Extremely important role culture plays a role in the life of people, in the existence and development of society. Each person is born, brought up, formed, lives and develops in the sphere of a certain material and spiritual culture.

Culture - specific way organization and development of human life, presented in its material and spiritual products. In other words, culture is the totality of all the achievements of society in material and spiritual life.

The world of culture is extremely diverse. It includes economic, political, scientific, religious, aesthetic, moral, ecological and other types of culture, reflecting the diversity of the way of life and forms of human activity. In this variety of types of culture, material and spiritual culture are usually distinguished. material culture is the result of material production, and spiritual culture is the result of spiritual production. Items of material culture designed to satisfy primarily the material needs of a person, that is, the needs of the body, the human body for food, clothing, housing, and objects of spiritual culture - to meet spiritual needs, namely the needs of cognitive, aesthetic, moral, religious, etc. philosophical historical socio-cultural spirituality

Culture forms the world of material and spiritual values taken always in their relation to man. Moreover, a person is a creator, creator of culture, its bearer. But at the same time, it itself is formed and exists under the influence of culture.

In relation to culture, in other words, a person acts in two qualities, two hypostases. On the one hand, he assimilates the previously created culture, perceives forms of thinking, language, joins the values, traditions, customs, norms of behavior existing in society, masters the established methods and skills of production activities, etc. The degree of his familiarization with culture determines the measure of his social development, the measure of the human in a person, the measure of his development as a person. On the other hand, man creates culture. He comes to new ideas and knowledge, embodies them in the practice of life, creating new objects and phenomena, thereby constantly pushing the boundaries of the world of culture.

Culture is constantly changing, is in dynamics, in development. In the process of cultural development, two sides appear: one is relatively stable, conservative, and the other is innovative, creative. The acquisition of new material and spiritual values ​​by people makes their life richer, richer, more interesting. The unity of traditions and innovations ensures the existence and development of culture, which is so necessary to improve cultural level wt. The rise of culture makes it possible to better solve social problems, which, in turn, creates more favorable conditions for the growth of human culture. Culture is the realization of human creativity and freedom, hence the diversity of cultures and forms of cultural development.

Culture Forms:

a) elite, or high- created by a privileged part of society

b) folk, or national- created not by individuals, but by the whole people;

c) mass - culture, whose products are focused on commercial success and

mass demand; satisfies any requirements of the masses of the population.

The typology of types of culture can be based on the areas of its manifestation:

Art culture,

political culture,

management culture,

Culture of behavior (etiquette),

Pedagogical culture, etc.

scientists different directions agree in recognizing that the original hallmark both man and society is culture. Thus, to speak of a person as a product of culture, one can only consider culture as a sufficiency that makes it possible to distinguish a person from an animal.

On the other hand, culture refers to everything created by man. It is presented as a world created by man, in contrast to virgin nature. So, man acts as a creator of culture. Thus, man and culture are inseparable concepts. They complement each other and one cannot be conceived without the other: a person creates a culture and it is she who distinguishes him from other representatives of the animal world.

Man is a creator, and only by virtue of this circumstance is a creation of culture.

Sometimes they talk about the inherent value of culture, but this is true only in the sense that outside of culture a person cannot fulfill himself as a person, realize his spiritual potential. But, in the final analysis, the value of culture is derived from the intrinsic value of man.

Culture and its meanings do not live by themselves, but only through creative activity the person they inspired. If a person turns away from cultural meanings, then they die, and a symbolic body remains from culture, from which the soul has left. Culture is the basis of human creativity, but it also keeps it within its semantic framework, captive to its symbolic patterns. But in turning points, in epochs of great cultural upheavals, it suddenly turns out that the old meanings no longer satisfy a person, that they hamper the developed human spirit. And then the human spirit breaks out of the captivity of old meanings in order to build a new foundation for creativity. Such a transition to new semantic foundations is the work of a genius; talent solves only those problems that do not require going beyond the existing cultural foundation.

Culture is a diverse concept. This scientific term appeared in Ancient Rome, where the word "cultura" meant the cultivation of the land, upbringing, education. At frequent use this word lost its original meaning and began to denote the most different sides human behavior and activities.

The sociological dictionary gives the following definitions of the concept of "culture": "Culture is a specific way of organizing and developing human life, represented in the products of material and spiritual labor, in the system of social norms and institutions, in spiritual values, in the totality of people's relations to nature, among themselves and to ourselves."

Culture is phenomena, properties, elements of human life that qualitatively distinguish a person from nature. This difference is connected with the conscious transforming activity of man.

The concept of "culture" can be used to characterize the behavior of the consciousness and activities of people in certain areas of life (work culture, political culture). The concept of "culture" can fix the way of life of an individual (personal culture), social group(national culture) and society as a whole.

Culture can be divided according to various criteria into different types:

1) by subject (bearer of culture) into social, national, class, group, personal;

2) according to the functional role - to the general one (for example, in the system general education) and special (professional);

3) by genesis - into folk and elite;

4) by type - into material and spiritual;

5) by nature - into religious and secular.

All social heritage can be viewed as a synthesis of material and non-material cultures. Not material culture includes spiritual activity and its products. It combines knowledge, morality, upbringing, enlightenment, law, religion. Non-material (spiritual) culture includes ideas, habits, customs and beliefs that people create and then maintain. Spiritual culture also characterizes the inner wealth of consciousness, the degree of development of the person himself.

Material culture includes the entire sphere of material activity and its results. It consists of man-made items: tools, furniture, cars, buildings and other items that are constantly being modified and used by people. Non-material culture can be viewed as a way of society's adaptation to the biophysical environment through its appropriate transformation.

Comparing both of these types of culture with each other, one can come to the conclusion that material culture should be considered as the result of non-material culture. The destruction caused by World War II was the most significant in the history of mankind, but despite this, cities were quickly restored, as people have not lost the knowledge and skill necessary to restore them. In other words, non-destroyed non-material culture makes it quite easy to restore material culture.

The aim of the sociological study of culture is to identify the producers cultural property, channels and means of its dissemination, assess the impact of ideas on social action on the formation or disintegration of groups or movements.

Sociologists approach the phenomenon of culture with different points vision:

1) subject, considering culture as a static entity;

2) valuable, giving great attention creativity;

3) activity, introducing the dynamics of culture;

4) symbolic, asserting that culture consists of symbols;

5) gaming: culture is a game where it is customary to play by your own rules;

6) textual, where the main attention is paid to language as a means of transmitting cultural symbols;

7) communicative, considering culture as a means of transmitting information.

Functionalism. Representatives - B. Malinovsky, A. Ratk-liff-Brown.

Each element of culture is functionally necessary to meet certain human needs. Elements of culture are considered from the point of view of their place in a holistic cultural system. The system of culture is a characteristic of a social system. "Normal condition social systems- self-sufficiency, balance, harmonic unity. It is from the point of view of this "normal" state that the functionality of the elements of culture is assessed.

Symbolism. Representatives - T. Parsons, K. Girtz.

The elements of culture are, first of all, symbols that mediate the relationship of a person with the world (ideas, beliefs, value models, etc.).

Adaptive-activity approach. Within the framework of this approach, culture is considered as a way of activity, as well as a system of non-biological mechanisms that stimulate, program and implement the adaptive and transformative activities of people. In human activity, two sides of it interact: internal and external. In the course of internal activity, motives are formed, the meaning that people give to their actions, the goals of actions are selected, schemes and projects are developed. It is culture as a mentality that fills internal activity with a certain system of values, offers choices and preferences associated with it.

Language is a sign system for establishing communications. Signs distinguish between linguistic and non-linguistic. In turn, languages ​​are natural and artificial. Language is considered as the meanings and meanings contained in the language, which are generated by social experience and the diverse relationship of man to the world.

Language is a relay of culture. Obviously, culture is spread by both gesture and facial expressions, but language is the most capacious, accessible relay of culture.

Values ​​are ideas about the significant, important, which determine the life of a person, allow you to distinguish between desirable and undesirable, what should be strived for and what should be avoided (assessment - attribution to value).

Distinguish values:

1) terminal (goal values);

2) instrumental (mean values).

Values ​​determine the meaning of purposeful activity, regulate social interactions. In other words, values ​​guide a person in the world around and motivate. The subject's value system includes:

1) meaningful life values ​​- ideas about good and evil, happiness, purpose and meaning of life;

2) universal values:

a) vital (life, health, personal security, welfare, education, etc.);

b) public recognition(hard work, social status, etc.);

c) interpersonal communication (honesty, compassion, etc.);

d) democratic (freedom of speech, sovereignty, etc.);

3) particular values ​​(private):

a) attachment to small homeland, family;

b) fetishism (belief in God, striving for absolutism, etc.). Today there is a serious breakdown, a transformation of the value system.

Norms of admissible actions. Norms are forms of regulation of behavior in a social system and expectations that determine the range of acceptable actions. Distinguish the following types norms:

1) formalized rules (everything that is officially recorded);

2) moral rules (associated with people's ideas);

3) patterns of behavior (fashion).

The emergence and functioning of norms, their place in the socio-political organization of society are determined by the objective need for streamlining public relations. Norms, ordering the behavior of people, regulate the most various types public relations. They are formed into a certain hierarchy, distributed according to the degree of their social significance.

beliefs and knowledge. The most important element of culture are beliefs and knowledge. Beliefs are certain spiritual state, a property that combines intellectual, sensual and volitional components. Any beliefs include in their structure certain information, information about this phenomenon, the norm of behavior, knowledge. The connection between knowledge and beliefs is ambiguous. The reasons may be different: when knowledge is contrary to human development trends, when knowledge is ahead of reality, etc.

Ideology. As noted above, beliefs have certain information as their basis, statements based on theoretical level. Accordingly, values ​​can be described, argued in the form of a strict, logically justified doctrine or in the form of spontaneously formed ideas, opinions, feelings.

In the first case, we are dealing with ideology, in the second - with customs, traditions, rituals that influence and convey their content at the socio-psychological level.

Ideology appears as a complex and multi-layered formation. It can act as the ideology of all mankind, the ideology of a particular society, the ideology of a class, a social group and an estate. At the same time, different ideologies interact, which, on the one hand, ensures the stability of society, and on the other hand, allows you to choose, develop values ​​that express new trends in the development of society.

Rites, customs and traditions. A rite is a set of symbolic collective actions that embody certain social ideas, ideas, norms of behavior and causing certain collective feelings (for example, wedding ceremony). The strength of the rite is in its emotional and psychological impact on people.

A custom is a form of social regulation of the activities and attitudes of people taken from the past, which is reproduced in a particular society or social group and is familiar to its members. The custom consists in steadfast adherence to the prescriptions received from the past. A custom is an unwritten rule of conduct.

Traditions are social and cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation and persisted for a long time. Traditions function in all social systems and are necessary condition their livelihoods. Neglect to traditions leads to a violation of continuity in the development of culture, to the loss of valuable achievements of the past. Conversely, worship of tradition breeds conservatism and stagnation in public life.

The communicative function is associated with the accumulation and transmission of social experience (including intergenerational), the transmission of messages during joint activities. The existence of such a function makes it possible to define culture as special way inheritance of social information.

Regulatory is manifested in the creation of guidelines and the system of control of human actions.

Integrating is associated with the creation of a system of meanings, values ​​and norms, as essential condition stability of social systems.

Consideration of the functions of culture makes it possible to define culture as a mechanism for the value-normative integration of social systems. This is a characteristic of the integral property of social systems.

cultural universals. J. Murdoch singled out common features common to all cultures. These include:

1) joint work;

3) education;

4) the presence of rituals;

5) kinship systems;

6) rules for the interaction of the sexes;

The emergence of these universals is connected with the needs of man and human communities. Cultural universals appear in the variety of specific variants of culture. They can be compared in connection with the existence of East-West supersystems, national culture and small systems (subcultures): elite, popular, mass. The diversity of cultural forms raises the problem of the comparability of these forms.

Cultures can be compared by elements of culture; manifestation of cultural universals.

elite culture. Its elements are created by professionals, it is focused on a trained audience.

Folk culture is created by anonymous creators. Its creation and functioning are inseparable from everyday life.

Mass culture. These are cinema, print, pop music, fashion. It is publicly available, targeted at the widest audience, the consumption of its products does not require special training. Emergence mass culture due to certain conditions:

1) the progressive process of democratization (destruction of estates);

2) industrialization and the associated urbanization (the density of contacts increases);

3) the progressive development of means of communication (the need for joint activities and recreation). Subcultures. These are parts of a culture that belong to certain

social groups or associated with certain types of activities ( youth subculture). The language takes the form of jargon. Certain activities give rise to specific names.

Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. Ethnocentrism and relativism are extreme points of view in the study of the diversity of cultural forms.

The American sociologist William Summer called ethnocentrism a view of society in which a certain group is considered central, and all other groups are measured and correlated with it.

Ethnocentrism makes one cultural form the standard against which we measure all other cultures: in our opinion, they will be good or bad, right or wrong, but always in relation to our own culture. This is manifested in such expressions as "chosen people", "true teaching", "super race", and in negative ones - "backward peoples", "primitive culture", "rude art".

Numerous studies of organizations conducted by sociologists different countries, show that people tend to overestimate their own organizations while underestimating all others.

The basis of cultural relativism is the assertion that members of one social group cannot understand the motives and values ​​of other groups if they analyze these motives and values ​​in the light of their own culture. In order to achieve understanding, to understand another culture, it is necessary to connect its specific features with the situation and the characteristics of its development. Each cultural element must be related to the characteristics of the culture of which it is a part. The value and significance of this element can only be considered in the context of a particular culture.

The most rational way of development and perception of culture in society is a combination of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism, when an individual, feeling pride in the culture of his group or society and expressing adherence to samples of this culture, is able to understand other cultures, the behavior of members of other social groups, recognizing their right to existence.

Culture - (lat) cultivation, upbringing, education, development. This is a specific way of organizing and developing human life, representations in the products of material and spiritual labor in the system of social norms and institutions, in the system of spiritual values, in the aggregate, the relationship of people to nature among themselves and to themselves. In the broad sense of the word, culture is a set of manifestations of life, achievements of the creativity of a people or groups of peoples. In the narrow sense of the word, culture is the ennoblement of the bodily, mental inclinations and abilities of a person. Culture and being in our time are among the most common, and therefore the most familiar concepts. The unflagging interest in culture gradually acquired the features of a real cult, within which truly divine characteristics. It is culture that is considered as the one in the highest degree an important area in which the true human life and which, being a special, artificial sphere of reality, embraces even history, accommodating all the products of specifically human life activity. On the other hand, culture becomes something so familiar that its fragility ceases to be visible, and all cultural forms are identified without any reservations with nature as a stable, substantial principle. Common speech formulas, according to which certain cultural artifacts (for example, certain specific manuscripts, books, projects, devices, engineering structures, etc.) "do not exist in nature", while in fact they simply do not exist in "nature" perhaps, they convincingly testify precisely to such familiarity of the phenomenon of culture, when they simply cease to notice it in all its originality. At the same time, this situation is interesting precisely because of the identification of nature with being, which means the identification with being of both culture and history (as a segment of culture). However, the reckless use of nature as a synonym for being, although it raises serious objections, does not of great importance for everyday word usage until it begins to express deep philosophical attitudes. However, in our days this is exactly the case, and this makes the problem of the origins and boundaries of the paradigm of understanding culture as being the focus or, if you like, the generative structure of the methodology of the humanities.

K. as a system Culture as a system of artificial means distinguishes man from animals, which rely on natural means in their life. Culture does not originate empty place. It is preceded by the tool activity of animals with a highly developed psyche, and the elements of training of the younger generation observed in their environment, and high examples of “building art” (nests, burrows, honeycombs, etc.) and the instinctive division of labor. But all this differs fundamentally from culture, since it is developed by people in the process of conscious goal setting. Man himself creates new goals that go beyond the scope of his biological needs, and he himself not only creates, but constantly improves the means of activity.

The basis of the cultural progress of mankind is the constant transformation of the means of activity into its goals, and the ends into means. Spiritual activity, without which the existence of culture is unthinkable, arises as a means to improve the practical activities of mining wealth. But with the development of society, it turns into an independent field of activity, giving rise to such spheres of culture as art, religion, and science.

2. Dialectic of forms of being. The ratio of the eternal and the transient, the single and the diverse, the material and the spiritual, the individual and the social in culture.

Dialectics (Greek - the art of arguing, reasoning) - a logical form and method of reflective theoretical thinking, which has contradictions as its subject conceivable content this thinking.

It is advisable to single out the following different, but also interconnected basic forms of being:

1) the existence of things (bodies), processes, which in turn is divided into the existence of things, processes, states of nature, the existence of nature as a whole and the existence of things and processes produced by man;

2) human being, which is (conditionally) subdivided into human being in the world of things and specifically human being;

3) spiritual (ideal) being, which is divided into individualized spiritual and objectified (non-individual) spiritual;

4) social being, which is divided into individual being (being individual person in society and in the process of history) and the existence of society.

Culture (from lat. culture - cultivation, upbringing, education, development, veneration) is a specific way of organizing and developing human life, represented in the products of material and spiritual labor, in the system of social norms and institutions, in spiritual values, in the totality of people's attitudes to nature, among themselves and to themselves.

Two types of cultural elements: 1. Material - these are physical objects created by human hands. They are called artifacts Steam engine, book, temple, house). Artifacts have a certain symbolic meaning, perform intended function and are of value to the group or society. 2. Non-material (spiritual) elements of culture are rules, samples, standards, models and norms of behavior, laws, values, ceremonies, rituals, symbols, knowledge, ideas, customs, traditions, language.

Rules - elements that regulate people's behavior in accordance with the values ​​of K. Sociocultural norms - standards of behavior. A sign of a social norm is its imperativeness (imperiousness). A norm is an imperative expression of a value defined by a system of rules that are aimed at its reproduction. Social punishments or rewards that encourage compliance with norms are called sanctions. Positive sanctions (monetary reward, empowerment, prestige). Negative sanctions (fine, reprimand). Sanctions acquire legitimacy on the basis of norms.

Agents of culture: large social groups, small social groups, individuals. Cultural institutions - organizations that create, perform, store, distribute works of art, as well as sponsoring and teaching the population about cultural values ​​(schools and universities, academies of sciences, ministries of culture and education, lyceums, galleries, libraries, theaters, educational complexes, stadiums).

The main functions of culture: 1. Protective function - with the help of artificially created tools and devices of labor tools, medicines, weapons, Vehicle man greatly increased his ability to adapt to the world around him, to subjugate nature to himself. 2. Creative function - transformation and exploration of the world.

The main functions of culture: 3. Communicative function - the transfer of information in any form: oral and written communication, communication of groups of people, peoples, use technical means connections. 4. Significative - the function of determining values ​​and values. Any natural phenomenon involved in cultural circulation gets its name.

The main functions of culture: 5. normative function- responsible for the creation of norms, standards, rules of human behavior. 6. Relaxation function Relaxation is the art of physical and mental relaxation, relaxation. Stylized forms of stress relief entertainment, holidays, rituals.

As already noted, in ancient Rome, under the word "culture" (culture) understood the cultivation of the soil, its processing, and later - all the changes in nature that occur under the influence of man. In the future, this term denoted everything created by man. Culture began to be understood as a "second nature" created by man, built on top of the first, natural, nature, as the whole world created by man. It covers the totality of society's achievements in material and spiritual life.

culture- this is a specific way of organizing and developing human life activity, represented in the products of material and spiritual labor, in the system of social norms and institutions, in spiritual values, in the totality of people's relations to nature, to each other and to themselves . This concept is defined as general difference human life activity from biological forms of life, and the qualitative originality of historically specific forms of this life activity at various stages community development within certain epochs.

There are two main types of culture - material and spiritual. material culture represented by material objects in the form of structures, buildings, tools, works of art, everyday items, etc. spiritual culture includes knowledge, beliefs, beliefs, spiritual values, ideology, morality, language, laws, traditions, customs achieved and assimilated by people. Spiritual culture characterizes the inner wealth of consciousness, the degree of development of the person himself.

Not all material or spiritual products created by people become part of culture, but only those that are accepted by members of society or part of it and are fixed, rooted in their minds by writing on paper, other media, in the form of skills, knowledge, customs, rituals etc. A product fixed in this way can be passed on to other people, to subsequent generations as a cultural heritage.

The division of culture into material and spiritual corresponds to two main types of production: material and spiritual.

The classification of culture can also be carried out according to the peculiarities of behavior, consciousness and activities of people in specific areas of public life (culture of work, life, artistic culture, political culture), according to the way of life of an individual (personal culture), social group (class culture), etc.

Culture is embodied in the practical activities of people - production, household, political, artistic, scientific, educational, etc., therefore, cultural content can be distinguished in the sphere of any purposeful social activity of a person. This variety of manifestations of culture determines the ambiguity of its definitions. The concept of culture is used in the sense historical eras(for example, antique or medieval culture), different ethnic communities(the culture of the ancient Greeks, Russian culture, etc.), specific areas of life or activity (work culture, political culture).

Main elements of culture serve as language, values, norms. Language - it is a conceptual, sign-symbolic element of culture, a system of communication carried out with the help of sounds and symbols. Thanks to language, a person structures and perceives the world around him. Language provides mutual understanding of people and serves as the most important means of communication, storage and transmission of information from generation to generation. Thus, a common language supports the cohesion of society.

Values ​​are beliefs approved and shared by the majority of society regarding the goals set for a person and the main means of achieving them. Values ​​determine the meaning of human activity and society as a whole. In the process of interaction among themselves, people evaluate objects and phenomena from the point of view of their compliance with their needs, from the point of view of their usefulness and admissibility. The totality of values ​​accepted by a person is called a value orientation. Distinguish between the values ​​of society as a whole and the values ​​of individual social communities, classes, groups. The system of values ​​can develop spontaneously, or it can be a theoretically formulated system of views. In the latter case, one speaks of ideology.

culture plays big role in the life of society. It acts as a means of concentration, storage and transmission of human experience. In this regard, there are several cultural functions. Firstly - this regulatory function . Forming a system of values, culture regulates the nature of people's behavior. For example, a person, sharing this or that value, will strive to realize the values ​​and establish a connection with those who share it. value orientation. Thus, the value content of culture acts as a regulator of human behavior.

Developing within the framework of society, the individual learns generally accepted rules and cultural values, being included in the complex of interpersonal communication, thereby forming his personality. Thus, culture contributes to the formation of personality, fulfilling educational And educational function .

cultural norms are not the property of only one person. They are shared by many people, and sometimes by the entire society as a whole. In this case, the culture unifying (integrative) function , ensuring the unity of society.

The culture is rich historical experience society (group, class, people). For this reason, she performs relay function - transfer of this experience to future generations.

The culture of society as a whole is a multifaceted phenomenon, consisting of many of its varieties. Society is heterogeneous, the groups included in it have their own set of values ​​and norms. Therefore, there are several varieties of culture .

Distinguish between popular, elite and bulk form culture. folk culture develops as a collective creativity of the people on the basis of continuity and tradition. It is a synthesis of material and spiritual values. Fairy tales, songs, epics, clothes, rituals, tools of work and life, etc. serve as examples of folk culture. Authors of works folk art unknown. Passed down from generation to generation, works of folk culture can be supplemented, modified, but at the same time retain the special flavor inherent in each nation, those character traits, by which it is possible to determine which people created this work. In science, the totality of manifestations of folk art is called folklore (from English. folk lore- folk wisdom). Folklore is usually divided into oral and poetic creativity, a complex of musical, game and choreographic types of creativity, and fine and decorative arts. The folklore of each nation is distinguished by its originality, pronounced ethnic identity, peculiarities of regional and stylistic manifestations.

Elite culture designed for its perception by a limited circle of people who have a special artistic susceptibility. This part of society is estimated as elite (from the French elite- best choice).

Elite, or salon, culture was in former times the lot of higher strata society, such as the nobility. Currently, elite culture is called works of music, drama, literature, and cinema that are difficult to understand for the general population. Creation of works within elite culture often serves as a means of self-affirmation of their authors. The results of such creativity become the subject of lively controversy among critics and art historians, but are not always in demand as an object of mass spiritual consumption. However, there are many examples in history when the phenomenon of culture, which was called elitist, turned out to be a temporary form of self-assertion of certain social groups, quickly became fashionable and turned into an object of cultural development by wide sections of the population, i.e. object of mass culture.

Mass culture - the most typical mode of existence of culture under conditions modern society. In contrast to the elitist, mass culture consciously orients the values ​​it disseminates to the average level of development of the consumers of its works. Books, the press, cinema, television, radio, video and sound recordings serve as the means of disseminating mass culture. those objects that can be repeatedly replicated with the help of modern technical means. The demands of consumers of mass culture are formed spontaneously and contribute to competition in the "entertainment industry". She, being a profitable business, has become a kind of sector of the economy, commonly called show business. Mass culture is characterized by general accessibility and ease of assimilation of the values ​​it creates, which do not require a particularly developed aesthetic taste, and in most cases is designed for leisure activities. It conceals the possibility of a powerful means of influencing public consciousness for leveling views and idealization of existing public institutions.

For the most part, the moral promiscuity of mass culture, the emphasis on spectacle and attracting an audience at any price contribute to the cultivation of scenes of violence, base instincts, popularize representatives of the criminal world, and absolutize the Western way of life.

Diversity social connections and groups, the specifics of historical eras led to an extensive species diversity of cultures. For example, secular and religious, national and international, political, economic, aesthetic, artistic, moral, scientific, legal and other types of culture are distinguished.

All the achievements of society in the material and spiritual spheres can be characterized as common culture. At the same time, society consists of many social groups, each of which has its own system of cultural values. Such a system of values, attitudes, ways of behaving and life styles of a certain social group, which differs from the dominant culture in society, but is associated with it, is called subculture. So, they distinguish between urban and rural, youth and national, criminal and professional subcultures, etc. They differ from the dominant and from each other in values, norms of behavior, lifestyle and even language.

a special variety subculture represents counterculture, which not only differs from the dominant one, but also opposes it, is in conflict with it. If representatives of subcultures, although specifically and incompletely, nevertheless perceive the basic values ​​and norms of society, then representatives of countercultures refuse these values ​​and oppose themselves to society. For example, criminal counterculture, counterculture of informal youth groups (punks, hippies), etc.

Culture is not something fixed, unchanging. It is dynamic, constantly evolving, replenishing with new elements. At the same time, continuity is maintained between the historical stages of cultural development, which allows us to speak about the features national cultures. In some cases, changes may concern artistic style, production technologies, rules of conduct, etc., but the essence of culture as a whole remains unchanged.

Changes in culture can occur both in the process of purposeful activities of people (in literature, science, art), and as a result of spontaneous borrowing of cultural values. The mutual penetration of elements of culture from one society into another when they come into contact is called diffusion . Such penetration can be bilateral, when both peoples acquire the achievements of the culture of each of them, and one-sided, when the cultural influence of one people prevails over the influence of another. New models of culture can be imposed forcibly as a result of the enslavement of one people by another, or they can be planted by a social group that has won the political struggle.

The process of evolutionary development of culture, including its continuity, change and development, is called cultural reproduction . Culture is the mode of existence of society. It is impossible to correctly understand the process of social development, its dynamics, if one does not delve into the essence of the value-based and cultural ideals of people that determine the content and meaning of their actions. On the other hand, society itself acts as a source of cultural development. All this means the inextricable relationship between culture and society. There is no society without culture, just as there is no culture without society.

Questions and tasks

1. Explain the concept of "culture".

2. What types of culture do you know? What is the difference between them and
friend?

3. Describe the main elements of culture.

4. What functions does culture perform?

5. What types of culture exist? What are the criteria for their selection?

6. Fill in the table:

7. Define terms "subculture" and "counterculture". Give examples of their manifestation.

8. What is cultural diffusion? Give examples of mutual influence of cultures.