Khmer Studies

KHM: 102: Culture

Lecturer: In Sovanpol
Contact: 093 777511
Definition and Concept of Culture and
Civilization

 Definition and Concept of Culture and Civilization

 Briefly Explain the branch of civilization

 Origin of World Civilization

 The Evolution of Civilization

 Analysis the relations between culture and society

National Symbols
Khmer Greeting Style “Sampeah”
Color of the Days
 Different perspectives of Civilization

 Civilization is Power, Rank, Knowledge,

Property………
 ……….. Elegance, Luxury with stuff for living such as
modern clothes, luxurious house, modern car…..
 Some people views that it is modernization, updated,
fashioned, “សុីវល
� ័យ Civilized” which was called “
Civilization”

 Kal Marx (1818-1883): Civilization is the value of

material
 Encyclopedia: Civilization is the acts, leading to being
civilized
………….or the way of living, art of wisdom and material
of a society.
 Civilization
Civilization is, in Khmer language,
Areyathama (Areya + Dharma)
 Areya: Supreme, Excellence, Glory, dignity
 Dharma: Act, element, method or mode of
combination of elements supported mode of being or
element supported to prosperity and development
 Areyathama or Civilization is all Dharma that is
supported mode of being for Value of development,
prosperity, excellence, supreme, and dignity for human
living in society with good order, adequate tools,
instrument, belief, knowledge, tendency, desire of all
kind in the goal of finding of comfort.
 Culture and Social
Culture is, in Khmer language, VappakThama
(Vappak + Thama or Dharma)
 Vappak: Sowing, Production, Training

 Dharma: Act, element, method or mode of

combination of elements supported mode of being or
element supported to prosperity and development

 VappakThama or Culture is all Dharma that is

supported mode of sowing for production and fruitions
(mainly focusing on belief, morality, art, language,
literature for comfortable living in society)
 Culture and Social
Social is, in Khmer language, SangkumThama
(Sangkum + Thama or Dharma)
 Sangkum: the group of people living on a territory with
occupation, belief, religion, culture, tradition, custom,
language……interaction.
 Thama: Act, element, method or mode of combination
of elements supported mode of being or element
supported to prosperity and development
 SangkumThama or Society is all Dharma that is
supported mode of social development, happiness of
human beings through social materials, instrument,
technique in order to organize a society with prosperity,
socioeconomic development or organization
Civilization Branches
Civilization Branches
 Questions “Different Perspective”

 Culture is the source/cause of civilization

development? Or modernization of society?

 Social is the source/cause of civilization development?

Or modernization of society?

 Some opinion: The Relationship between Culture and

Social are the root causes for prosperity and
development of civilization?
Relations/Civilization/Culture/Social

Culture

Civilization

Social
Relations/Civilization/Culture/Social
Culture
Independent Variable
Civilization
Dependent
Variable

Social
Independent Variable
 Goal of Civilization
Civilization Culture
Knowledge
G
O
A
L Prepare the
society

Sokha
(Comfort) Social
Some key terms “Culture”
 Culture Shock……………?

 Culture Exchange……..?

 Culture Invasion…….?

 Political Culture………?

 Social Culture………..?

 Crossing Culture……?
 Origin of World Civilization
World Civilization was called
“River Valley Civilization or River Culture”

Why??????
River Basin is the source/origin of world civilization

- Tigris and Euphrates

- Nile
- Indus
- Yellow River
 Evolution of Civilization
Civilization was considered as
“Thing has life”

Why??????
Peak

Interaction/Collision Growth
Decline
Vanished
Emerge
 Evolution of Civilization

 Civilization grows because of Interaction

“Syncretic Civilization/Culture”
Syncretism of Culture consumed many years
 Evolution of Civilization
 Civilization vanished/declined because of
- War - Fire

- Natural disaster - Flood

- Earthquake

- Volcano
 The Evolution of the Society
All societies are divided into two major classes
“Masters & Slaves or Lords & Serfs, Capitalists and Wage Laborers”

Ancient
Society Feudalism

Classless Primitive
Society
Communism Capitalism

Communism Socialism
 Nationalism VS Patriotism
These words are very difficult to differentiate in
“Khmer language”

Nationalism Patriotism
Root of
Globalism

-Feeling by circumstance
-Tenet of nation
-Compiled by specific basis
Globalism -No national ideology
of national ideology
-More deeper in the heart of
citizens
Globalists Globalization
 National Vision
One of the big mistakes of our Ancestors/leaders

 “No National Vision”

 “No nationalism”
Pre-Human VS Post-Human
Belief depends on “Education”

Education Belief

Human is divided into two kinds

Pre-Human Post-Human
 First Reflection Paper
Based your understanding, what is “Civilization and
its goal”? Explain briefly the Branches of
Civilization and all key terms within it, including
example. How do you understand the relationship
between Culture and Social?

Deadline: Friday 12 April 2019 (Week 4)

- Handwriting only
- Maximum two pages