Types of Culture High Culture - usually used to refer to cultural creations that have a particular high status.

They are regarded by arbiters of cultural taste as the epitome of the highest levels of human creativity. The products of long established art forms are usually seen as examples of high culture. Folk Culture - refers to the culture of ordinary people, particularly those living in preindustrial societies. Examples of folk culture include traditional folk songs and traditional stories which have been handed down from generation to generation. Folk culture has been seen by some theorists as being less worthwhile than high culture, but nevertheless as worthy of some respect. Mass Culture - seen as less worthy than folk culture. If our culture is seen as characteristic of pre-modern, preindustrial societies, mass culture is a product of industrial societies. Mass culture is essentially a product of the mass media, and examples include popular feature films, television soap operas and recorded pop music. While folk culture was created by ordinary people, mass culture is only consumed by them. From this viewpoint of the audience become passive members of a mass society, unable to think for themselves. Popular Culture - often used in a similar way to the turn mass culture. Popular culture includes any cultural product appreciated by large numbers of ordinary people with no great pretensions to cultural expertise; the example, TV programs, pop music, mass-market films such as Star Wars and the Harry Potter series, and popular fiction such as detective stories. Popular culture is commercially produced and includes objects, images, artifacts, literature and the music of ordinary people. Global Culture - implies that we are all becoming part of one, all embracing culture that affect all parts of the world. Subculture - a term widely used in sociology to refer to groups of people that have something in common with each other, for example they share a problem, an interest, or a practice which distinguishes them in a significant way from other social groups. The term has been applied to a wide range of groups, including communities who live close together and have a shared lifestyle, user groups who share a common musical tastes and enjoy the same leisure activities, for example, ravers, ethnic groups, people who share the same religious beliefs, members of the same gang, and so on. Importance of Culture Culture is important because it is what makes a society unique. For example, this could include a certain religion or type of clothing. And we have to study because it is what ties a community together. It also lays the foundation for moral values. It refers to the pattern of human activity. The importance of culture lies in the fact that it is a link between people and their value systems.

Characteristics of Culture 1. Culture is learned and acquired. Not all things shared generally by a population are culturalfor it to be considered cultural it must be first learned as well as shared. 2. Culture is shared and transmitted. Culture is passed on to succeeding generations primarily through Language/ Communication. 3. Culture is social. Product develops by many people interacting in a group. No man is an island; he is always a part of a group. 4. Culture is ideational. Culture uses ideas and symbols to give meanings to his environment and experiences. Every individual sees and approaches his world according to standpoint of his culture. 5. Culture gratifies human needs. Human has biological needs such as food, shelter, clothing, protection, love, security and sex. 6. Culture is adaptive. 7. Culture is cumulative. People are able to retain certain features of their culture that are significant. Functions of Culture 1. Trademark or special feature that distinguishes one society from another. 2. Brings together, contains and interprets the values of a society in a more or less systematic manner. 3. Provides one of the most important bases for social solidarity. Social Solidarity inspires loyalty and devotion. When the nation has common feelings, common objectives it results to common national pride. 4. Provides a blueprint of, as well as the materials for social structure. 5. The culture of any society is the dominant factor in establishing and moulding the social personality. Social stamp is expected despite differences of individuals. 6. Culture of a society provides behavioural pattern. It also provides norm to follow. This explains why student will come in class wearing right suit. 7. Culture provides individual with the meaning and direction of his existence

Function of culture is to give us an all encompassing pattern for living. It provides us with the guidelines and rules for our membership of humankind.

Culture is an integral part of every society. It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life. Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit sense of the term, culture constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. However, these are only the products of culture followed by the society and cannot be defined as culture. Culture is something that a person learns from his family and surroundings, and is not ingrained in him from birth. It does not have any biological connection because even if a person is brought up in a culture different from that in which he was born, he imbibes the culture of the society where he grows up. It is also not a hidden fact that some people feel the need to follow the beliefs and traditions of their own culture, even though they might be not subscribing to certain ideologies within. Culture is a complex tool which every individual has to learn to survive in a society. It is the means through which people interact with others in the society. It acts in a subconscious way and whatever we see and perceive, seems to be normal and natural. Sometimes, other societies and people seem to be a little odd because they have a different culture from ours. We must remember that every society has a distinct culture that forms the backbone of the society. Culture does not remain stagnant, on the other hand it is evolving constantly and is in fact somewhat influenced by the other cultures and societies. Culture is necessary to establish an order and discipline in the society. It is not only a means of communication between people, but also creates a feeling of belonging and togetherness among people in the society.

Global culture - It can be argued that we are becoming a very small world. For example we can communicate instantly with somebody in a completely different part of the world through e-mail, phone or fax. We can be in another country in a matter of hours. We can have staff that lived in another part of the world. Cultural commodities like clothes, music and films become more and more globally produced, people in countries around the world increasingly share a set of symbols that are used to create their identity. This is also known as globalisation. Meaning that the world is getting smaller. It has been argued by some that we share a global culture identity and that our identity now is increasingly based on what we consume; for example people all around the world express themselves and their identity through fashion music and all the other cultural commodities they buy.
Why is culture important? It is definitely because it gives an individual a unique identity. The culture of a community gives its people a character of their own. Culture shapes the personality of a community. The language that a community speaks, the art forms it hosts, its staple food, its customs, traditions and festivities comprise the communitys culture. The importance of culture cannot be stressed enough as it is an integral part of living.