“The material culture of food, and its associated practices and taste formations, have long played a key role in the creation and maintenance of social identities based on ethnicity, nation, gender and class,” begin Isabelle de Solier and Jean Duruz. …

Material culture is the aspect of social reality grounded in the objects and architecture that surround people. It includes the usage, consumption, creation, and trade of objects as well as the behaviors, norms, and rituals that the objects create or take part in.

Material culture consists of the concrete, visible parts of a culture, such as food, clothing, cars, weapons, and buildings….Here are a few features of modern material culture in the United States:

• Soy lattes.
• CD burners.
• Running shoes.
• iPods.
• Lifestyle magazines.
• Organic vegetables.
• Sport utility vehicles.

Material culture, as a scholarly discipline of study, provides evidence of the development of human experience through the creation of physical objects. Different types of material cultures include jewelry, sculpture, pottery, and basketry among others (Mansfield 246).

The American flag is a material object that denotes the United States of America; however, there are certain connotations that many associate with the flag, like bravery and freedom.

Certainly mobile money is hard to pin down as an object of material culture. It’s easy enough to view coins and notes as artifacts that we can ‘read’ for their cultural meanings, whether this be what’s printed on them, how people store them, or the rituals involved in giving cash in Ethiopia.

Studying the physical objects of a culture gives us a better understanding and appreciation for the complex lives of the people who interacted with those objects. Material culture provides us insight into nonmaterial culture, which includes the ideas, beliefs, habits and values of a people.

: the totality of physical objects made by a people for the satisfaction of their needs especially : those articles requisite for the sustenance and perpetuation of life.

Material culture refers to the objects or belongings of a group of people. 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.

The Components of Culture There are five major components of culture that all cultures have in common. These include symbols, language, technology, values, and norms.

The major elements of culture are symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts. Language makes effective social interaction possible and influences how people conceive of concepts and objects.

• Social Organization.
• Language.
• Customs and Traditions.
• Religion.
• Arts and Literature.
• Forms of Government.
• Economic Systems.

The major elements of culture are symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts.

This slideshow by Culture LabX breaks down the “Culture Code” into 6 components. Company culture is broken down into: purpose, values, behaviors, recognition, rituals, and cues.

Culture has five basic characteristics: It is learned, shared, based on symbols, integrated, and dynamic. All cultures share these basic features. Culture is learned. Because we share culture with other members of our group, we are able to act in socially appropriate ways as well as predict how others will act.

In addition to its intrinsic value, culture provides important social and economic benefits. With improved learning and health, increased tolerance, and opportunities to come together with others, culture enhances our quality of life and increases overall well-being for both individuals and communities.

As a system of meaning and shared beliefs, culture provides a framework for our behavioral and affective norms. Countless studies in cultural psychology have examined the effect of culture on all aspects of our behavior, cognition, and emotion, delineating both differences and similarities across populations.

Our culture shapes the way we work and play, and it makes a difference in how we view ourselves and others. It affects our values—what we consider right and wrong. This is how the society we live in influences our choices. But our choices can also influence others and ultimately help shape our society.

Cultural change can have many causes, including the environment, technological inventions, and contact with other cultures. Cultures are externally affected via contact between societies, which may also produce—or inhibit—social shifts and changes in cultural practices.