The Elements of Culture
1. Symbols: Anything that carries particular meaning recognized by people who share the same culture.
2. Language: A system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another.
3. Values: Culturally defined standards of desirability, goodness, beauty and many other things that serves as broad guidelines for social living.
4. Beliefs: Specific statements that people hold to be true.
5. Norms: Rules and expectations by which a society guides the behaviour of its members. The two types of norms are mores and folkways. Mores are norms that are widely observed and have a great moral significance. Folkways are norms for routine, casual interaction.
Read more about this topic: Sociology Of Culture
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—Anonymous, U.S. women’s magazine contributor. The Revolution (August 19, 1869)
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