Culture is Adaptive Example Paper

Culture is the concept of life, especially the general customs and beliefs of a particular group of people at a particular time. Culture has five important characteristics, they are learned, shared, based on symbols, integrated and dynamic. All cultures share these important characteristics. Culture is not biological. Much of learning culture is unconscious. This is culture is adaptive example paper where is shown why culture is not biological and how it works in daily life. 

We learn culture from families, friends, school or college and agency. While all humans have basic biological needs like food, sleep, and sex, the way we fulfill those needs varies cross culturally. We also share culture with other members of our group, we are able to act in socially appropriate ways as well as predict how others will act. In spite of the shared nature of culture,it does not mean that the culture is the same.

Culture is also based on symbols that vary cross culturally and are arbitrary. Language, money and art are all symbols. Language is the most important symbolic component of culture. Culture is integrated, the various parts of a culture being interconnected. Culture is lively too. This simply means that cultures interact and change because most cultures are in contact with other cultures, they exchange ideas and symbols. All cultures change, otherwise, they would have problems adapting to changing environments. And because cultures are integrated, if one component in the system changes, it is likely that the entire system must adjust.

Culture exists. at several levels. We typically refer to smaller cultures within a larger culture as subcultures. People have some type of connection to that subculture but must also be able to operate effectively within the larger culture. Some of the diversity we see across subcultures is based on class, race, ethnicity, age, and gender. Class is a social category based on people's economic position in society. Race in a cultural sense is the socially constructed meanings assigned to the perceived differences between people based on physical traits such as skin colour, facial features, hair types. Indigenous peoples are those groups who have a longstanding connection with some territory. Gender roles vary widely cross culturally. Closely tied to gender roles are issues relating to homosexuality. In many cultures around the world, there is discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. Age is both a biological fact as well as being culturally constructed. While we can reckon how many years old an individual is, what that means in terms of rights and responsibilities is culturally constructed. Most societies have obligations and responsibilities that are assigned based on individuals reaching specific ages.

Culture is universal among all human groups and even exists among primates. All cultures have to provide for the physical emotional, and social needs of their members, en culture new members, resolve conflicts and promote survival for their members. Hence, culture is adaptive and dynamic, once we recognize problems, culture can adapt again, in a more positive way, to find solutions.