What elements make up a culture? Why do cultures change? What is culture? What elements make up a culture? Why do cultures change?

Culture . . . Is all the features of a society’s way of life.

Culture . . . Is learned, passed down from generation to generation through teaching, example, and imitation.

Culture . . . Includes all of a society’s shared values, beliefs, institutions, and technologies.

Culture . . . Gives roles to individuals and establishes relationships within groups in a society.

Culture Traits Activities and behaviors that people repeatedly practice. Many vary place to place. Think: eating US: fork, knife, spoon China: chopsticks Malaysia: fingers/hands

Culture Traits, cont. Change through time Think: clothing

How do cultures change? Innovation Diffusion Acculturation

Innovation New ideas that are accepted into a culture.

Diffusion The spread of an innovation or other culture trait into another culture region, which then adopts that element into its own culture. Think: jazz music

Diffusion, cont. A culture trait can spread gradually from its source Think: Country music from Nashville, TN) Or it can spread when people move from a region and carry the innovation with them to the new area. Think: Christianity from Europe

Acculturation When one culture changes a great deal through its meeting with another culture. Usually a two-way process in which each culture changes the other. Think: USA fast food and the growth of ethnic foods.