How is 'culture' defined in sociology?

Answer 1

Culture encompasses all fields of human activity and all the resulting products and accomplishments thereof. In brief, it is the work of man. It summarizes all of human history from primitive, tribal hunter-gatherer societies using simple tools and methods to modern urban, global societies using various agricultural and industrial means to create more complex tools and methods. Culture is distinct from nature which is that part of the universe that is not the product of human activity. However, culture and nature are part of the same universe since scientists study both. They are two sides of the same coin and both complement and influence each other. Man lives in nature, is a part of it, influences it, and vice versa. The natural world, particularly the planet Earth since it is man's abode, provides the raw materials for the development of human culture. It is through culture that man seeks to understand the natural world around him and his place in it and then transforms it to accomplish his own goals, whether for survival or for pleasure. Culture ranges from concrete objects to abstract ideas. It is passed down from generation to generation. The concrete part of culture would be manufactured articles or goods, especially those with aesthetic appeal such as artistic or literary compositions. The abstract part of culture would be social institutions and activities such as language, art, religion, science, technology, government, business, education, and recreation. Culture is a subject of active research in the social sciences, in particular anthropology, history, economics, and sociology.

Answer 2

'sociologists define culture as designs for living ; the values ,beliefs , behaviors , practices and material objects that constitute a people way of life.'