HUMAN & OTHER SPECIES CULTURE

Human & Other Species Culture

Human & Other Species Culture

Introduction

The main purpose of this paper is to make a comparison of the human culture with other species. This paper discusses the distinctive characteristics of a human being and determines that does it share with what people know for other living species or ancestral species.

Hypothesis

This paper describes the distinctive characteristics of human culture as compared to other species.

Discussion

Definition of Culture

Culture is the set of knowledge, skills, traditions, customs, fit for a human group, a civilization. It is transmitted socially from generation to generation and not by genetic inheritance, and largely determines individual behaviour. The human behaviour is the product of the culture within the society to which he belongs, therefore, the latter largely determines how each person feels, thinks and acts. A simple example illustrating this statement is the fact that all human beings are hungry, but how, when, where and what to eat to satisfy this need varies from one society to another, and the same happens with the dress , housing, transportation, forms of entertainment, etc..

Consequently, culture affects the needs and desires that people have, the alternatives considered to meet and assess ways in which, therefore, is a factor influencing individual purchasing decisions.

Comparison and contrast of Human Culture

The human culture can be better emphasized with the discussion on the human evolution (Fletcher, 2009). Darwin presented a very successful theory on the human culture and its evolution. The human species is the only way he could develop a cultural not biological. His identity as a species has considerations by the non-genetic cultural varnish that has to do with his intelligence (Acampora, 2001). For it is that in the course of those three million years ago was giving rise to cultural forms of the most dissimilar. In fact, it is the only animal that could move across the face of the planet, adapting successfully to each and every one of the ecological conditions find no other creature has been so adaptable. Its genome is the same for all specimens their external differences (skin colour, colour of hair, colour of your eyes) are the product of adaptation to the environment. Here, is one of these inconsistencies to which we referred, given their cultural systems, these differences accidental decide its fate as social beings. We found (between laughter and dismay) that make these petite circumstantial differences, colour of skin, for example, matters of the utmost importance (Fletcher, 2009).

Only humans have all 4 kinds of cultural elements:

(i) Labels - where food preferences/predator recognition are socially induced and which generally involve little innovation

(ii) Signals - involve socially transmitted arbitrary innovations as variants on displays, such as kiss-squeaks on leaves or song dialets

(iii) Skills - involve rare innovations (including tool use), whose complexity depends on the nature of socially biased learning

(iv) Symbols - probably derived from signal variants that became membership badges of the social unit or population

Whether animals exhibit Culture?

Boesch C hristophe currently working at the Institute of Zoology, University of ...