Difference between Culture and Custom

The main difference between culture and custom is that culture is the skills, customs, and behaviors that illustrate a specific society or state, while custom is a frequent recurrence of the same behavior.

culture versus custom

Culture is the characteristics and consciousness of a defined group of people. In contrast, custom is a behavior transmitted within a group or society with a symbolic meaning with origins in the past. Human cultures varied melodramatically from unique ones based on a number of various aspects, including languages, religions, and foods, to name. On the other hand, a Custom is a simple way of doing things. It’s something that a number of people do, and have done for a long time.

Culture is a procedure made up of agreement and standardization, while Custom would define a belief or behavior. Culture also covers information, morals, skill, government, customs and any other skills and ways learned by man as an associate of civilization. Custom is the lifeblood of any vibrant society; if we put it, the customs are part of the culture.

Culture can be used in a broad sense, while an individual or a small group follows customs. Culture generally remains the same for many generations; on the other hand, customs can change with the ages.

Comparison chart

What is culture?

Culture is a social marvel that designates the structures of a specific society. Culture can mention the lives built by a group of people. Culture is not a tangible concept; it is an abstract. Food, clothing, rituals, art, etc. they are the only material representation of culture.

In Pakistani culture, the non-urban areas of Pakistan have fluctuating levels of gender separation, while the big cities have traditional perspectives in terms of relationships between men and women. The couple does not usually hug and kiss in public in a non-platonic way. Regardless of that, the people of Pakistan are helpful, welcoming, friendly and modest.

Culture can be used in a very broad sense, such as the culture of a nation, or in a very narrow sense, such as the culture of an individual school or company. Cultures classically experience many changes over time; some happen quickly and others slowly. Culture is a much broader term.

types of culture

• Ideal culture: It is the goal of civilization. It can never be fully achieved, as a part of it remains by repetition.
• Real culture: it can be practical in our social life. We act on the culture in our daily life is real; it is part that people accept in their ordinary life that is the real one.
• Material culture: They are tangible things that are created by society.
• Intangible culture: mentions the spiritual ideas that people have about their culture. In other words, the parts of culture that cannot be touched, tasted, felt, or held.

What is custom?

A custom is a traditional and widely accepted way of performing or doing something specific to a particular society, place or time. Each nation, religion, community has its exclusive customs. A specific gesture, behavior, experience or act becomes a habit when it is practiced continuously. When this is followed for several ages and passed down to more recent generations, it becomes a custom.

Custom provides a reason for comfort and belonging. Stream family members together and allow people to meet up with friends. Customs are also impractical at times, but they don’t change due to the value of their connection to history. Customs naturally remain similar for several generations.

Throughout the period, customs develop the law of ordinary life. They make and maintain coordination in people. For example, a subsequent handshake becomes a standard, an individual who does not offer their hand when meeting another may look down and appear negative. Consider what might happen if an entire section of a population unexpectedly decided to stop shaking hands, assuming that shaking hands was a very important custom in that civilization. Aversion can grow between those who shake their hands and those who don’t, spreading to other areas. Hand shakers may assume that if non-shakers don’t shake hands, maybe it’s because they’re clean or dirty.

Some impressive customs of the world are the mortar with lips in Nicaragua, making out in France, tipping in the United States, hanging out in cemeteries in Denmark, sipping in Japan, kneeling or prostrating as a greeting in Nigeria, using the left hand for things etc .

Key differences

1. Culture is a complex whole with beliefs, conscience, rituals, moralities, customs and other habits and capacities of individuals. Rather, custom is a traditional way of behaving or doing something specific in a particular place, time, or society .
2. Culture is an abstract, represented through particular characteristics, while custom is a way of doing things.
3. Culture can be characterized through custom; on the other hand, Custom is part of the culture.
4. Our culture describes what we are, but our custom explains what we consume or what we use.
5. Culture is the arts and habits that characterize a particular society or nation, while custom is a frequent repetition of the same behavior.

Final Thought

Today’s culture is tomorrow’s custom. When a Culture is transferred from generation to generation, it becomes the form of Custom. The scope of culture is broader than that of custom. The main object of understanding here is that culture is something that a society practices, custom is something that a society carries out.