This topic discusses the concept of culture, cultural change, structural condition, social class and intergroup conflict

1. DTR 6012CULTURAL &
DIVERSITY
TOPIC 2
CULTURE & SOCIAL STRUCTURE

2. DEFINITION CULTURE
 The origin of the Latin word cultura is clear.
It is a derivative of the verb colo (infinitive
colere), meaning “to tend,” “to cultivate,”
and “to till,” among other things (Tucker,
1931)
 “the set of common beliefs and practices that a
person shares with a group” (Robins et al., 2006)
 The values, beliefs, attitudes, languages, symbols,
rituals, behaviors and customs unique to a particular
group of people and that are passed down from
generation to generation
 Cultural identity is how people recognize where they
belong

3. THE CONCEPT OF
CULTURE
TOPIC 2
CULTURE & SOCIAL STRUCTURE

4. CONCEPT OF CULTURE
 Edward Tylor's 1871 work, Primitive
Culture, which includes the first
formal definition of culture:
 Culture or Civilization, .... is that
complex whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, law, custom and
any other capabilities and habits
acquired by man as a member of society.
 Culture was reduced to separable
traits.

5. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
1. CULTURE IS LEARNED
- Cultural learning is unique to humans.
- Cultural learning is the accumulation of knowledge about
experiences and information not perceived directly by the
organism, but transmitted to it through symbols.
- a. Symbols are signs that have no necessary or natural connection
with the things for which they stand.
- b. Geertz defines culture as ideas based on cultural learning and
symbols. Culture is learned through both direct instruction and
through observation (both conscious and unconscious). -
Anthropologists in the 19th century argued for the ―psychic unity
of man.‖
- c. This doctrine acknowledges that individuals vary in their
emotional and intellectual tendencies and capacities.
- d. However, this doctrine asserted that all human populations
share the same capacity for culture.

6. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
2. CULTURE IS SHARED
- Culture is located and transmitted in groups.
- The social transmission of culture tends to unify
people by providing us with a common experience.
- The commonalty of experience in turn tends to
generate a common understanding of future events.
- Culture is shared when these take place:- Migration,
tourism, trade, conquest, change of political and/or
religious systems. - Aiding by improving information
and communication technologies.

7. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
3. CULTURE IS SYMBOLIC
- The human ability to use symbols is the basis of
culture (a symbol is something verbal or nonverbal
within a particular language or culture that comes to
stand for something else).
- While human symbol use is overwhelmingly
linguistic, a symbol is anything that is used to
represent any other thing, when the relationship
between the two is arbitrary (e.g. a flag).
- Other primates have demonstrated rudimentary
ability to use symbols, but only humans have
elaborated cultural abilities—to learn, to
communicate, to store, to process, and to use
symbols.

8. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
4. CULTURE IS ALL-ENCOMPASSING
- Culture is an all-encompassing term that identifies
not only the whole tangible lifestyle of people but
also their prevailing values and beliefs.
- It is closely identified with the discipline of
anthropology.
- The anthropological concept of culture is a model
that includes all aspects of human group behavior.
- Everyone is cultured, not just wealthy people with
an elite education.

9. THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
5. CULTURE IS INTEGRATED
- A culture is a system: changes in one aspect will likely
generate changes in other aspects.
- Core values are sets of ideas, attitudes, and beliefs which
are basic in that they provide an organizational logic for the
rest of the culture.
- Humans have the ability to avoid, manipulate, subvert, and
change the
- Rules and patterns of their own cultures.
- Ideal culture refers to normative descriptions of a culture
given by its natives.
- Real culture refers to ―actual behavior as observed by an
anthropologist
- Culture is both public and individual because individuals
internalize the meanings of public (cultural) messages.

10. MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
TOPIC 2
CULTURE & SOCIAL STRUCTURE

11. MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
 When several cultures exist within one society
(multiculturalism), this is a situation that may
evolve in many different ways.
 Multicultural society- characteristic of a society
that has many different ethnic or national cultures
mingling freely.
 an ideology that promotes the institutionalization
of communities containing multiple cultures. It is
generally applied to the demographic make-up of a
specific place, usually at the organizational level,
e.g. schools, businesses, neighborhoods, cities, or
nations.

12. MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY
- Living in a multicultural society with people
with different traditions and perspectives,
makes people communicate with each
other. When people communicate, they
share ideas and perspectives, so everyone
learns a new way to see the world or even a
small thing or situation
- multicultural society also leads to a more
open-minded population; people start to see
situations from another point of view

13. Advantages Multicultural Society
1. Cultural Awareness
- can create a sense of cultural awareness among workers.
- Employees who are exposed to others' ideas and points of view
will learn to think outside the box when faced with a problem.
- ability to think and solve problems.
- When a variety of viewpoints are thrown into the problem-solving
mix, new and innovative solutions can be reached.
2. Service Coverage
- Companies that have a culturally diverse workforce may benefit
from such diversity because they create a workforce with a larger
social network than just one ethnic group.
- This can generate an interest for products and services in many
ethnic communities within the larger community.
- Businesses that offer goods and services that appeal to several
ethnic groups
- more likely to benefit from a multicultural workforce whose
members can communicate with people in those ethnic groups.

14. Advantages Multicultural Society
3. Employee Relations
- Employees exposed to different viewpoints and cultures more likely
to practice toleration.
- Employees who are tolerant of different views are more likely to
cooperate with one-another or reach a compromise when
differences exist. T
- his can have a profound effect on employee relations, making it
possible for employees of different cultures to not only coexist, but
also thrive.
4. Knowledge
- Employees who become aware of the culture of others in the
workplace may want to learn more about that culture.
- A curiosity about someone else's culture can lead to a lifelong or a
short-term pursuit of learning.
- Knowledge of another culture will stimulate tolerance in the
workplace and also encourage workers to use knowledge of other
cultures when they do their jobs.

15. Disadvantages Multicultural Society
1. Communication
 Communication barriers lead to problems in a company
attempting to create a diverse workplace.
 E.g: When a U.S. company hires employees of other
cultures whose first language is not English, employees
and managers may experience difficulties communicating
with one another.
 This can lead to misunderstandings and a decrease in
productivity.
 For example, if a manager gives instructions about
completing a certain task to an employee who fails to fully
comprehend the instructions, the employee may make
mistakes if he tries to complete the task without receiving
clarity.
 Sometimes it helps for companies to hire bilingual
employees who can mediate and reduce language and
communication barriers.

16. Disadvantages Multicultural Society
2. Opposition to Change
- some employees and managers may not react positively to
changes made.
- Employees who oppose workforce diversity usually reject new
ideas and make work environments more difficult.
- If the company doesn't handle opposition properly, workplace
diversity initiatives may not provide the intended benefits to
the company.
- To deal with opposition, companies should explain the reasons
for diversity and what benefits changes in diversity bring to
management and employees.
- Alleviating fears some people possess about workplace
diversity may reduce much of the opposition.

17. 3. Implementation
- Although on paper workplace diversity may seem like a good idea, many
companies experience challenges when attempting to implement changes.
- Employers must develop strategies for implementation, analyze results and
make necessary changes if results do not meet the established goals.
- The implementation process may present challenges to everyone involved,
frustrations may arise because implementation is not as smooth as expected.
- To help with implementation, employers may decide to hire experienced
professionals who specialize in workplace diversity. Experienced professionals
understand the challenges and know how to handle them.
4. Managing Diversity
- Once workplace diversity is implemented, companies must effectively
the changes in policies.
- This presents a challenge for many organizations. Challenges in managing
workplace diversity can stem from several reasons, such as taking the wrong
approach to solving diversity issues.
- For example, a company may adopt affirmative action policies in an attempt
to solve diversity problems.
- Affirmative action is about giving opportunity to previously disadvantaged
workers.
- Hiring based solely on race may not solve diversity issues. Many companies
offer training programs to managers to help them effectively manage their
newly diverse departments.

18. Culture change
TOPIC 2
CULTURE & SOCIAL STRUCTURE

19. CULTURE CHANGE
 Merriam Webster Definition-
“ modification of a society through innovation, invention,
discovery, or contact with other societies”
 There are dynamic processes operating that encourage
the acceptance of new ideas and things while there are
others that encourage changeless stability.
 There are three general sources of influence or pressure
that are responsible for both change and resistance to it:
1. forces at work within a society
2. contact between societies
3. changes in the natural environment

20. Factors influence cultural change.
 i. contact between societies
 ii. forces at work within a society
 iii. changes in the natural environment
 iv. Inventions may be either technological or ideological.
 v. Modification of a society through innovation, invention,
discovery, or contact with other societies.
 vi. Technological inventions include new tools, energy
sources, and transportation methods.
 vii. transculturation happens to an individual when he or
she moves to another society and adopts its culture
 viii. A population change is itself a social change but also
becomes a casual factor in further social and cultural
changes

21. Social Mobility
 Social mobility refers to the movement of individuals or groups in social position
over time.
 Most commonly, social mobility refers to the change in wealth and
social status of individuals or families.
Social mobility may refer to classes, ethnic groups, or entire nations, and may
measure health status, literacy, or education; however, more commonly it refers
to individuals or families, and to their change in income.
 Movement up or down the social hierarchy is called vertical social mobility.
 Movement between two equally ranked social positions is called horizontal
mobility.
 Intra-generational mobility ("within" a generation) is defined as change in social
status over a single lifetime.
 Absolute mobility measures whether (and by how much) living standards in a
society have increased; this is often measured by what percentage of people have
higher incomes than their parents.
 Relative mobility refers to how likely children are to move from their parents'
place in the social hierarchy.

22. Types Of Social
Mobility
a) Vertical and
horizontal mobility.
b) Open and closed
modes of mobility.

23. Vertical And Horizontal
Mobility
a) Vertical social mobility
- Vertical social mobility refers to the movement of an
individual or people or groups from one status to another.
- It involves change in class, occupations or power positions.
e.g. movement from poor class to middle class. From
occupation laborer to the bank clerk.
ii) Horizontal social mobility
- Horizontal mobility is change in position without the change
in status. It indicates a change in position within the range
of the same position or status.
- It is movement from one status to its equivalent‖.
- e.g. An engineer working in factory may resign job and join
another factory as an engineer and may work in more or
less the same capacity or join an engineering college and
start working as professor.

24. Open And Closed Modes Of Mobility
1. Open system mobility
- It is refer to the free movement in status change.
- In such a system, status can be achieved, mobility is
motivated and encouraged.
2. Closed model of mobility
- Its refer status is based on birth caste.
- When a society ascribe to its members, deferent degrees of
status on the basis of sex, religion and caste

25. Social Change
 Social change is a broader concept, including
things like acceptance of civil rights for all,
 altered food patterns (fast food versus home
cooked) and other life-style issues.
 A very mobile society can have a lot of social
change due to the changing viewpoints based on
individuals' experiences (the acceptance of
barbeque for example...ethnic foods...)

26. Social class
TOPIC 2
CULTURE & SOCIAL STRUCTURE

27. Social Class
Definition:
Ogburn and Nimkoff
“ A social in one or two or more broad groups of
individuals who are ranked by the members of the
community in socially superior and inferior positions”
Max Weber
“Class or aggregates of individuals, who have the same
opportunity of acquiring good, the same exhibited
standard of living”

28. Social Class
Types of social stratification can be
divided into:
 i. Caste system –social
 ii. Class system –economic
 iii. Race – hereditary

29. Types of Social Class can be divided
into:
 i. Upper Class
 ii. Middle Class
 iii. Working Class
 iv. Lower Class

30. Intergroup conflict
In the country that has multicultural society, there are several problems or
misunderstanding is happening to develop cultural diversity:
 i. Misunderstanding language
 ii. Different ways of looking at things
 iii. Different ways of dressing - Some cultures have specific clothing such as
headscarves or turbans that are worn at all times.
 iv. misunderstanding expressing personality/goodness
 v. Misunderstanding in religion and belief. Some religions require time
during work each day for prayer or time off for special religious days.
 vi. Some cultures can or can't have specific foods and drinks, or may have
rules about how food is prepared.
 vii. Non-verbal behaviour – Eye contact, facial expressions, hand gestures
and how people interpret them vary between cultures
 viii. Social values - Ideas about appropriate social and sexual behaviour,
work ethics, wealth and personal growth vary between cultures

31. THANK YOU
Mdm. Rumizi Abd Manaf
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Email: rumizi@pmm.edu.my