Culture is a learned behavior through the environment that
can be transmitted from one generation to another and if not transmitted, the
culture would die. Culture is made with the help of communication and if there
is no communication, then there would be no culture. Culture can also be
invisible unless you see it in the act.
Each society contains rules and cultural meanings that are
associated with specific cultural activities. Each society has different
cultures where each culture represents their past beliefs and practices.
For example, a person who prays 5 times a day, fasts, gives
zakat are actions that can be told that this person is from Islamic culture.
Hence we can say that culture and society are coexistent and cannot survive
without each other.
Culture itself has two more groups known as material and
non-material culture. Material culture consists of things that are created by
human beings. Material culture is tangible culture such as food, clothes,
electronics, etc. and non-material culture is intangible culture such as
rituals, language, symbols, etc. The use of material culture is that we are able
to understand the ancient civilizations just by looking at their
artifacts.
To understand the material culture in a better way we can take
cellphones as an example. In Pakistan, truck art and poetry are great examples
of Pakistani culture. This type of art will not be seen anywhere else in the
world. Poor people with amazing art skills write poems as well as paint
calligraphy on the back of trucks. Poems and wishes such as “ye sab meri ma ki
dua hai” are very famous in Pakistan. Not just on trucks but some even get it
posted on their cars. These art pieces tell a lot about the Pakistani culture
and how close we are to our family.
Furthermore, calligraphy of Arabic words from the Quran is
sold immensely in Pakistan and at least one household contains one of these
paintings. The national dress of Pakistan, Shalwar kameez also indicates the
Pakistani culture. Showering and wearing it every Friday for the Jummah prayer
shows the emotions and culture of Pakistani people towards their religion.
Non-material culture is the exact opposite. These consist
of ideas and norms that are not physical objects but show the culture within
themselves. Ethics, rules, and beliefs are just a few minor examples. These are
guides for a member of the society in order to dig deep and be able to
interpret his/her culture. When these norms are discussed, this will only be
applicable to certain members of the society and not to each and every
individual this is because each individual has their own different beliefs.
These are ideas and norms that show the culture how it
really is. Our actions and behavior in certain situations show our norms, however, the belief we have are dependent on the values. Pakistan being an
Islamic country may include nonmaterial culture concepts such as worship of
Allah hence, feelings, emotions, and behavior are included in this as well.
Not just this but the different languages Pakistani people speak such as Urdu
is the main national language then further smaller components such as
Punjabi, Saraiki, Pashto, Sindhi, Balochi, etc. Then comes the hospitality of
Pakistani culture.
Whether this person
is a close relative or a long-distance friend, Pakistanis will always show
great hospitality towards them. Religion gives a person to helps identify what
is right or wrong and what the consequences will be. This information, it shapes
the person from the inside as well as the outside regarding his behavior. There
are also different types of education in Pakistan.
There being private institutes, Government schools and
Madrasas. Parents choose whether they want their child to go towards the
religious side or towards simple education. Most Pakistanis including the rich but
poorer would want them going to Madrasas. Sports are also an important part
of our society in which no matter where you go in Pakistan, the love for hockey
and cricket is overwhelming. Most Pakistanis tend to play cricket rather than
football only because our country is known for cricket. Then lastly comes the
religious festivals.
Pakistanis celebrate
festivals such as Eid ul Azha, Eid-ul-Fitr, Shab e Miraj, etc. Such holy events
make a Pakistani pray Nafl in order for them to achieve Jannah. People may cry
all night praying and wishing for their forgiveness. This shows how much
respect Pakistani people have for their religion and nation.
