Final answer:
Culture refers to the shared practices, beliefs, and values of a group of people, forming their way of life. It includes both material and immaterial aspects and should not be confused with society, which is the community of people sharing a culture. Understanding culture requires cultural relativism instead of ethnocentrism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term culture refers to the shared practices, values, and beliefs of a group of people. It encompasses everything that forms a people's way of life, including both material and nonmaterial aspects - from language, norms, and values to laws and artifacts. Culture is expressed through the everyday interactions of society's members as well as the more significant traditions and institutions that shape their existence.
Society and culture, while often used synonymously, are distinct concepts. A society is comprised of people who share a community and engage with one another on a continuous basis, while culture is made up of the shared values, beliefs, and practices that derive from, connect, and provide meaning to that community.
In addressing cultural differences, it is important to avoid ethnocentrism, the act of judging another society using one's own cultural standards, and adopt a stance of cultural relativism, which means evaluating a culture based on its own beliefs and standards. Sociologists study these distinctions and influences to better understand how cultural systems operate within and across societies.