a culture must strike a balance between the self-interests of individuals and the needs of society as a whole.
