A culture to exist is to systematize the satisfaction of the social needs of people. The means for this satisfaction are the various major and subsidiary institutions that constitute the culture. The culture as a whole performs a number of functions distinct from the objectives of the various institutions.
As a construct, culture has two major uses:
-as a general category for the classification of phenomena;
-as a tool in pretending social behavior.
Culture as a category. By using the construct of culture, the social scientist classifies phenomena and thereby defines the scope of his field. through classification, Which categories, man is able to segregate things that must occupy his priority.
Culture as a tool in prediction. Prediction of social behavior depends upon understanding how human organism will react to its environment. Because culture is learned and internalized by all individuals in a society, it is part of their usual subjective way of responding to stimuli. Consequently, through culture known to different individuals in the same social group may vary, knowledge about what a person or a group has learned, or internalized, provides some basis for predicting future behavior.
The following are some of the more specific functions of culture, distinct from the objectives of the various social institutions:
- Culture saves as "trademark" or special feature that distinguishes one society from another. It Characterizes a people more meaningful and more scientifically than the color of society a basis for distinguishing peoples that is much more realistic than territorial and political boundaries and so-called national characteristics.
- Culture brings together, contains, and interprets the values of a society in a more systematic manner. Through culture , people discover the meaning and purposes of both social and individual living . Meanings and values become integrated in and through the culture of a given society.
- Culture provides one most important bases for social solidarity. It inspires loyalty and devolution to associates and to the society in general. Culture provides the people of any given society the knowledge of the common objectives of such a society, which all of them try to accomplish. In This way, common feelings , common sentiments, common aspirations are developed, thereby attaining a common national pride.
- Culture provides a blueprint of as well as the materials for social structure . it systematizes social behavior so that the person participates in society without the necessity of constantly renaming and inventing ways of doing things. Culture relates and coordinates all , the various segments of the behavior of individuals and groups.
- The culture of any society is the dominant factor in establishing and molding the soda/personality. It is a fact that from any given society, a cost of cultural stamp is always observed despite the differences in the individuals. One's social personality is the product of this culture.
- The Culture of society provides behavioral patterns. the behavoiral of people in any given society is governed by culture. It provides them with some norms to follow. As a result of this, there is a coherent, consistent, and systematic pattern of behavior manifested by the Individuals from the society. This will explain why a student will not come wearing her bathing suit when attending her classes.
- Culture provides individuals with meaning and direction of its existence. not only individual aspirations and objectives will guide the individual in his quest of meaning but also the objectives of the group where he belongs, the goals of the group and community where he is a participant. and the concepts and motives of the society where he belongs, all of these will certainly shape his life's meaning and direction.
