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Sociology explores how culture and socialisation shape individuals and societies. In NCERT Class 11 Sociology Chapter 4: Culture and Socialisation from the textbook Introducing Sociology, students delve into the concepts of culture, its dimensions, and the processes of socialisation that transmit cultural norms across generations. This blog provides detailed solutions to the chapter’s exercise questions, simplifying complex ideas for better understanding.
Explore Notes of Class 11: Introducing Sociology
Exercise
- How does the understanding of culture in social science differ from the everyday use of the word ‘culture’?
- How can we demonstrate that the different dimensions of culture comprise a whole?
- Compare two cultures with which you are familiar. Is it difficult not to be ethnocentric?
- Discuss two different approaches to studying cultural change.
- Is cosmopolitanism something you associate with modernity? Observe and give examples of ethnocentrism.
- What in your mind is the most effective agent of socialisation for your generation? How do you think it was different before?
Solutions
1. In everyday use, the word ‘culture’ often refers to refined tastes, artistic achievements, or high-status activities, such as attending classical music concerts, visiting museums, or being well-versed in literature. It is typically associated with ‘high culture’ or sophistication, implying a hierarchy where some activities are deemed more cultured than others. For example, someone might say, “She is very cultured because she enjoys opera.”
In social science, particularly sociology, culture is understood more broadly as the entire way of life of a group or society. It encompasses beliefs, values, norms, customs, traditions, language, symbols, and material objects that are shared and transmitted across generations. Culture includes both tangible aspects (e.g., tools, clothing) and intangible ones (e.g., rituals, ideologies). Sociology views culture as dynamic, learned, and relative, varying across societies without implying superiority of one over another. For instance, the food habits of a rural Indian community (e.g., eating millets) and urban fast-food preferences are equally valid cultural practices. This perspective avoids ethnocentrism and highlights culture’s role in shaping social behaviour.
2. Culture has multiple dimensions—material (e.g., tools, technology), cognitive (e.g., beliefs, values), and normative (e.g., norms, morals)—which together form an integrated whole. To demonstrate this, we can observe how these dimensions interact and reinforce each other within a society.
For example, consider a traditional Indian festival like Diwali. The material dimension includes tangible items like oil lamps, sweets, and firecrackers. The cognitive dimension involves beliefs, such as the victory of good over evil, associated with Lord Rama’s return. The normative dimension is reflected in social norms, like sharing sweets with neighbours or performing puja rituals. These dimensions are interconnected: the act of lighting lamps (material) is guided by the belief in dispelling darkness (cognitive) and follows the norm of community participation (normative). A change in one dimension, like adopting electric lights due to environmental concerns, affects others, such as altering traditional practices or beliefs about authenticity.
Sociology shows that these dimensions are not isolated but function as a cohesive system, shaping and being shaped by social interactions, ensuring culture’s role as a unifying force in society.
3. Let’s compare urban middle-class culture in Delhi and rural agricultural culture in a Rajasthan village, both of which I’m familiar with. In urban Delhi, culture is shaped by modernity, technology, and diversity. People value education, career success, and individualism, often living in nuclear families. Daily life involves digital devices, fast food, and global entertainment (e.g., streaming platforms). Social interactions are formal, and festivals like Diwali are celebrated with shopping and social media posts. In contrast, rural Rajasthan’s culture is rooted in tradition and community. Joint families are common, and values centre on collectivism, respect for elders, and agricultural life. Daily activities include farming, and meals feature local crops like millets. Festivals involve collective rituals, like folk dances, with less commercialisation.
Comparing these, it’s challenging to avoid ethnocentrism—the tendency to judge another culture by one’s own standards. As an urban student, I might initially view Delhi’s fast-paced life as ‘advanced’ due to its technological integration, while seeing rural life as ‘backward’ for its reliance on traditional practices. However, sociology teaches cultural relativism, recognising that each culture is valid within its context. Rural Rajasthan’s emphasis on community fosters strong social bonds, while urban Delhi’s individualism supports personal ambition. Acknowledging these differences without bias requires conscious effort, as ethnocentric assumptions often stem from familiarity with one’s own culture.
4. Cultural change, the transformation of a society’s beliefs, practices, or artefacts over time, can be studied through various sociological approaches. Two prominent ones are:
Evolutionary Approach: This approach views cultural change as a linear progression, where societies evolve from simple to complex forms due to technological or economic advancements. For example, the shift from agrarian societies to industrial ones is seen as progress driven by innovations like the steam engine. Sociologists like Auguste Comte argued that societies move through stages (e.g., theological to scientific). In India, the adoption of smartphones in rural areas illustrates this, as technology changes communication and economic practices. This approach highlights universal patterns but may oversimplify change, assuming all societies follow the same trajectory.
Diffusionist Approach: This approach focuses on how cultural elements spread across societies through contact, trade, or migration. Cultural change occurs when one group adopts practices, ideas, or objects from another. For instance, the introduction of tea in India by British colonisers led to its integration into Indian culture, with chai becoming a national beverage. Diffusion can occur through voluntary exchange (e.g., adopting Western fashion) or imposition (e.g., colonial education systems). This approach emphasises cross-cultural interactions but may overlook internal factors driving change.
Both approaches reveal different facets of cultural change, with the evolutionary approach focusing on internal development and the diffusionist on external influences.
5. Cosmopolitanism, the idea of embracing diverse cultures and global interconnectedness, is strongly associated with modernity. Modernity, marked by globalisation, urbanisation, and technological advancements, fosters cultural exchange through travel, media, and the internet. For example, urban Indian youth adopting global fashion trends (e.g., wearing sneakers with traditional kurtas) or enjoying international cuisines (e.g., sushi) reflect cosmopolitan attitudes. Social media platforms like Instagram expose users to global lifestyles, encouraging openness to diverse cultural practices. Cosmopolitanism aligns with modernity’s emphasis on breaking traditional boundaries and embracing pluralism.
However, ethnocentrism—judging other cultures as inferior to one’s own—persists. Examples include:
- A classmate dismissing tribal dances as ‘primitive’ compared to classical Bharatanatyam, ignoring their cultural significance.
- A family member criticising Western clothing (e.g., jeans) as inappropriate for Indian women, favouring traditional attire like sarees.
- Urban residents assuming rural diets (e.g., millets) are inferior to processed foods, overlooking their nutritional value.
These examples show how ethnocentrism arises from cultural familiarity, challenging the cosmopolitan ideals of modernity. Sociology highlights the need for cultural relativism to counter such biases.
6. For my generation (born around 2005–2010), the most effective agent of socialisation is digital media and technology, particularly social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp. These platforms shape values, behaviours, and identities by exposing us to global trends, peer influences, and diverse perspectives. For example, influencers promote lifestyles (e.g., fitness or sustainable fashion), shaping our aspirations. Online communities teach norms, like using emojis or hashtags, while educational content on YouTube supplements formal learning. Digital media’s accessibility and interactivity make it a powerful socialising force, often surpassing family or school in influence.
In contrast, for earlier generations (e.g., my parents, born in the 1970s–1980s), family was likely the primary agent of socialisation. With limited access to technology, families played a central role in transmitting cultural values, norms, and traditions. For instance, children learned gender roles (e.g., women cooking) or religious practices (e.g., daily prayers) directly from parents and extended family. Community interactions, like village gatherings, also reinforced social norms. While schools and peers mattered, family’s influence was dominant due to less exposure to external media.
Sociology shows how agents of socialisation shift with societal changes—technology’s rise has made digital media a key influencer today, while family’s role was more pronounced in less connected times.
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