Sociology And The Definition Of Culture.

[Grimr]

What is the definition of culture?

How does sub-cultures affect the definition of culture?

[Zibblsnrt]

What is the definition of culture?

Bafflingly subjective.

[Grimr]

Bafflingly subjective.

Why bafflingly?

So is everything of culture subjective or is there anything beyond subjectivity?

[Of10Rot10]

Bafflingly subjective.

Excuse me but this is an "ology" and belongs in science not in history. Even cultural anthropology is a science not a history nor is sociology.

thank you.

[Zibblsnrt]

Excuse me but this is an "ology" and belongs in science not in history. Even cultural anthropology is a science not a history nor is sociology.

The bright line between science and humanities (or social science and humanities) is pretty illusory, as a glance at any contemporary historiography would show.

That said, ending a term in "ology" doesn't automatically make it a hard science, nor does it make it impossible to discuss in other concepts. Grimr may have named his topic poorly, all things considered, but it's an appropriate subject for this forum.

(That, and the idea of social-science forums has been brought up before and generally rejected for a variety of reasons.)

[Of10Rot10]

The bright line between science and humanities (or social science and humanities) is pretty illusory, as a glance at any contemporary historiography would show.

That said, ending a term in "ology" doesn't automatically make it a hard science, nor does it make it impossible to discuss in other concepts. Grimr may have named his topic poorly, all things considered, but it's an appropriate subject for this forum.

(That, and the idea of social-science forums has been brought up before and generally rejected for a variety of reasons.)


If you want to talk about the history of the field then I would agree with you. However, sociology and cutlural anthropology are taught more as sciences and less as history. Asking for a definition does not make it history.

[Zibblsnrt]

If you want to talk about the history of the field then I would agree with you. However, sociology and cutlural anthropology are taught more as sciences and less as history. Asking for a definition does not make it history.

My point is that history is taught more as science and less as history these days. ;) The distinction is increasingly imaginary.

As for the matter of defining something like culture, I'm confident in my initial response, particularly with the angle Grimr has tended to use to approach the concept in recent weeks. There aren't many broadly-accepted definitions to the notion which aren't self-referential ("culture is a set of cultural objects"), heavily disputed (culture as civilization, contrasted with nature) or strongly held yet incorrect (the conflation of culture with nationality or language). As I said, "bafflingly subjective" would be as good a response as any, particularly from the OP's angle.

[Infinite Grey]

What is the definition of culture?

How does sub-cultures affect the definition of culture?

Culture refers to the relatively specialized lifestyle of a group of people - consisting of their values, beliefs, artifacts, ways of behaving, and ways of communication. Included in culture would be all that members of a social group have produced and developed - their language, modes of thinking, art laws, and religion.