Clyde Klukhohn's essay, "Customs," examines the ways in which cultural traditions and customs can both shape and be shaped by individual behavior. He begins by discussing the concept of "custom" itself, noting that it is often used to refer to both specific behaviors and the general cultural norms of a society. He then goes on to discuss the various ways in which customs can be transmitted between generations, either through conscious teaching or through more subtle means such as emulation. He argues that customs can have both positive and negative effects on individual behavior, depending on the particular culture in question. Ultimately, he concludes that customs are an important part of human societies and that they can play a significant role in shaping individual behavior.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Clyde Kluckhohn was a social anthropologist and a major figure in the field of culture. He did extensive fieldwork in the American Southwest and Mexico, and his work was influential in the development of cultural anthropology. He also wrote extensively on the concept of culture, and his work has had a significant impact on the way anthropologists think about culture.
SUMMARY
Clyde Kluckhohn, an American anthropologist, wrote the essay "Customs." He is well known for his research on the Navaho Indians as well as his work on personality and culture. He defines cultures and illustrates cultural differences with various examples. According to Kluckhohn, people differ not because of instincts, god, fate, or weather, but because of culture. Anthropologists define culture as the man-made component of the environment. It is the people's entire way of life. The social legacy that an individual acquires shapes his group.
The essay "Customs" was written by American anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn. He is well-known for his work on the Navaho Indians, as well as his research on personality and culture. He defines cultures and uses various examples to demonstrate cultural differences. People differ, according to Kluckhohn, not because of instincts, god, fate, or weather, but because of culture. According to anthropologists, culture is the man-made component of the environment. It encompasses the entire way of life of the people. An individual's social legacy influences his group.
One of the fascinating aspects of human beings is their attempt to comprehend themselves and their own behavior. Humans are curious about their own behavior and want to know why other people behave the way they do, especially when differences are observed. Anthropologists proposed that the existence of various types of "culture" is the cause of differences in human behavior. Others use the concepts of evolution in biology, gravity in physics, and disease in medicine to explain it. If we know a people's design for living, we can understand and even predict a lot of their behavior. It has an impact on daily activities, clothing, eating habits, and furniture selection. On a rising, we brush our teeth. We wore pants instead of a loincloth or a grass skirt. We only eat three meals a day, not four, five, or two. We sleep in our beds, not in a hammock or on a sheepskin. If the writer knows a person is American, he can predict many aspects of that person's daily behavior.
We wore pants instead of a loincloth or a grass skirt. We only eat three meals a day, not four, five, or two. We sleep in our beds, not in a hammock or on a sheepskin (skin of sheep with wool). If the writer knows a person is American, he can predict many aspects of that person's daily behavior.
A man born in America and biologically a native American but raised in China was unable to adjust to American society and returned to China.
A trader's wife in Arizona once served her visitor sandwiches made from rattlesnake flesh. When she told them what was in the sandwiches after they had eaten their fill, they began vomiting because they were not used to eating snake flesh. A biological process has become entangled in a cultural web.
Because bodily contact in American social dancing has a direct sexual connotation, a boy does not dance with a girl if both belong to the same family or have the same ancestry in Indian culture. In India, bodily contact between members of the same clan is considered incestuous, just as an American young girl feels about sleeping in the same bed as her brother.
The files of the cross-cultural survey at Yale University are organized into categories such as "marriage ceremonies," "life crisis rites," and "incest taboos." At least seventy-five of these categories are present in each of the hundreds of cultures studied. Despite the differences in behavior caused by culture, there are many similarities. People share some similarities, such as biological characteristics, marriage taboos, and personal experiences such as illness, helplessness, or old age. The fact that certain stages or events in life are regarded as significant by all societies and are marked by rituals, such as marriage and death. Certain things, however, are impossible for any human to do.
- Clyde Kluckhohn was fascinated by the fact that people in different cultures have different customs.
- He believed that customs are shaped by a culture's values and beliefs.
- Customs help people to cope with their environment and to meet their needs.
- Customs vary from culture to culture, and even within cultures, there can be considerable variation.
- Kluckhohn believed that customs are important because they reveal a great deal about a culture.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q1) What is culture? How does it affect the way we think?
Ans: According to Kluckhohn, the word "culture" has two different meanings in the text. First, he defines it from the perspective of an anthropologist. Culture is defined by customs - how things are done. Culture is the total way of life of people, the social legacy that an individual inherits from his group. Culture can be defined as the part of the environment that is man's creation.
Second, culture refers to knowledge, particularly knowledge of literature, philosophy, history, and fine arts (music, drama). A person who is knowledgeable about these topics is considered "cultured." Some people even consider culture to be knowledge of James Joyce, Scarlatti, and Picasso.
Q2) How are human beings alike at the bottom?
Ans: Almost every event is influenced by culture. Each culture serves as a kind of blueprint for all of life's activities. According to Kluckhohn, people differ not because of instincts, god, fate, or weather, but because of culture. Anthropologists define culture as the man-made component of the environment. It is the people's entire way of life. The social legacy that an individual acquires shapes his group.
The files of the cross-cultural survey at Yale University are organized into categories such as "marriage ceremonies," "life crisis rites," and "incest taboos." At least seventy-five of these categories are present in each of the hundreds of cultures studied. Despite the differences in behavior caused by culture, there are many similarities. People share some similarities, such as biological characteristics, marriage taboos, and personal experiences such as illness, helplessness, or old age. The fact that certain stages or events in life are regarded as significant by all societies and are marked by rituals, such as marriage and death. Certain things, however, are impossible for any human to do. Humans are all at the bottom in this way.
