Culture and Civilization

According to anthropologists of 19th century, Culture is earlier and Civilization is later. Everything created by man is culture, civilization is an advanced state of cultural development. Culture developed in three stages: Savagery >> Barbarianism >> Civilization (Acts of cruel and violent behavior) (Extremely cruel and unpleasant behavior) Alfred Louis Kroeber said Culture is super organic, he has given three forms of culture namely Social Culture (Status and Role), Value Culture (Philosophy, Morals) and Reality Culture (Science and Technology, etc).

According to Kroeber civilization is a part of reality culture. Robert Redfield said culture is a totality of traditions and civilization is a totality of great and little traditions. Culture: The collective appearance of customs, faith, art, language, way of thinking and way of living of a particular group of people. And civilization is the developed part, when different cultures meet.

Difference between Culture and Civilization, Sociologists View

• Culture includes religion, art philosophy, literature, music, dance, etc. hich brings satisfaction and pleasure to many. It is the expression of final aspects of life. Civilization includes all those things by means of which some other objective is attained. Type writers, motors, etc. come under this category. Civilization consists of technology or the authority of man over natural phenomenon as well as social technology which control man’s behavior.
• Culture is what we are. Civilization is what we have.
• Culture has no standard of measurement because it is an end in itself. Civilization has a precised standard of measurement. The universal standard of civilization is utility because civilization is a means. Culture cannot be said to be advancing. It cannot be asserted that the art, literature, thoughts are ideals of today’s and superior to those of past. Civilization is always advancing. The various constituents of civilizations namely machines, means of transportation, communication, etc. are constantly progressive.
• Culture is internal and an end. It is related to internal thoughts, feelings, ideals, values, etc. It is like the soul of an individual. Civilization is external and a means. It is the means for the expression and manifestation of the grandness, it is like the body of an individual.

Difference between Culture and Civilization, Anthropologists View

• All societies have culture. Only a few societies have civilization.
• Culture is earlier. Civilization is later.
• Culture is pre-condition for civilization to develop. Civilization represents a stage of cultural advancement.
• Culture is super organic. Civilization is a part of reality culture.
• Culture is a totality of traditions. Civilization is a totality of great and little traditions.
•  Culture Vs Civilization

Firstly, civilization in theory is bigger than culture in which an entire civilization can encompass one single unit of culture. Civilization is a bigger unit than culture because it is a complex aggregate of the society that dwells within a certain area, along with its forms of government, norms, and even culture. Thus, culture is just a spec or a portion of an entire civilization.

For example, the Egyptian civilization has an Egyptian culture in the same way as the Greek civilization has their Greek culture. A culture ordinarily exists within a civilization. In this regard, each civilization can contain not only one but several cultures. Comparing culture and civilization is like showing the difference between language and the country to which it is being used. Culture can exist in itself whereas civilization cannot be called a civilization if it does not possess a certain culture.

It’s just like asking how a nation can exist on its own without the use of a medium of communication. Hence, a civilization will become empty if it does not have its culture, no matter how little it is. Culture can be something that is tangible and it can also be something that isn’t. Culture can become a physical material if it is a product of the beliefs, customs and practices of a certain people with a definite culture. But a civilization is something that can be seen as a whole and it is more or less tangible although its basic components, like culture, can be mmaterial. Culture can be learned and in the same manner it can also be transmitted from one generation to the next. Using a medium of speech and communication, it is possible for a certain type of culture to evolve and even be inherited by another group of people. On the other hand, civilization cannot be transferred by mere language alone. Because of its complexity and magnitude, you need to transfer all of the raw aggregates of a civilization for it to be entirely passed on. It just grows, degrades and may eventually end if all its subunits will fail.

Summary

Culture is by definition smaller than a civilization. Culture can grow and exist without residing in a formal civilization whereas a civilization will never grow and exist without the element of culture. Culture can be tangible or intangible whereas civilization is something that is more tangible because it is what you see as a whole . Culture can be transmitted through symbols in the form of language whereas an entire civilization cannot be transmitted by mere language alone.