CULTURE AND LEARNING

(EDU 3106)
Chapter1:Culture and Diversity Groups
in Malaysia

1.1 CULTURE

1.1.1 The Meaning and Concept of

Culture

Cultureisderived froma sanskritlanguage namely buddhayah,formed

frombuddhiword(kindnessormind)-defined asmatters relatedto
kindnessandmind.

InEnglish:culture isderived from Colere -Latin

languagethatmeanprocessorwork.

Kamus Dewan(2007) :
culture meancivilization or progressofthoughtsandsensible.
Culturalmeanentire lifestylewhich encompassesway of
acting,behaveandthink. .
Accordingto Koentjaraningrat :
Cultureisoverallthinkingandproductof mankind resultthatbased
onlearning process.
Culturecontain7primary elements:

religion andreligious ceremony

systemandcommunity organization
knowledge system
language

Accordingto Herskovits:
Culture is somethingthat followedfrom one generationto
onegeneration,thatthen mentionedas super organic.
Accordingto E.B. Tylor in the Primitive Culture,
1871c(A.AzizDeraman) :
Culturalin termsofanthropologyisoverall
thatcomplexwherein
itcontainedknowledge,belief,aesthetic,moral,law,custo
ms and traditionsand otherabilitywhich founda person
asa memberofsociety.
According to a.AzizDeraman :
Cultural attributeisuniversalin termsof the paradox.
Important features of cultureina group:

cultureneed to belearned
shared
global
could be inherited
variable

1.1.2 Components of
Culture
MATERIAL

Referring to society
creation that is real
and concrete.
E.g. : house,
clothes, foods

NON-MATERIAL

abstractcreations
that inherit from one
generation to next
generation.
E.g. : belief, customs
and traditions,
values traditional
dance.

RACE
S

MALAY

INDIAN

CHINESE

IBAN

KADAZA
N

FOOD
Nasi
lemak

Tosai

Moon
cake

Ayam
pansu
h

Noonso
m sada

CLOTHI
NG

TRADITI
ONAL
DANCE

Zapin

Bhrata
natyam

Tarian kipas

Tarian
Ngajat

Tarian
Sumazau

5 Key Elements of Culture

Is anything withmeaningto societythat sharesculture
Usually it isphysical object.
Example:keris (courage or brave)
: merah ( brave, happiness)
SYMBOLS

: pottu (spirituality)

Communication tooltocommunicateorallyornon-verbal
Playing a key rolein relationshipsbetweenmember of the
LANGUAG community.( slang)

Culturestandard thatdeterminehow people evaluate goodness,

beauty and desire which become a general guidelines in a society.
Value : describes what should be done (abstract and can be
shared)
VALUES
Beliefs : explaining what it is actually (conclusion about the past
AND
and forecast about the future)
BELIEFS
Example : Respect the eldest

NORMS

Rules or the regulation become habit, which is

expected to be followed by every member of the
society
Associated with the rules and expectations that guide
the behaviour of a member of the community.
transferred through the language from one generation
to another informally.
Proscriptive norm - outlining what not to do
Prescriptive norm explain on what need to be done

An artifact and methods used in everyday life of a

social group.
Is a concept of practical knowledge and equipment to
TECHNOLO improve energy efficiency and environmental changes
for human consumption.

GY

1.1.3 Importance of Understanding

the Concept of Culture to Teachers
Teachers are responsible to create
unity among students.
Teachers can apply the elements of
culture to the students.
Students will become more familiar
with the culture in Malaysia.
The values of respecting other
people's culture will exist in students.

Concept
&
Meaning of
Cultural Diversity

Ethnic

Group

Communi
ty

Race

Cultur
al
Diversi
ty

Minority

ETHNIC
Refer to the characteristic of a
people, especially a group
(ethnic group) sharing a common
and distinctive culture, religion,
language, food and others.

CONCEPT
OF
ETHNIC

DISCRIMINATION

ETHNICITY

ETHNOCENTRISME

Ethnicity
a sense of belonging in ethnic groups .
The existence of a culture or sub- culture
which clearly can unite its members
based on the history , values, attitudes
and behaviours that are the same .

Ethnocentrisme
is an attitude or belief that
one own culture is better
and more valuable than
other cultural groups

Discrimination
the practice of unfairly
treating a person or group
of people differently from
other people or groups of
people

RACE
is a group of persons related by
common descent or heredity.
Classification of modern humans,
based on any or a combination of
various physical characteristics, as
skin color, facial form, or eye shape,
and blood groups.

 Racism is a belief that some races

of people are better than others.
Poor treatment or violence against
people because of their race
Racism can be divided into 2 which
are individual and institutional.

Minority
a part of a population
differing from others in some
characteristics and often
subjected to differential
treatment.

Community
a group of people with a common
characteristic or interest living
together within a larger society.
For example, acommunityof
retired persons.

Group
a number of individuals
assembled together or
having some unifying
relationship. They are
connected by some shared
activity, interest, or quality

Population Distributions
and Basic Demography In
Malaysia

What is demography?
Studies of a population based on factors such as
age, race, sex, economic status, level of
education, income level and employment, among
others.
Demographics are used by governments,
corporations and non-government organizations
to
learn
more
about
a
population's
characteristics for many purposes, including
policy development and economic market
research.

 Demographic trends are also important,

as the size of different demographic
groups will change over time as a result
of economic, cultural and political
circumstances

Current Population ( 23rd February

2015 )
30 711 335 Current population
15 572 979 Current male population(50.7%)
15 138 356 Current female population(49.3%)
89 673 Births this year
172 Births today
20 972 Deaths this year
40 Deaths today

DEMOGRAPHY
ACCORDING TO
RELIGIONS IN
MALAYSIA
Religions : Muslim (official) 61.3%,
Buddhist 19.8%, Christian 9.2%, Hindu
6.3%, Confucianism, Taoism, other
traditional Chinese religions 1.3%, other
0.4%, none 0.8%, unspecified 1% (2010
est.)

DEMOGRAPHY ACCORDING TO
ETHNIC GROUPS IN MALAYSIA