The world is divided not only on the basis of borders but also on the basis of customs, culture, language, beliefs, religion, etc. Some social identities are with you since your birth and some you acquire in the course of your time on earth. People having similar social identities connect really well. It’s funny how you all live with such things and still are not aware of what is what. Like, do you know about co-culture, co cultural groups examples, etc? If not, then you should and this article will aid you in knowing about all these aspects.
1. What is Culture and Co-Culture?
Culture can be defined as the characteristics and knowledge of life including institutions, arts, beliefs, language, etc that have been passed throughout generations. It’s the way of life for an entire society. It includes dress, religion, rituals, norms, art, language, codes of manners, law, morality, and belief systems.
On the other hand, co-culture can be defined as a group whose beliefs, behaviors, and values set it apart from the larger culture it is part of and with which it shares many similarities. The co-cultures thrive within the subsets that the larger cultures may have. For example, there are china towns in world cities. A student resident living in USA’s Chinatown might be a US citizen but he can have a set of co-cultures, like bilingualism, Hong Kong parentage, drone enthusiast, etc. (See What are the Types of Cultures in the World?)
2. What are the Types of Culture?
The set of patterns of human activity within a social group or society is defined as culture. It is how you think, acts, and behave based on the shared values of your society. There are different types of cultures around the world. Some of them are as follows:
- Material Culture: This type of culture refers to the physical or material objects and resources that are used by people to define their behavior and perceptions. It includes offices, tools, factories, outlets, products and services, and religious, places like temples, churches, and mosques. It also includes economic structures like transportation, energy capabilities, etc, and social infrastructure like houses, health education system, etc. Things like financial infrastructure are also included in it.
- Non-material Culture: It refers to non-physical ideas that a person has. It also defines parts of a culture you cannot feel, touch, taste, or hold or the intangible things produced by culture. Things like values, beliefs, norms, rules, morals, and language come are included in this culture.
- Corporate Culture: This type of culture is prevalent in workplaces. It includes the design of the office, the attitude of management, how employees are treated, how an organization presents itself in front of the customer, and the dressing sense of the workplace.
- Culture of Diversity: It defines a place where individuals belonging to a different origin, race, gender, and sexual orientation live.
- Popular Culture: It is based on the everyday activities of the individuals in a place. It includes things like the top music on the chart, best-selling books, etc.
- Foreign Culture: When you travel to another country, you come across people who dress, eat, interact, behave, and eat differently from you. This culture that is different from your native culture is referred to as foreign culture.
3. What are Some Examples of Co-Culture?
A co-culture can be thought of as a group that is a part of a bigger culture but has certain values, behaviors, and beliefs that set it apart from the latter. It does share many similarities with the larger culture but both of them have significant differences also. The co-cultures thrive within the subsets that the larger cultures may have. Some examples of co-culture are senior citizens, African-Americans, Jewish Americans, Deaf Americans, Gang members, Gays, Lesbians, etc. (Also see What are Characteristics of Culture?)
4. What is a Co-Culture Group?
A co-culture group is a group of people who are part of a larger culture but their behaviors, values, and beliefs set them apart from the bigger group. The co cultural groups examples do share many similarities with the larger culture but both of them have significant differences also. Such groups thrive within the subsets that the larger cultures may have. After this, let’s learn about co cultural groups examples.
5. What are Co Cultural Groups Examples?
In addition to the larger cultures, most societies also have co-cultures. These are regional, social, ethnic, economic, and other cultural groups that exert influence in society. The co-cultures develop between people who share specific life experiences, beliefs, or ideologies.
In the United States, there are wide varieties of cultures like the Buddhist culture, African American culture, Amish culture, LGBTQA+ culture, etc. It isn’t necessary that two people belonging to a similar culture are identical. For example, the African Americans living in Alabama are culturally distinct from those living in New York City. It is because they both belong to different geographical co-cultures. Some co cultural groups examples include senior citizens, African-Americans, Jewish Americans, Deaf Americans, gang members, gays, and lesbians, etc. After this let’s learn, why it is important to study about co cultural groups examples. Check out What is Cultural Convergence?
6. Why is it Important to Study about Co Cultures?
After knowing the co cultural groups examples, let’s see why it is important to study about co cultures. Most societies have co-cultures. These are regional, social, ethnic, economic, and other cultural groups that exert influence in society. The co-cultures develop between people who share specific life experiences, beliefs, or ideologies.
These are groups that are connected with a bigger culture but they have certain values, behaviors, and beliefs that set them apart from the bigger culture they are a part of. They don’t share many similarities with the larger culture but both of them have significant differences also. Some co cultural groups examples which have been already listed above are senior citizens, African-Americans, Jewish Americans, Deaf Americans, gang members, gays, lesbians, etc.
It is important to study co-cultures because it helps you understand the increasingly diverse world. It gives you an insight into the intersections of communication, culture, and power. It makes you understand that even people belonging to the same culture are not identical. After this, let’s explore the co-cultural theory.
7. Who Developed the Co-Cultural Theory?
The co-cultural theory is a framework that was designed to provide insight into the communication behavior of individuals who have little societal power. It was generated mostly from the research of Mark Orbe. This theory focuses on how power and culture affect communication. It focuses on various segments of society that have been described as minority or sub-cultural groups. It refers to these groups of people as co-cultural groups.
This theory was initially focused on people with disabilities, people of color, people with lower economic status, gay, lesbians, or bisexuals. In more recent times, researchers are using this theory to study other co cultural groups examples, like immigrants, first-generation students, international students, the homeless, etc. Must read How are Myths from Different Cultures Connected to One Another?
8. Is Religion a Co-Culture?
The belief systems that relate humanity to spirituality are referred to as religions. They are a collection of belief systems, cultural systems, and worldviews. They have symbols, traditions, values, narratives, and sacred histories. They intend to explain the origin and meaning of life to people. They derive things like religious laws, ethics, preferred lifestyles, morality, etc from their ideas about nature and the cosmos.
On the other hand, a co-culture is a group of people who are part of a larger culture but their behaviors, values, and beliefs set them apart from the bigger group. They do share many similarities with the larger culture but both of them have significant differences also. Such groups thrive within the subsets that the larger cultures may have. Religion can also be considered a co-culture its also a part of a bigger culture and all its practitioners participate in a co-culture. A Christian from the United Kingdom will not be identical to a Christian from the USA.
9. What is the Difference between Subculture and Co-Culture?
A subculture refers to a small group of people who stand separate from mainstream culture. They have slightly different values, ideas, traditions, and beliefs. They can thrive inside the dominant culture as well as within the counter-culture.
On the other hand, a co-culture can be defined as a group whose beliefs, behaviors, and values set it apart from the larger culture it is part of and with which it shares many similarities. The co-cultures and the co cultural groups examples thrive within the subsets that the larger cultures may have. After this, let’s see, what is microculture in communication. (See What are the Similarities between Sociology and Anthropology?)
10. What is Microculture in Communication?
Microculture is defined as a small group of people having common history, values, goals, and verbal and non-verbal communication systems. This culture can be classified by geographical area, age, disability, class, sexual preference, size, occupation, ethnicity, race, etc. Most people regardless of their culture, are part of some kind of microculture.
For example, in the United States of America, the Latino/Hispanic group is the largest multicultural group. The members belonging to this multicultural group speak English, Spanglish, Spanish, and Chicano English. Here you can see the effect of microculture in communication.
11. What is the Difference Between Culture and Microculture?
If you are talking about a culture you are talking about a group of people who through a process of learning are able to share perceptions of the world and these perceptions influence all walks of their behavioral life. A culture can be defined as the characteristics and knowledge of life including arts, institutions, beliefs, language, etc that have been passed throughout generations. It’s the way of life for an entire society. It includes dress, religion, rituals, norms, art, language, codes of manners, law, morality, and belief systems.
On the other hand, you can think of microculture as a local culture. It has cultural patterns of behavior influenced by the values, rules, beliefs, and norms of a specific location or organization. Its members share much of what they know in the greater society however they possess special cultural knowledge that is unique to their sub-group only. For example, in different college dorms, there are different microcultures. The people living in the same dorm share their own distinct cultures. (Also read Why are Beliefs and Tradition Important?)
