“Culture encompasses language, symbols, rituals, everyday practices, values, norms, ideas, the categories of thought and knowledge, and the material products, institutional practices, and ways of life established by these” (Hays 2000, p. 597).
Scholars approach culture in a myriad of ways. For a historical overview of sociological theorizing on culture from early theorists such as Weber, Durkheim, and Parsons, see Swidler (1995). In this chapter, Swidler also calls attention to three facets of culture: 1) publicness (public symbols as a system of meaning), 2) practices (internalized human agency such as habits, styles, and skills which continually recreate culture), and 3) power (power shapes ideas/culture and culture is a form of power). These facets of culture are evident in the effects of institutions as Swidler (1995) states -- "institutions structure culture by systematically patterning channels for social action" (p. 39).
For more analysis of how scholars study culture, see our Approaches to Culture pages which are designed as a brief introduction to some of the ways in which academics, especially sociologists, approach culture. This list is not exhaustive nor are the approaches identified here mutually exclusive. Academic debates about what culture is, what it is not, and how to analyze it are ongoing. We invite you to be a part of the Culture Lab community and join this conversation.
References
Swidler, Ann. 1995. “Cultural Power and Social Movements.” Pp. 25-40 in Social Movements and Culture. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
For more analysis of how scholars study culture, see our Approaches to Culture pages which are designed as a brief introduction to some of the ways in which academics, especially sociologists, approach culture. This list is not exhaustive nor are the approaches identified here mutually exclusive. Academic debates about what culture is, what it is not, and how to analyze it are ongoing. We invite you to be a part of the Culture Lab community and join this conversation.
References
Swidler, Ann. 1995. “Cultural Power and Social Movements.” Pp. 25-40 in Social Movements and Culture. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
