Introduction
Culture refers to the complex symbolic behavior patterns that is, all the behavior which is not innate, but that has to be learned by social interaction with the others like the use of distinctive material as well as the symbolic systems that include ritual, language, traditions, social organization, technology, and beliefs. The human culture has for a long time been known as extra somatic, highly specialized and means of adapting to a fast changing environment. Like all the other living organisms, modern human beings are essentially a product of the environmental interactions and biological development. Behavior itself is actually a phonotypical trait hence it reflects specific interactions history between experience, genes, and environment. Thus, this essay focuses on the human culture and behavior traits that we share by addressing the cultural changes that we see from the time Homo sapiens sapiens developed.
Human beings are essentially highly social beings and also tend to live in big complex social groups. Humans more than any other living being or creature, are skillful at utilizing the communication systems for exchange of ideas, self-expression, and organization hence this has led to creation of complex social structures that are composed of many competing and cooperating groups. Therefore, anthropologists distinguish human condition from that of other living organisms through the culture (Lavenda and Schultz 2012, p. 214). Human groups actually differ from families to countries. Based on the evidence that is presented by the anthropologists, it is obvious that humans’ social interactions have established an enormously wide variety of social norms, values, and rituals that together form basis of the human society.
Modern humans are thus characterized by culture and behavior. Based on the facts provided by the anthropologists, humans can be characterized by their fully modern language, abstract thought capacity, and use of the symbolism in expressing cultural creativity. Our capacity to exchange ideas and information through speech and lately, through writing is in fact unparalleled in the other species (Lavenda and Schultz 2012, p. 216). Human language is open meaning that various meanings can be formed through combining limited number of words and sounds. This is unlike closed sign systems of the other primates where sounds are mutually exclusive and unique. This language is the defining feature of the humanity as well as a cultural universal. It is central to our communication and to sense of identity, which unites countries, cultures, and racial groups.
Emergence of the institutions and human symbolic culture has taken place since Homo sapiens sapiens developed. However, this could not have happened if our ancestors had physical and mental capacity to copy the behavior through instruction or observation, to remember the new behaviors, to imitate or reproduce behavior, which has been learned, and to invent the new behaviors. One the other hand, other species such as apes also possess rudimentary capacity for the symbolic representation or symbolic coding something that our ancestors also possessed. As modern human beings, we can thus be characterized by our use of the complex symbolic abilities to create institutions that is, our enduring and variable cultural practice forms that organize our social life (Lavenda and Schultz 2012, p. 216).
The other aspect of how we characterize the modern humans is that of gender roles. Humans’ sexual division into female and male has culturally been marked by the corresponding division of norms, roles, behavior, dress, practices, power, duties, and status (Lavenda and Schultz 2012, p. 224). The cultural differences through gender have frequently been understood to have naturally arisen out of division of the reproductive labor; biological fact that females give birth led to their additional cultural responsibility for both nurturing and caring for offspring. From the time Homo sapiens sapiens developed, gender roles have historically changed, and the challenges to the predominant gender norms have taken place in many societies.
In addition, modern humans can be characterized by the material culture and technology as well as body culture. The archaeological evidence has shown that proto-humans used stone tools about 2.5 million years ago. Since then human beings have actually made some major advances. Modern humans can therefore be characterized by their ability to develop complex technology to produce tools that are important in improving their lives and allowing for the other cultural advancements. For instance, the major leaps in the technology include discovery of agriculture and invention of the automated machines (Lavenda and Schultz 2012, p. 183). Thus, this advancement in technology characterizes us. In terms of body culture, we can be characterized by our modern socially accepted decorated such as ear piercing in various societies, and our religious passage rites such as circumcision.
Among the modern humans, necessity of successful transmission of culture is imperative. In this way, our culture is our major adaptation and a derived trait. Observational learning as well as imitation had essentially been selected over numerous generations. The language acquisition for instance, takes place effortlessly among the children due to the biological imperative to its use and retention. Concerning our way of thinking behavior, we can be characterized by the discrete and problem solving modules sin our minds.
Works cited
Lavenda, Robert H, and Emily A. Schultz. Anthropology: What Does It Mean to Be Human? New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.
