Material Vs Nonmaterial Culture

778 Words4 Pages
It’s fascinating to do a contrastive analysis of material and nonmaterial culture, together with exploring sociological factors that unknowingly shape my life. As it kind of offers an insight into the world around me, and opens my eyes to those unnoticed patterns which exist in my society. Hence, let’s discuss these areas in depth next. First and foremost, the big difference between material and nonmaterial culture is: whether tangible or invisible. The former refers to man-made things that people not only give a meaning to them, but also assign a function or value, whereas the latter encompasses abstract ideas and implicit forms of social interaction. For instance, books, fashion, technologies, food preferences are typical of material culture. In contrast, nonmaterial culture “includes customs, tradition, habits, manners, attitude, beliefs…art, law, religion etc.”(n.d.). On the surface of them, they seem to be mutually exclusive, in fact, although the two have their own distinct identities, but they also interrelate with each other. Here are ten objects that illustrative of their linkage. Meanwhile, I will identify what aspects of nonmaterial culture that these objects represent. 1. Coca-Cola, a well-known soft drink. We usually quench our thirst with a long drink of ice coke. Why do I prefer this brand rather than Pepsi? Because it is a symbol of vitality, joy, and youth, when it comes to nonmaterial culture. 2. Pizza Hut, the mere mention of this Italian-American cuisine