HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

RAIPUR, CHHATTISGARH

SOCIOLOGY PROJECT ON

CULTURE AS A SOCIAL SYSTEM

Submitted by: Submitted to:

Prakash Kumar, Dr. Uttam Kumar Panda,

Semester I, Section B, Faculty, Sociology,

Roll No. 102 H.N.LU. Raipur
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I feel highly elated to work on the topic “Culture as a Social System”. The practical
realization of this project has obligated the assistance of many persons. I express my deepest
regard and gratitude for Dr. Uttam Kumar Panda. His consistent supervision, constant
inspiration and invaluable guidance have been of immense help in understanding and
carrying out the nuances of the project report. I would like to thank my family and friends
without whose support and encouragement, this project would not have been a reality. I take
this opportunity to also thank the University and the Vice Chancellor for providing extensive
database resources in the Library and through Internet. I would be grateful to receive
comments and suggestions to further improve this project report.

Prakash Kumar

Semester I, Roll No. 102 ,

B.A. LL.B. (Hons.)

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PREFACE
This project studies culture as a social system. As a social system is the patterned series of
interrelationships existing between individuals, groups, and institutions and forming a whole.
Similarly culture also is a series of interrelationships between people following the same cultural
trends. There seems to have been a good deal of confusion among anthropologists and sociologists
about the concepts of culture and society (or, social system). ... ("Social anthropology" perhaps
represents a session within anthropology that inclines to prefer the sociological assumption.)

The meaning system and their interpretation of people and their behaviours, phenomena in the
physical and metaphysical worlds, occurrences, are shared by members of a cultural group. Cultural
traits have often been attributed to heredity, because philosophers and other scholars in the past did
not know how to explain otherwise the remarkable stability of differences in culture patterns among
human groups.
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DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this research work titled “Culture as a Social System” is my own work
and l represents my own ideas, and where others’ ideas or words have been included, I have
adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I also declare that I have adhered to all
principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or fabricated or
falsified any idea/data/fact/source in my submission.

Prakash Kumar

Semester I, Roll No. 102,

B.A.LL.B. (Hons.)
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CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Review of Literature 4

Objectives 5

Research Methodology 5

Major Findings of the Study 5

Social Systems 4

Concepts of culture as social system 3

Layers of culture 6

Culture dynamics 6

Elements of social system 7

Characteristics of social systems 9

Traits of culture depicting it as a social 10

system

Conclusion 12

References 13
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INTRODUCTION
“Culture ... is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law,
custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
Tyler (British anthropologist)

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by

everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. The word "culture"
derives from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin "colere," which means to
tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture. "It shares its etymology with a number
of other words related to actively fostering growth," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at
Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science. Many countries are largely
populated by immigrants, and the culture is influenced by the many groups of people that
now make up the country. This is also a part of growth. As the countries grow, so does its
cultural diversity. Culture is a holistic "system" with continuities between the interrelated
components of that system. Culture provides rules and routines that facilitate order,
regularity, familiarity, and predictability to what is otherwise a disorganized world of People
things, and acts. Culture provides "meaning" in the interpretation of people's behaviour,
things in the physical and metaphysical world, events, occurrences, and so on, so that people
can construct and communicate their realities. Culture contributes to human communication
and miscommunication. The meaning system, and their interpretation of people and their
behaviors, phenomena in the physical and metaphysical worlds, occurrences, are shared by
members of a cultural group. Cultural traits have often been attributed to heredity, because
philosophers and other scholars in the past did not know how to explain otherwise the
remarkable stability of differences in cltuure patterns among human groups. They
underestimated the impact of learning from previous generations and of teaching to a future
generation what one has learned oneself. The role of heredity is exaggerated in the pseudo-
theories of race, which have been responsible, among other things, for the Holocaust
 2

organized by the Nazis during the Second World War. Racial and ethnic strife is often
justified by unfounded arguments of cultural superiority and inferiority. 1

Social Systems
A social system basically consists of two or more individuals interacting directly or indirectly
in a bounded situation. There may be physical or territorial boundaries, but the fundamental
sociological point of reference is that the individuals are oriented, in a whole sense, to a
common focus or inter-related foci. Thus it is appropriate to regard such diverse sets of
relationships as small groups, political parties and whole societies as social systems. Social
systems are open systems, exchanging information with, frequently acting with reference to
other systems. Modern conceptions of the term can be traced to the leading social analysts of
the nineteenth century, notably Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Herbert Spencer and Emile
Durkheim; each of whom elaborated in some form or other conceptions of the major units of
social systems (mainly societies) and the relationships between such units- even though the
expression social system was not a key one. Thus, in Marx's theory, the major units or
components of the capitalist societies with which he was principally concerned were socio-
economic classes, and the major relationships between classes involved economic and
political power.

The most influential conceptualization of the term has been that of Talcott Parsons. Parsons'
devotion to this issue has two main aspects. First, what is called the problem of social order;
i.e. the nature of the forces giving rise to relatively stable forms of social interaction and
organization, and promoting orderly change. Parsons took Thomas Hobbes Leviathan, 1651,
as his point of departure in this part of his analysis. Hobbes had maintained that man's
fundamental motivation was the craving for power and that men were always basically in
conflict with each other. Thus order could only exist in strong government. To counter this
Parsons invoked the work of Max Weber and, in particular, Durkheim, who had placed

1
Avruch, K. (1998) Culture and Conflict Resolution. Washington DC: United States Institute of Peace
Press.
Ferraro, G. (1998) The Cultural Dimension of International Business. 3rd Edition. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall.
 3

considerable emphasis on the functions of normative, factors in social life, such as ideals and
values. Factors of this kind came to constitute the mainspring in Parsons Delineation of a
social system. Thus in his major theoretical work, The Social system, 1951, he defines a
social system as consisting in a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other in a
situation which has at least a physical or environmental aspect, actors, who are motivated in
terms of a tendency to the optimization of gratification and whose relations to their situations,
including each other, is defined and mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and
shared symbols.

The major units of a social system are said to be collectivities and roles (i.e. not individuals
as such); and the major patterns or relationships linking these units are values (ends or broad
guides to action) and norms (rules governing role performance in the context of system
values). Parsons second major interest has been to make sociology more scientific and
systematic, by developing abstract conceptions of the social system; one of this points being
that even though Weber placed. 2

THE CONCEPTS OF CULTURE AS A SOCIAL SYSTEM

There seems to have been a good deal of confusion among anthropologists and sociologists
about the concepts of culture and society ( or, social system). A lack of consensus - between
and within disciplines — has made for semantic confusion as to what data are subsumed
under these terms; but, more important, the lack has impeded theoretical advance as to their
interrelation,

There are still some anthropologists and sociologists who do not even consider the distinction
necessary on the ground that all phenomena of human behavio ur are sociocultural with both
societal and cultural aspects at the same time. Bu even where they recognize the distinction,
which can be said now to be a commonplace, they tend to assume determinative primacy for
the set of phenomena in which they are more interested. Sociologists tend to see all cultural
systems as a sort of outgrowth or spontaneous development, derivative from social systems.
Anthropologists are more given to being holistic and therefore often begin with total systems
of culture and then proceed to subsume social structure as merely a part of culture. ("Social

2
http://www.sociologyguide.com/basic-concepts/Social-System.php
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anthropology" perhaps represents a secession within anthropology that inclines to prefer the
sociological assumption.)

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

TALCOTT, PARSONS, CULTURE AND SOCIAL SYSTEM REVISITED : This article

by Talcott Parsons deals with the concept of culture and social system and it studies culture
as a social system. The cultural system, which is specifically concerned with systems of
meaning, the social system is a way of organizing human action which is concerned with
linking meaning to the conditions of concrete behaviour in the environmentally given world.
This is a world which must be classified as constituting on the one hand the environment
outside the social system of reference, an environment which includes personalities of
individual participants.
TALCOTT PARSONS, "AN OUTLINE OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM " – It deals with the
concept of an open system interchanging with environing systems also implies boundaries
and their maintenance. When a set of interdependent phenomena shows sufficiently definite
patterning and stability over time, then we can say that it has a "structure" and that it is
fruitful to treat it as a "system." A boundary means simply that a theoretically and empirically
significant difference between structures and processes internal to the system and those
external to it exists and tends to be maintained. In so far as boundaries in this sense do not
exist, it is not possible to identify a set of interdependent phenomena as a system; it is merged
in some other, more extensive system. It is thus important to distinguish a set of phenomena
not meant to constitute a system in the theoretically relevant sense - e.g.,a certain type of
statistical sample of a population - from a true system.
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OBJECTIVES

The Project seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is culture?
2. What is social system?
3. How culture is a social system?

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This project work has been carried out following the descriptive and analytical approach. It
provides a deep approach into the topic of Gold Loans and further scrutinizes all the aspects
of the same. Books and other references (including various websites) were primarily helpful
for the completion of this project. Footnotes have been provided wherever necessary.

MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

 Culture as a social trend interrelating people of the same type.

 Culture and its types.
 Relation between culture and Social system.
 Social system and its types.
 Concept of culture as a social system.
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LAYERS OF CULTURE
People even within the same culture carry several layers of mental programming within
themselves. Different layers of culture exist at the following levels:

 The national level: Associated with the nation as a whole.

 The regional level: Associated with ethnic, linguistic, or religious differences that
exist within a nation.
 The gender level: Associated with gender differences (female vs. male)
 The generation level: Associated with the differences between grandparents and
parents, parents and children.
 The social class level: Associated with educational opportunities and differences in
occupation.
 The corporate level: Associated with the particular culture of an organization.
Applicable to those who are employed. 3

Culture Dynamics
Raimon Panikkar pointed out 29 ways in which cultural change can be brought about. Some
of these are: growth, development, evolution, involution, renovation, reconception, reform,
innovation, revivalism, revolution, mutation, progress, diffusion, osmosis, borrowing,

3
https://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/culture.html: People even within the same culture carry several
layers of mental programming within themselves. Different layers of culture exist
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eclecticism, syncretism, modernization, indigenization, and transformation. [28] Hence

Modernization could be similar or related to the enlightenment but a 'looser' term set to ideal
and values that flourish. a belief in objectivity progress. Also seen as a belief in a secular
society (free from religious influences) example objective and rational, science vs religion
and finally been modern means not being religious. 4

Elements of social system which depicts culture as social system

The elements of social system are described as under:
1. Faiths and Knowledge:
The faiths and knowledge brings about the uniformity in the behaviour.. The faiths or of the
prevalent the faith is the result customs and beliefs. They enjoy the force of the individual are
guided towards a particular direction. In the same way people belonging to different culture
has faiths and knowledge about their culture and culture acts as force which guides individual
in particular direction.

2. Sentiment:
Man does not live by reason alone. Sentiments – filial, social, notional etc. have played
immense role in investing society with continuity. It is directly linked with the culture of the
people.

3. End Goal or object:

Man is born social and dependent. He has to meet his requirements and fulfill his obligations.
Man and society exist between needs and satisfactions, end and goal. These determine the
nature of social system. Culture provides the pathway of progress, and the receding horizons.

4. Ideals and Norms:

The society lays down certain norms and ideals for keeping the social system intact and for
determining the various functions of different units. These norms prescribe the rules and

4
"Indic Christian Theology of Relig ious Pluralis m" (K. Pathil (ed), Religious Plura lism, ISPCK, 1991, pp. 252-
299) : This art icle was about the concepts of culture i.e. about aspects like culture dynamics.
 8

regulations on the basis of which individuals or persons may acquire their cultural goals and
aims.

Culture leads to stability. These norms and ideals include folkways, customs, traditions,
fashions, morality, religion, etc. Culture also has certain norms and ideals which determines
it’s functioning and the structure of society.

5 Role: Culture plays a major role in the lives of people following it. It has different
customs, traditions and norms which help people in one or the other way.

6. Sanction:

It implies confirmation by the superior in authority, of the acts done be the subordinate or the

imposition of penalty for the infringement of the command. The acts done or not done

according to norms may bring reward and punishment. Culture satisfies this element also and

contains the authority to change norms and regulations.

Characteristics which depicts Culture as a social system

1. System is connected with the plurality of Individual actors:

It means that a system or social system cannot be borne as a result of the activity of one
individual. It is the result of the activities of various individuals. For system, or social system,
interaction of several individuals has to be there.

2. Aim and Object:

Human interactions or activities of the individual actors should not be aimless or without
object. These activities have to be according to certain aims and objects.

3. Order and Pattern amongst various Constituent Units:

Mere coming together of various constituent units that from social system does not
necessarily create a social system. It has to be according to a pattern, arrangement and order.
The underlined unity amongst various constituent units brings about ‘social system’.
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4. Functional Relationship is the Basis of Unity:

We have already seen different constituent units have a unity in order to form a system. This
unity is based on functional relations. As a result of functional relationships between different
constituent units an integrated whole is created and this is known as social system.

5. Physical or Environmental Aspect of Social System:

It means that every social system is co nnected with a definite geographical area or place,
time, society etc. In other words it means that social system is not the same at different times,
at different place and under different circumstances. This characteristic of the social system
again point out towards its dynamic or changeable nature.

6. Linked with Cultural System:

Social system is also linked with cultural system. It means that cultural system bring about
unity amongst different members of the society on the basis of cultures, traditions, religions
etc.

7. Expressed and implied Aims and Objects:

Social system is also linked with expressed and implied aims. In other words, it means that
social system is the coming together of different individual actors who are motivated by their
aims and objectives and their needs.

8. Characteristics of Adjustment:
Social system has the characteristic of adjustment. It is a dynamic phenomenon which is
influenced by the changes caused in the social form. We have also seen that the social system
is influenced by the aims, objects and the needs of the society. It means that the social system
shall be relevant only if it changes itself according to the changed objects and needs. It has
been seen that change takes place in the social system due to human needs, environment and
historical conditions and phenomena.

9. Order, Pattern and Balance:

Social system has the characteristics of pattern, order and balance. Social system is not an
integrated whole but putting together of different units. This coming together does not take
place in a random and haphazard manner. There is an order am’ balance.
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It is so because different units of the society do not work as independent units but they do not
exist in a vacuum but in a socio-cultural pattern. In the pattern different units have different
functions and roles. It means that there is a pattern and order in the social system. 5

TRAITS OF CULTURE WHICH MAKES IT SIMILAR TO SOCIAL

SYSTEM

Culture implies social values. Values are another of those problematic concepts in cultural

theory. I am strongly of the opinion that our problems with values as a scientific construct is a

function of the lack of advance in the development of the concept of values, similar to our

failure to advance the development of the concept of culture. As a consequence, we have had

the emergence of such harmful concepts as the "culture of poverty", "lower class culture",

"ghetto specific culture", etc. I use the concept of values however, to refer to the preferred

practices, social relationships, and ideas and sentiments of a human community. Thus the

concept of values must be distinguished from statements,

social circumstances, and behavioral patterns that are not preferred, but are rather situational.
It would be a mistake, for example, to think that just because a person is experiencing single
parenthood in a society where the norm is conjugal parenthood, and the life chances of the
family system is enhanced by the latter, this person then values his or her state of parenthood.
I include the concept values in my work because of the anthropological assumptions that
values are those sentiments that are deeply entrenched as a consequence of cultural
(intergenerational) reproduction. Thus in change programs, being able to discern peoples
values from other sentiments like attitudes, or even beliefs is crucial
because if values are more deeply entrenched within a persons cognition, then theoretically
they may be more difficult to change than other types of mental predispositions to behavior.

5
http://www.yourart iclelibrary.co m/sociology/social-system-meaning-elements-characteristics-and-types/8524/:
The article or data from this website deals with the elements and characteristics of social system which are
satisfied by culture as well and they clearly depict culture as a social system.
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Cultural patterns maybe ideal as well as real. This is a notion similar to that regarding
values. People's statements as to what their realities are may contradict what their behavioral
patterns and products imply. This necessitates the value of participant observation in the
study of cultural systems, and "etic" (interpretations of the cultural system from an external
ethnographer's perspective) as well as "emic" (from the perspective of the cultural group or
any of its members) approaches.

Cultural patterns may be "tacit" as well as explicit. Explicit culture is cultural knowledge
that people can easily talk about in a direct fashion. Tacit culture is knowledge that people
have that motivates particular ideational or behavioral patterns, but they might not be able to
explain what that idea or behavior actually consist of, and why it is expressed. The concept of
"personal
space" (the distant of comfort in person to person interaction) is an example of tacit culture.

Cultural Patterns are horizontally (within generations) and vertically

(intergenerationally) reproduced. However, there is also continuous change taking place
within cultural systems. Thus in planned change programs, such concepts as "core" and
"peripheral" cultural patterns are helpful, as core patterns can be assumed to be more resistant
to change. But even in core cultural patterns, therare continual stress for change, and
continual subpatterns that emerge, disappear, and sometimes reemerge.

The expression of cultural patte rns are highly Influenced, but not determined by
environme nt. Both physical and social environmental factors influences cultural expression.
Environmental influences of a physical nature might take years or even generations to have
their influence; while social environmental features may influence cultural expressions
immediately and
continually because of cultural mechanisms of social feedback.

Culture is a historical production. The emergence and continuity of cultural systems are
not only products of vertical and horizontal reproduction; but significant events and processes
can also give rise to the production and reproduction of specific cultural patterns.
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Culture is functional. It is not fashionable in contemporary anthropological circles of

postmodernism and cultural criticism to refer back to the functionalist perspectives of such
anthropologists as Malinowski and Radcliffe Brown. But as an applied anthropologist with
many years of working with health and human service professionals dedicated to action in
their attempts to improve the quality of life of those that they serve, notions of the role that
culture plays role.

CONCLUSION
This project is helpful for learning the concept of culture, social system and the relation
between them. . As a social system is the patterned series of interrelationships existing between
individuals, groups, and institutions and forming a whole. Similarly culture also is a series of
interrelationships between people following the same cultural trends. Culture is the characteristics
and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language,
religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. The meaning system, and their interpretation
of people and their behaviors, phenomena in the physical and metaphysical worlds,
occurrences, are shared by members of a cultural group. Cultural traits have often been
attributed to heredity, because philosophers and other scholars in the past did not know how
to explain otherwise the remarkable stability of differences in cltuure patterns among human
groups
 13

REFERENCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Avruch, K. (1998) Culture and Conflict Resolution. Washington DC: United States
Institute of Peace Press.

 Social Science Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 2, TWO SYMPOSIA: The Idea of Culture
andLBJ's The Vantage Point (SEPTEMBER, 1972), pp. 253-266

 Pathil, K., "Indic Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism"

 Talcott Parsons, "An Outline of the Social System,"

WEBLIOGRAPHY

 www.colorado.edu
 www.britannica.com
 www.youngarticlelibrary.com
 www.livesciences.com
 go.warwick.ac.uk