Culture consists of the acquired or cultivated behaviour and thoughts of individuals within a society, as well as of the intellectual, artistic and social ideals and institutions which the members of the society profess and to which they strive to conform.
In other words, culture has dynamism. It grows and this growth is attained by culture processes. Culture processes and culture change go together. Change cannot be brought about by processes.
The cultural growth as we have obtained today is through the medium of processes. Growth does not mean that culture gives away its continuity or persistence.
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When we talk about Indian culture we to say that the culture here undergoes transformation but it maintains its continuity. Hence, there is continuity and change. Kroeber has defined culture process as under:
By process of culture we mean those factors which operate either toward the stabilization and preservation of cultures and their parts or toward growth and change. Changes, in turn, may consist either of increments, such as new developments, inventions and learned traits acquired from outside; or of losses and displacements.
What Kroeber calls social processes actually means direction of culture change. There are obviously two directions: one of stabilization and preservation and the other of change and growth.
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When there is preservation of culture it keeps the continuity of culture, and when there is change, new traits, complexes and patterns enter into the body of culture configuration.
It is also possible that the persistences and changes in culture give rise to a new blend of culture. Culture processes take place when one generation hands over its culture to the new generation.
While discussing processes we must assume that culture is acquired; it is learned. It is in this acquirement and learning that the culture grows. We shall here, first, discuss some major culture processes and then deal with the theories of culture growth.