Define material and nonmaterial culture and provide examples of each
What will be an ideal response?
Material culture consists of the physical or tangible creations that
members of a society make, use, and share. Initially, items of material
culture begin as raw materials or resources such as ore, trees, and oil.
Through technology, these raw materials are transformed into usable items (ranging from
books and computers to guns and tanks). Sociologists define technology as the knowledge,
techniques, and tools that make it possible for people to transform resources into usable
forms, and the knowledge and skills required to use them after they are developed.
At the most basic level, material culture is important because it is our buffer against the
environment. Nonmaterial culture consists of the abstract or intangible human creations of
society that influence people's behavior. Language, beliefs, values, rules of behavior, family
patterns, and political systems are examples of nonmaterial culture. A central component of
nonmaterial culture is beliefs—the mental acceptance or conviction that certain things are
true or real. Beliefs may be based on tradition, faith, experience, scientific research, or some
combination of these.
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What will be an ideal response?
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Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)
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