Culture vs. Society: What's the Difference?

Key Difference

A group of people living together as an independent group in a particular region and are related to one another whereas, culture may be defined as the set of beliefs, moral values and different methods of practicing them.

Culture vs. Society

Human being since there existence has divided themselves into groups. They may be by colour, caste, and creed or according to the place where they live. A society comprises of a group of such people which live together and are associated to each other. The people living in a society may or may not have same culture. It varies because society is based on the sharing of same piece of land for living or a same social platform. When it comes to culture, culture is set of believes, a set of rituals and beautiful combination of moral values. Culture varies from society to society but people from different culture living together, linked socially together also forms a society.

Comparison Chart

What is Culture?

Culture is a beautiful combination of beliefs, traditions, moral values and practices. Human culture includes material culture which comprises of art, dance, music, festive, religion, cooking, shelter, clothing. These things are carried by ancestors and modified in the modern world but keeping the glimpse of past. The cultural festivals give people of the busy world to relax and rejoice themselves along with their families. The culture unites people and gives them an identity in such a way that their way of living figures them out as someone from another community or society. But it’s basically someone with different culture. Values built within a human being gives him the way of living and a reason to celebrate, a reason to grief on, and a reason to reunite.

What is Society?

Society is a group of people living together and sharing same geographical piece of land for living. Societies are manmade groups those usually come into being under certain circumstances. People travel from their birthplaces in order for better livings or for survival. The reason varies but it forms a new society when people gather and start living and sharing the social life. These societies then share different cultures from different people.  The sharing of cultures together and living at a same platform sometimes, merges the cultures or re shapes the beliefs, traditions and way of living of people. Often in such cases where people belong to different cultures within a society forms groups within the societies. This fractures the social bonding among the people and the phenomenon is describes as Balkanization. Balkanization has been reason for shattering of many societies over years.

Key Differences

1. Cultures control the behaviour of people once made whereas people themselves make societies and run according to their own will.
2. Culture includes complete living lifestyles of human being as it comprises of food, clothing and arts like dancing, music and use of certain Whereas society doesn’t bound you or give a way of living.
3. Culture for a group of people is same but society may have people with varying cultures
4. The origin and practice of culture remains constant to the formation and destruction of societies until unless people from the culture exist to practice it
5. Culture is basically the internal view of a society while society exhibits the actual look or shape of the culture.

Conclusion

Societies and culture both are different terms but closely associated to each other. People get away or a guide of living through a culture whereas society is a social platform for the people where they practice their culture with the collaboration of all other living and sharing same land.