Culture vs. Society
What is Difference between Culture and Society? Many people are often confused at the moment of using the words “culture” and “society”, two concepts that although they have a certain relation, should not be used in an indistinct way; as they describe different things.
Difference between Culture and Society
There are several elements that mark the difference between culture and society, however, not everyone could say that it makes the one different from the other; although we read about it quite often in the writings left by sociologists and we listen to these terms repeatedly in our daily conversations.
In order to clarify any doubts you may have and to offer you a little more information on this subject, we will start by giving you the definition of these two words; So read on if you want to learn a little bit more.
Culture
The word culture comes from the Latin culture, which means “cultivation.” From the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries began to be used more frequently in Europe to refer to the process of improvement and refinement. However, it was in that last century that the term evolved and began to be used to refer to the improvement and development of the society; which was understood as the attainment of national ideals and aspirations.
It was not until the twentieth century that this concept finally emerged as one of the most important of the branch of anthropology, describing all human phenomena that cannot be considered as genetic inheritance. This is how culture has come to refer to an attribute of members of a group of people. Culture is always transmitted by society, not by an individual.
Society
On the other hand, the concept of society refers to a group of people who relate to each other on a constant basis. It could also be said that it is a large social group that shares the same geographical location or social territory, is subject to the same political authorities and has the same cultural expectation.
The word society derives from the Latin societies, which means bonding or interaction between groups or friends. Thus, when someone says that today’s society is more tolerant than the previous one, it is talking about the community in which it now resides.
Finally, culture is a historical perspective, traditional beliefs and practices that are presented throughout generations; while society understands everything that has to do with laws, government, family and many other things. In a society there may be several different cultures, although there is always one that is dominant.
