Influence of capital stocks on cultural change

Abstract

Resources (capital stocks) are the factors influencing cultural transformation. Accessibility, distribution and ownership of these resources determine the ability of actors to act or respond to things that happen in the social system that they are attached to. An individual or a community may change their culture depending on their ability to interact with new elements being introduced. The level of their adaptation will eventually either maintain or transform their culture Therefore, in order to understand cultural transformation happening, a possible solution is to find a way of tracing the connections that exists among social actors, resource availability and social actions or reactions, and their relationships to cultural transformation. The findings explain the reasons behind the creation of cultural transformation, how it affects their perception, behaviour and actions or reactions taken towards transforming their future cultural patterns. The Kuba’an-Puak Case Study shows how the Penan community is transforming their culture because of their adaptation to a changing environment Changes are seen in Penan socio-economic lifestyles and social rules and the impacts are reflected on their traditional core of interests, values, attitudes, institutions, religion and identity. Five key changes identified are: transformation from a nomadic to settled lifestyle, sense of individualistic property ownership, shift of occupation pattern, values of social institutions, local stewardship of forests and its resources and Penan indigenous knowledge.