Culture comprises nonmaterial and material aspects.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only in some societies
• D. Never

Answer: (A)

Culture functions as a system that includes both the ideas people share and the things they create. Nonmaterial parts—beliefs, values, norms, language, rituals, and symbols—shape how people think, what they consider appropriate, and how they relate to one another. Material parts—tools, clothing, buildings, technology, art—are the tangible expressions of those ideas and make daily life possible. The two aspects are intertwined: beliefs and practices guide the creation and use of material objects, while those objects carry and transmit cultural meanings across generations. Because this combination exists in every society, the statement is true. It wouldn’t fit if culture were defined as only material things or only beliefs, and it wouldn’t be accurate to say it never includes material or never includes nonmaterial elements.