Final answer:
Gezon and Kottak differentiate between culture, which includes the shared values, beliefs, and practices of a group, and society, which is the group of people sharing a community and culture. Culture is dynamic and adaptable, while society is the network of social relationships and shared culture. Understanding these concepts is vital for practising cultural relativism instead of falling into ethnocentrism or xenocentrism.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Gezon and Kottak, culture and society are distinct but interrelated concepts within sociology. Culture encompasses the shared values, beliefs, norms, language, practices, and artifacts of a group of people—it includes both material and nonmaterial elements. Furthermore, culture also allows for the expression of differences within a society. On the other hand, society refers to a group of people who share a community and a culture, essentially a structured community of individuals identified by social relationships and a unique culture. It is important to recognize that culture is dynamic and responds to change through adaptation, while society is the network of relationships among people who live in a specific geographical area and have a common cultural identity.
Sociologists including Gezon and Kottak emphasize that culture is also subject to internal variability and is influenced by both ethnocentrism, where one judges another culture based on their own, and xenocentrism, the belief that another culture is superior to one’s own. They highlight the significance of practicing cultural relativism—assessing and understanding other cultures based on their own values and practices. While a society can contain various social groups like families, ethnicities, or classes, culture is the glue that binds these groups together, providing both a shared way of life and a mechanism for individuals to express unique differences. This dynamic nature underscores the adaptability and durability of culture, especially in a world that is both increasingly polarized and in need of cooperative change.