Cultural anthropology: Normally distinguished from physical anthropology (the study of human kind from a biological or evolutionary perspective), cultural anthropology is concerned with the different social systems that make up communities, societies and nations.
The concept of cultural lag was propounded by Ogde and Nimkof. This concerns the difference that arose between material and non-material cultures. Things like tools, utensils, machines, manufactured goods, transport belong to the material culture. On the other hand, family, religion, elites, education come under non-material culture. When change occurs in society due to rapid and new inventions the change in material cultures is fast and quick whereas in comparison the speed of change in non-material culture is very slow and due to this there is a 'Lag' between these two. This phenomena is called cultural lag.
Main features of Cultural Lag:
It has the following features:
- The material cultural changes occur more rapidly than the non-material culture.
- The distinction between material and non-material culture is not scientific because of the slow speed in non-material. The resistance and slow speed of change causes that advancement of material culture and the lagging behind of non-material culture.