Culture was first used to discuss cultivating land and as time progressed, it now is used to describe the cultivation of minds and souls. Culture is described to be, the abilities and forms of behaviour people have acquired as members of a society (Erikson 2001), thus it is a system of behaviour that is learned. There is no one version of culture or an idea that different cultures are completely the same, as Edward Tyler reinstates “culture… is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, anthropology morale, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” (Tyler 1871) There are three moments displayed in the evolution of culture, the Boasian moment, Geertian moment and the Postmodern moment.
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Boas looking in terms of the evolutionary standpoint, culture is ongoing and moves in a distinct series of stages. Lastly, Franz Boas states all cultures are equally important.Franz Boas’s conception of culture is, it is learned behaviour by humans; there is more than one type of culture as it is interconnected, hence culture is always changing because humans develop and ideas change or become more in depth which influences culture. A reference to the Xhosa, the ‘Red’ and the ‘School’ Xhosa. The ‘Red’ Xhosa are resistant towards change in efforts to maintain tradition whereas the ‘School’ Xhosa are educated and adopted the western ways. Boas introduced the term cultural relativism, where cultures are all on the same level and one is not more advanced than the other because culture develops at its own pace. Therefore it is not acceptable to judge one’s culture according to the norms of one’s …show more content…
With the understanding of the term cultural relativism it is not acceptable to judge one’s culture according to the norms of another’s culture. Culture is system of symbols, thus one needs to understand the symbols to understand another culture and ethnocentric should be avoided as there are different ethnic groups established.
Diamond, J. (1994) Race without colour. v15 n11 p82(8)
Dubow, S. (1995) Scientific racism in modern South Africa. Melbourne: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
Fredrickson, G.M (2002 )Introduction: Racism:a short history. Princeton: Princeton university
Mafeje, A. (1971) The Journal of Modern African Studies. 9(2) pp.
Boas looking in terms of the evolutionary standpoint, culture is ongoing and moves in a distinct series of stages. Lastly, Franz Boas states all cultures are equally important.Franz Boas’s conception of culture is, it is learned behaviour by humans; there is more than one type of culture as it is interconnected, hence culture is always changing because humans develop and ideas change or become more in depth which influences culture. A reference to the Xhosa, the ‘Red’ and the ‘School’ Xhosa. The ‘Red’ Xhosa are resistant towards change in efforts to maintain tradition whereas the ‘School’ Xhosa are educated and adopted the western ways. Boas introduced the term cultural relativism, where cultures are all on the same level and one is not more advanced than the other because culture develops at its own pace. Therefore it is not acceptable to judge one’s culture according to the norms of one’s …show more content…
With the understanding of the term cultural relativism it is not acceptable to judge one’s culture according to the norms of another’s culture. Culture is system of symbols, thus one needs to understand the symbols to understand another culture and ethnocentric should be avoided as there are different ethnic groups established.
Diamond, J. (1994) Race without colour. v15 n11 p82(8)
Dubow, S. (1995) Scientific racism in modern South Africa. Melbourne: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge
Fredrickson, G.M (2002 )Introduction: Racism:a short history. Princeton: Princeton university
Mafeje, A. (1971) The Journal of Modern African Studies. 9(2) pp.