Non-material culture This non-material culture consists of the knowledge and beliefs that influence people's behaviour. Linton (1945) defines the concept of a non-material culture as: "The way of life of its members; the collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and transmit from generation to generation".
The ideas of sharing, teaching and learning are crucial here for understanding the process whereby people learn to become social beings. This is because people are born into an existing cultural system and in order to learn how to behave in society, therefore, arrangements have to be made for people to fit-into existing patterns of behaviour. Sociologists call this a process of socialisation and it is this concept we need to now examine in more detail. |
