Material Culture Vs. Nonmaterial Culture

When we examine culture we observe that it include language, norms, values, beliefs, and all of these combined together and form a people's way of life. It is a combination of elements that affect how people think, how they act, and what they own. Because culture is an essential part of being human, no one is completely without it and even an individual can be part of many cultures and subcultures.
There are many elements and characteristics of culture and each element can be categorized as either material or nonmaterial culture. While Material culture includes all of the physical objects that people create and give meaning to, Non- material culture consists of thoughts and behavior that people learn as part of the culture they live in. A material culture places importance on objects, material accomplishments; the acquisition of material wealth; skill and productivity in arts and crafts; technology; fine buildings and displays of material prosperity. A non- material culture values abstract things more than objects such as ideas; the things of the mind; philosophy; metaphysics; 'spirituality'; values; beliefs etc. …show more content…
et al. (2014). Describes “....Metro passes and bus tokens are part of material culture, as are automobiles, stores, and the physical structures where people worship. Nonmaterial culture, in contrast, consists of the ideas, attitudes, and beliefs of a society. Material and nonmaterial aspects of culture are linked, and physical objects often symbolize cultural ideas.” (p 81)
Examples of Material Culture and the Non Material Culture each represents:
Material
Home Businesses Churches Nightlife Court Clothing Schools Computers Books Tractor
Non Material
Family