Research Paper On Nonmaterial Culture

I. Culture
Culture, as explained in the textbook, is “The language, beliefs, values, norms, and even material objects that characterize a group and are passed from one generation to the next.” The definition sounds good, but what does it even mean? Culture is a word so broad that it is broken up into groups to better understand it. The material culture consists of characteristics of a culture that can be visualized; examples include jewelry, architecture, clothing, and inventions. Nonmaterial culture consists of characteristics of a culture that cannot be seen from the outside looking in. A cultures language, ethics, and social construction are all features of nonmaterial culture. A culture symbolizes a way of life. What makes humans so unique and such a profound species is the diversity among one another. Two giraffes from different parts of the planet may share the same lifestyle: eat from tree’s, wonder the landscape, and reproduce; but two humans from different parts of the planet will live vastly different lives. The two humans will grow up living under a different set of rules, conceivably a different religion, and may also speak in a entirely different way. …show more content…
Approximately eighty-four percent of Indians identify as Hindu (Zimmerman). Hinduism is viewed as more of a way to life in India as opposed to a religion. Karma is an essential characteristic of their way of life, meaning that the actions an individual takes throughout the course of his/her life will have an effect on them at some point in their lifetime. Reincarnation is another belief that is strongly engraved in their culture. Hindus see all life as being sacred, so many of the people in India are vegetarian. The further southeast you go in Indian, the less vegetarians you will see (Zimmerman). The majority of vegetarians in India reside in the northwestern region of the country