Table of Contents

Customs are not biologically inherited. An individual acquires the customs of his or her society through the process of socialisation and interaction with other members of the group. Since customs are established ways of thought and action, they have to be learned and transmitted from one generation to another.

Two important means through which customs are acquired and transmitted are language and symbolic interaction. Language preserves and communicates the accumulated experience of society, while interaction enables individuals to learn the meanings attached to customary forms of behaviour and to participate in them.

Language

Language is one of the most important means through which customs are acquired and transmitted. It is a major element of culture and provides individuals with access to the accumulated knowledge and experience of previous generations.

Customs are often expressed and transmitted through words, stories, sayings, proverbs, instructions, songs, religious texts and other forms of verbal communication. Through these forms of communication, younger members of society learn what is traditionally done, what is considered appropriate and how they are expected to behave in particular situations.

For example, children learn forms of greeting, modes of address, rules of etiquette and appropriate behaviour towards different members of society partly through verbal instruction. Parents and elders may explicitly tell children how they should behave, but they may also communicate customary practices through stories and explanations of why particular practices are followed.

Language also preserves customs by giving names and meanings to customary practices. Once a custom is expressed in language, it can be communicated beyond the immediate situation and transmitted across generations.

Thus, language serves both as a means of communication and a vehicle of cultural transmission.

Language and Continuity of Customs

The importance of language becomes particularly clear in the transmission of customs from one generation to another. Much of the cultural knowledge accumulated by earlier generations would be difficult to preserve without a system of symbols through which it could be communicated.

Traditional sayings, proverbs and expressions often contain ideas about appropriate conduct and social relationships. Their continued use helps preserve customary ways of thinking and acting.

Language therefore helps maintain cultural continuity while allowing customs to be communicated to new members of society.

Symbolic Interaction

Customs are also acquired through symbolic interaction. Human beings do not merely observe physical acts; they learn the meanings attached to those acts through interaction with others.

A symbol is something that carries a socially recognised meaning. Language itself is the most important system of symbols, but gestures, objects, dress, rituals and forms of greeting can also function symbolically.

When individuals participate in social interaction, they learn the meanings associated with different customary practices. They gradually understand not only what people do, but also what that behaviour means in the particular society.

For example, a particular gesture may function as a customary form of respect in one society. A child learns its significance by observing others, participating in interactions and receiving responses from family members and other people. Through repeated interaction, the child comes to understand that the particular gesture is an appropriate way of expressing respect.

In this way, customs are acquired not simply by mechanical imitation but through the interpretation of socially shared meanings.

Role of Social Interaction in Acquiring Customs

Individuals acquire customs by participating in the everyday life of their social groups. The family is especially important during the early stages of life, because children continuously observe and interact with parents and other family members.

The child gradually learns customary patterns by:

  • observing how others behave;
  • imitating established patterns;
  • participating in customary activities;
  • receiving approval or disapproval from others; and
  • learning the meanings associated with particular practices.

For instance, a child may initially imitate the way family members greet guests without fully understanding its significance. Through repeated interaction and explanation, the child learns that the behaviour expresses politeness or respect. Eventually, the practice may become an internalised and taken-for-granted part of the child's behaviour.

This illustrates how interaction transforms an externally observed practice into an acquired social pattern.

Acquisition of Customs through Socialisation

The acquisition of customs is an important part of socialisation. Through socialisation, an individual learns the established patterns of behaviour of the society into which he or she is born.

The process begins primarily within the family but continues throughout life through interaction with wider social groups and institutions.

The individual encounters customs in many areas of social life, family relations, education, religion, occupation, festivals, marriage and everyday interaction. Through participation in these settings, the individual gradually acquires the customary ways of thought and action appropriate to the relevant group.

Thus, customs are not simply imposed from outside. Through continuous social interaction, they become increasingly internalised as normal and appropriate ways of behaving.

Role of Different Social Agencies

Although language and symbolic interaction are the two modes specifically relevant to this topic, their operation can be understood through the agencies of socialisation.

  1. Family is the earliest and usually the most important setting in which customary behaviour is acquired. Children observe and imitate the behaviour of parents and other family members and receive continuous instruction and feedback.
  2. School introduces children to customs and patterns of conduct beyond the immediate family. It teaches forms of discipline, interaction, respect and cooperation.
  3. Peer groups provide another important setting in which individuals learn the customs of their age group and social circle through interaction and participation.
  4. Religious institutions transmit customs associated with religious beliefs, rituals, ceremonies and moral conduct.

The community and wider social environment also expose individuals to customary practices and provide opportunities for their continued observance. These agencies operate largely through communication and interaction, making language and symbolic interaction fundamental to the process.

Conclusion

Customs are acquired rather than biologically inherited. They are learned through socialisation, communication and participation in social life. Among the important modes of their acquisition are language and symbolic interaction.

Language provides a means through which customs, traditions and accumulated social knowledge can be communicated and transmitted across generations. Symbolic interaction enables individuals to learn the meanings associated with customary practices through observation, participation, interpretation and interaction with others.

The acquisition of customs is therefore not merely a process of copying behaviour. Individuals learn both the pattern of behaviour and the social meaning attached to it. Through repeated interaction, these established ways of thought and action become familiar, accepted and eventually internalised.

In this way, language and symbolic interaction contribute to the continuity and transmission of customs from one generation to another, while also allowing individuals to participate meaningfully in the cultural life of their society.