What does the word culture mean in short? Lesson topic: "Culture: concept, types and functions"

The subject of cultural studies is the study of the essence, structure in the main functions of culture, and the historical patterns of its development. In other words, cultural studies studies the most general patterns of cultural development, its basic characteristics, monuments, phenomena and events in the material and spiritual life of people.

2. The concept of culture, types of definitions.

Culture (lat. cultura, from colo, colere- cultivation, later - upbringing, education, development, veneration) - a concept that has huge amount meanings in various areas of human life. Culture is the subject of study of philosophy, cultural studies, history, art history, linguistics (ethnolinguistics), political science, ethnology, psychology, economics, pedagogy, etc.

Basically, culture is understood as human activity in its most diverse manifestations, including all forms and methods of human self-expression and self-knowledge, the accumulation of skills and abilities by man and society as a whole. Culture also appears as a manifestation of human subjectivity and objectivity

(character, competencies, skills, abilities and knowledge).

Different definitions of culture

The variety of philosophical and scientific definitions of culture existing in the world does not allow us to refer to this concept as the most obvious designation of an object and subject of culture and requires a clearer and narrower specification: Culture is understood as...

"There is a culture practical implementation universal human and spiritual values"

“a historically determined level of development of society and man, expressed in types and forms of organization of life and human activities, as well as in the material and spiritual values ​​they create” (TSB);

“the total volume of human creativity” (Daniil Andreev);

“the product of a playing person!” (J. Huizinga);

“a set of genetically non-inherited information in the field of human behavior” (Yu. Lotman);

“the entire set of extra-biological manifestations of a person”;

recognized significant level in the fields of fine arts, sciences, elite culture] knowledge, beliefs and behavior, which is based on symbolic thinking and social learning. As the basis of civilizations, cultures are distinguished in periods of variability of dominant markers: periods and eras, methods of production, commodity-money and production relations, political systems boards, personalities of spheres of influence, etc.

“Culture, including its most brilliant and impressive manifestations in the form of ritual and religious services, can be interpreted as a hierarchical system of devices and devices for monitoring environmental parameters.” (E. O. Wilson);

Functions of culture

1. Main function- human-creative or humanistic function. Cicero spoke about it - “cultura animi” - cultivation, cultivation of the spirit. Today, this function of “cultivating” the human spirit has acquired not only the most important, but also largely symbolic meaning.

All other functions are somehow related to this one and even follow from it.

2. The function of broadcasting (transferring) social experience. It is called the function of historical continuity or information. Culture is a complex sign system. It acts as the only mechanism for transmitting social experience from generation to generation, from era to era, from one country to another.

3. Cognitive function (epistemological) is closely related to the first (human-creative) and, in a certain sense, follows from it. Culture concentrates the best social experience of many generations of people. She (immanently) acquires the ability to accumulate a wealth of knowledge about the world and thereby create favorable opportunities for its knowledge and development. It can be argued that a society is intellectual to the extent that it uses the richest knowledge contained in the cultural gene pool of humanity.

4. Regulatory (normative) function is primarily associated with the definition (regulation) of various aspects, types of social and personal activities of people. In the sphere of work, everyday life, and interpersonal relationships, culture in one way or another influences the behavior of people and regulates their actions, actions, and even the choice of certain material and spiritual values. The regulatory function of culture is supported by such normative systems as morality and law.

5. Semiotic or iconic(Greek semenion - sign) function is the most important in the cultural system. Representing a certain sign system, culture presupposes knowledge and mastery of it. Without studying the corresponding sign systems, it is not possible to master the achievements of culture. Thus, language (oral or written) is a means of communication between people. Literary language acts as the most important means of mastering national culture. Specific languages ​​are needed to understand the special world of music, painting, theater (Schnittke’s music, Malevich’s Suprematism, Dali’s surrealism, Vityk’s theater). Natural sciences (physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology) also have their own sign systems.

6. Value, or axiological(Greek axia - value) function reflects the most important qualitative state of culture. Culture as a certain value system forms very specific value needs and orientations in a person. By their level and quality, people most often judge the degree of culture of a person. Moral and intellectual content, as a rule, acts as a criterion for appropriate assessment.

level, degree of development achieved in any branch of knowledge or activity (work culture, speech culture...) - the degree of social and mental development inherent in someone.

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CULTURE

historically certain level of development of society, creative forces and human abilities, expressed in the types and forms of organization of people’s lives and activities, in their relationships, as well as in the material and spiritual values ​​they create. K. is a complex interdisciplinary general methodological concept. The concept of "K." used to characterize a specific historical era (for example, ancient history), specific societies, nationalities and nations (Maya history), as well as specific spheres of activity or life (work history, political, economic, etc.). There are two spheres of K. - material and spiritual. Material culture includes the objective results of people’s activities (machines, structures, results of knowledge, works of art, moral and legal norms, etc.), spiritual culture unites those phenomena that are associated with consciousness, intellectual and emotional-psychic human activity (language, knowledge, skills, level of intelligence, moral and aesthetic development, worldview, methods and forms of communication between people). Material and spiritual K. are in organic unity, integrating into a certain unified type of K., which is historically changeable, but at each new stage of its development inherits everything that is most valuable created by the previous K. The core of K. consists of universal human goals and values, as well as historically established ways of perceiving and achieving them. But acting as a universal phenomenon, K. is perceived, mastered and reproduced by each person individually, determining his formation as an individual. The transfer of knowledge from generation to generation includes the mastery of the experience accumulated by mankind, but does not coincide with the utilitarian mastery of the results of previous activity. Cultural continuity is not automatic; it is necessary to organize a system of upbringing and education based on scientific research forms, methods, directions and mechanisms of personality development. The assimilation of K. is a mutually directed process for which all basic principles are valid. patterns of communicative activity. - high level something, high development, skill (eg, work culture, speech culture). (Chernik B.P. Effective participation in educational exhibitions. - Novosibirsk, 2001.) See also Culture of behavior, Culture of speech

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The word “culture” has Latin roots and means “to cultivate the soil.” What is the connection between agriculture and human behavior, because it refers to the phrases widely used in the Russian language: speeches, cultured person, spiritual culture of the individual, physical culture. Let's try to understand this issue.

What is culture as a social phenomenon?

Indeed, the “man-nature” connection underlies both a complex and diverse phenomenon. Man in nature has found an opportunity for the creative realization of his abilities. Human activity of transformation natural world, the reflection of nature in the products of activity, the influence of nature and the surrounding world on the inside of a person is interpreted as culture.

Culture has some distinctive properties - continuity, tradition, innovation.

Each generation carries within itself the experience of cultural development of the world of previous generations, builds its transformative activities on established principles, styles, directions, and, as a result of assimilating previous achievements, rushes forward, developing, updating and improving the world around us.

Components of culture- material and spiritual.

Includes everything related to objects and phenomena of the material world, their production and development.

Spiritual culture is a set of spiritual values ​​and human activities for their production, development and application.

In addition, they talk about the types of crops. These include:

Created by professionals, a privileged part of society; is not always clear to the general public.

Folk culture - folklore - is created by unknown authors, amateurs; collective creativity.

Mass culture - means concerts, pop art, influencing through the media.

Subculture is a system of values ​​of a certain group or community.

What is culture behavior?

This concept defines a set of formed personality qualities that are socially significant, allowing one to base everyday actions on the norms of morality and morality. Assimilation universal human values allows you to adjust own activities in accordance with the requirements of society.

However, we can state the fact that the concept of “culture of behavior” and its norms change depending on the state of morality in a particular historical period development of society.

For example, just twenty years ago, civil marriage and extramarital sexual relations were strictly condemned in Russian society, and today in some circles it is already considered the norm.

What is culture speeches?

Speech culture is compliance of speech with norms literary language. How necessary is it? to modern man, one can judge the growing popularity training courses. A high professional level presupposes a high level of proficiency in speech norms.

In addition, the individual level of a person’s spiritual culture corresponds to his speech culture. Beautiful, fashionable, arouses the admiring glances of others. However, as soon as she opens her mouth, a stream of obscene expressions falls on the listeners. The spiritual culture of man is evident.

What is culture communication?

Communication is a phenomenon social society. They distinguish between the ability to communicate productively, interact through communication with people around them, partners, colleagues - socially significant quality modern successful person.

Communication culture involves the connection of three components.

Firstly, communication is associated with the skills of perceiving another person, perceiving verbal and nonverbal information (perception).

Secondly, great value has the ability to convey information and feelings to a communication partner (communication).

Thirdly, interaction in the communication process (interaction) is decisive in assessing the effectiveness of communication.

Culture is multifaceted, complex concept, characterizing a certain level of development of both society as a whole and each individual person.

this is the entire aggregate way of life characteristic of a certain group, in which everything that people as members is accumulated of this company do, think, and everything they possess (patterns of action, thoughts, material support)

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Culture

specific way of organization and development human life, represented in the products of material and spiritual production, in the system of social norms and institutions, in spiritual values, in the totality of people’s relationships to nature, among themselves and to themselves. K. embodies, first of all, the general difference between human life activity and biological forms of life. Human behavior is determined not so much by nature as by upbringing, K. Man differs from animals in his ability to collectively create and transmit symbolic meanings- signs, language. Beyond the symbolic cultural meanings(notations) not a single object can be included in the human world, just as not a single object can be created without a preliminary “project” in a person’s head. The human world is a culturally built world, all boundaries in it have sociocultural character. Outside the system of cultural meanings, there is no difference between king and courtier, saint and sinner, beauty and ugliness. The main function of society is the introduction and maintenance of a certain social order. There are material and spiritual K. Material K. includes all spheres of material activity and its results. It includes equipment, housing, clothing, consumer goods, a way of eating and living, etc., which together constitute a certain way of life. Spiritual culture includes all spheres of spiritual activity and its products: knowledge, education, enlightenment, law, philosophy, science, art, religion, etc. Spiritual culture is also embodied in material media (books, paintings, diskettes, etc. .). Therefore, the division of K. into spiritual and material is very conditional. K. reflects qualitative originality historically specific forms of human life at various stages of historical development, within different eras, socio-economic formations, ethnic, national and other communities. K. characterizes the characteristics of people’s activities in specific public spheres(political K., economic K., K. labor and life, K. entrepreneurship, etc.), as well as features of life social groups(class, youth, etc.). At the same time, there are cultural universals - some common to everything cultural heritage elements of humanity (age gradation, division of labor, education, family, calendar, decorative arts, interpretation of dreams, etiquette, etc.). Modern meaning the term "K." acquired only in the 20th century. Initially (in Ancient Rome, where this word came from) this term meant cultivation, “cultivation” of the soil. In the 18th century the term acquired an elitist character and meant civilization opposed to barbarism. However, in Germany in the 18th century. K. and civilization were opposed to each other: as the focus of spiritual, moral and aesthetic values, the sphere of individual perfection (K.) - and as something utilitarian-external, “technical,” material, standardizing human K. and consciousness, threatening the spiritual world of man (civilization). This opposition formed the basis of the concept of cultural pessimism, or criticism of culture, in fact, criticism of modernity, allegedly leading to the collapse and death of culture (F. Tönnies, F. Nietzsche, O. Spengler, G. Marcuse, etc.). In modern science, the term “civilization” remains ambiguous. The term "K." has lost its former elitist (and generally any evaluative) connotation. From the point of view of modern sociologists, any society develops a specific culture, because it can only exist as a sociocultural community. That's why historical development of a particular society (country) is a unique sociocultural process that cannot be understood and described using any general schemes. Therefore, any social changes can only be carried out as sociocultural changes, which seriously limits the possibilities of direct borrowing of foreign cultural forms - economic, political, educational, etc. In another sociocultural environment they can acquire (and inevitably acquire) completely different content and meaning. For analysis cultural dynamics Two main theoretical models have been developed - evolutionary (linear) and cyclic. Evolutionism, whose origins were G. Spencer, E. Taylor, J. Fraser, L. Morgan, was based on the idea of ​​unity human race and uniformity of development K. Process cultural development seemed linear, general in content, passing general stages. Therefore, it seemed possible to compare different cultures as more or less developed, and to identify “standard” cultures (Eurocentrism and later Americanocentrism). Cyclic theories represent cultural dynamics as a sequence of certain phases (stages) of change and development of culture, which naturally follow one another (by analogy with human life- birth, childhood, etc.), each K. is considered as unique. Some of them have already completed their cycle, others exist, being at different phases of development. Therefore, one cannot talk about a general, universal history of mankind; one cannot compare and evaluate K. as primitive or highly developed - they are simply different. In modern science, the founder of cyclic theories that arose in antiquity was N. Danilevsky (“Russia and Europe”, 1871). He was followed by O. Spengler, A. Toynbee, P. Sorokin, L. Gumilev and others. Both evolutionary and cyclic theories emphasize and absolutize only one of the aspects of the real process of cultural dynamics and cannot give its exhaustive description. Modern science proposes fundamentally new approaches (for example, the wave theory of quantum waves put forward by O. Toffler). Now humanity is experiencing perhaps the most profound technological, social and cultural transformation in terms of content and global in scope. And it was K. who found herself at the center of this process. Emerges in principle new type K. - K. post-industrial, information society (see Postmodernism).

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Goal and objectives.

1. To introduce the essence of material and spiritual culture, to show ways of developing spiritual culture, the relevance of the dialogue of cultures;
2. Develop the ability to explain the internal and external connections of the social objects being studied, analyze, draw conclusions, rationally solve cognitive and problematic problems, reveal the most important ones using examples theoretical principles and concepts of social sciences and humanities, evaluate different judgments about social facilities from the point of view social sciences, participate in discussions, work with documents;
3. To form attitudes towards material and spiritual values, deep respect for the culture of the past and present.

Equipment: diagrams, package of documents.

Type of lessons: lesson-reasoning.

Progress of lessons

1. Organizational moment

2. Culture as a phenomenon public life

Introductory word from the teacher: We have repeatedly encountered the concept of “culture”. In social science there are about 200 definitions of this concept.

What do social scientists mean by this concept? What is culture?

Its types, functions.

The topic of our lesson. When working with the material, compare the definitions of the term “culture” and highlight the main features of this concept.

Teacher: The concept “culture” is used to characterize historical eras(ancient culture), specific societies, nationalities and nations (Mayan culture), as well as specific areas of activity or life (Culture of life, work, artistic culture). In a narrower sense, this is the sphere of people’s spiritual life. Includes the results of their activities (machines, structures, accumulated knowledge), moral and aesthetic development, worldview, methods and forms of communication.

Conclusion: Thus, culture is everything valuable created by society, which has an impact on all spheres of public life. As we see, culture is a means of reflecting the surrounding world. Means, keyword is the word “creativity”. Asimov’s words are appropriate here: “It’s a wonderful feeling to know that you yourself are building the world.”

The world is contradictory, which means there are contradictions in culture. Let's consider these contradictions. Culture is a means of reflecting the world around a person, which by its nature is contradictory. What contradictions are there in culture?

1. Between traditional culture and new trends in its development, for example, computer design greatly facilitates decision-making on home improvement.
2. Between the normativity of culture and the freedom of its interpretation (from the period of matriarchy, the custom of letting the woman pass first came down. But do all men do this?)
3. Between the socialization of a person and his individuality (watching the next action movie, some viewers find additional confirmation that the strong are always right; others become even more irreconcilable to evil and are convinced of the need to resist it.)

3, Types of culture

Culture as a multi-level system is divided into:

• world and national, and the best examples national culture are recognized as world masterpieces;
• material and spiritual;
• spiritual culture includes philosophical, artistic, legal, religious, aesthetic, ethical, cognitive, intellectual culture;

Assignment: Give examples of each type of culture. Describe the cultural monument from the perspective of all types.

Teacher: Spiritual culture.

Spirituality. What is it? I will start this part of the lesson with a parable

One day the father of a rich family decided to take his little son to the village on a farm to show how poor people can be. They spent the day and night on the farm of a very rich family. When they returned home, the father asked his son:

How did you like the trip?

It was wonderful, dad!

Have you seen how poor people can be? - asked the father.

And what did you learn from this?

The son replied:

I saw that we have a dog in the house, and they have four dogs. We have a pool in the middle of the garden, and they have a bay with no visible edge. We illuminate our garden with lamps, and the stars shine for them. We have a backyard patio, and they have a whole horizon.

Thank you, Dad, for showing me how rich these people are.

What is the parable about?

Who is richer?

Isn't it true that everything depends on what point of view you look at the world from? Father and son have different points of view. Having love, friends, family, health, good mood and a positive attitude towards life, you will get it all! But it is impossible to buy any of the above things. You can acquire any material goods imaginable, even stock up on them for the future, but if your soul is not full, you have nothing!

What is spirituality?

I answered this question like this:

Spirituality is what distinguishes us from the animal world. And you have to work hard to achieve it.

Let us also speculate on these complex topics.

F.M. Dostoevsky wrote: “You cannot become a man at once, but you must become a man... for fear how man loves everything that is given to him ready-made. Moreover: thinkers proclaim general laws, i.e. such rules that everyone will suddenly become happy, without any pretense, if only these rules come into force. Yes, even if this ideal were possible, then with unfinished ones no rules, even the most obvious ones, would be realized. It is in this tireless discipline and continuous work on oneself that our citizen could manifest himself.”

How do you understand the writer's words?

What does it include? spiritual world person?

Feelings;

Aspirations;

Conclusion: Spirituality is a personal quality of a person who has a rich spiritual world.

Is the path to spirituality easy? Listen to the parable and answer the question.

One day, Socrates and his students were walking along the road and discussing the complex problems of existence. The owner of the entertainment establishment who saw this asked the philosopher:

Socrates, why are you trying so hard? Look, if I just beckon your students, they will come to me in a crowd.

To which Socrates replied:

Of course, because you call them down, and I lead them up the difficult road of knowledge.

Conclusion: Thus, at the socio-psychological level, spiritual culture acts as a system of social attitudes, ideals, values ​​and norms that are designed to guide a person in the world around him. Therefore, the nature and essence of spiritual culture can be displayed as follows:

Spiritual culture – highest form social reflection of human life.

Spiritual development of society. What is this? How is it happening?

Listen to the parable and guess what it is spiritual development society.

Once, when the students asked Hing Shi to tell them about man's path to wisdom, he said:

A person’s path to wisdom is similar to the path of silk, which originates from a silkworm caterpillar, gradually turning into a beautiful, strong fabric. Like a caterpillar taking six steps to become silk, man takes a similar path to wisdom.

How is this? - the students were amazed. – Tell us, Teacher.

The first step is the step of birth, - began Hing Shi, like caterpillars, a person comes into this world naked and helpless.

The second step is the accumulation step. Until the caterpillar has grown, mulberry leaves are collected for it and protected from pungent smells and sounds. Likewise, a person is given their care and knowledge by those who surround him. Like a caterpillar, he feeds on what he himself did not collect, taking his second step.

The third step is the cocoon step. After the caterpillar has grown sufficiently, it is transplanted onto a special grid, on which it begins to weave silk threads, gradually enveloping itself in a cocoon. A person, growing up, finds himself in a place determined for him in life and begins to gradually extract silken threads of views, beliefs and conclusions, over time entangling them and forming his own world around himself, similar to a cocoon. At this stage, many stop, remaining until death in the place allotted to them, wrapped in a cocoon of their beliefs and conclusions, which gives them illusory well-being and hope for permanence.

The fourth step is a difficult step of liberation, the step of the triumph of the new over the old, then the destruction of the usual way of life occurs. During this step, the caterpillars are killed with steam and their cocoons are carefully unwrapped. A person who has decided to take the fourth step, first of all, destroys the inactive caterpillar within himself, and then begins to gradually transform the cocoon of his beliefs and conclusions into still thin, but no longer tangled threads of knowledge.

The fifth step - the fastening step - consists of tying several thin, easily torn threads into one, stronger silk thread. A person, taking this step, strengthens and binds together his threads of knowledge, resulting in what we call wisdom.

Then Yang Li, one of the sage’s students, could not stand it and asked:

Teacher, why then is there a sixth step if wisdom is achieved already at the fifth?

The sixth step is the step of connection and harmony, the sage answered, when strong, strong threads are woven together, forming beautiful smooth silk. A person, taking this step, weaves the thread of his wisdom into general canvas, closely intertwining it with the threads of other people's wisdom, supporting and strengthening them.

This means that at this sixth step, wisdom is strengthened, just as at the fifth,” said Young Li.

But only on the sixth does it begin to bear fruit,” Hing Shi smiled.

How does the spiritual development of society occur?

Ways to increase spiritual wealth:

1. Path of continuity. Continuity is associated with the preservation and transmission of values ​​from one generation to another. In this way, both intermediate products of spiritual production and its final results can be transmitted. Elements of cultural heritage are also social norms: customs, rituals, ceremonies.

2. The path of innovation. Culture develops by adding new values. Any historical era, regardless of the material and other conditions of people’s existence, gives rise to innovators - creators who make scientific discoveries, inventions, and create masterpieces of art. Contemporaries are not always able to appreciate new phenomena in spiritual culture.

Reinforcing the material learned

1. The ancient Greek philosopher Thales from Miletus argued:

“The most difficult thing is to know yourself, the easiest thing is to give advice to others.” What three books (films, recordings) musical works etc.) would you advise a person going to a pressure chamber for three months as part of a test program to take with them?)

2. What is the difference between two moral actions: condoning evil and condoning evil? (connivance can be about indifference, indulgence is always conscious.)

3. Working with Unified State Exam material, tasks “C” answer the questions.

Homework

1. Paragraph 12, p. 97–98, tasks 5 and 6 as essay topics (Kravchenko)

• “Truth can be expressed in many ways, but truth is one that is eternal.” (Ivo Andric)
• “The melted wax of a burnt-out candle is beautiful in itself, but it also contains that beauty that quietly flickered and dispersed the darkness.” (Amiredjibi)