“Culture has been distinguished from the other elements of action by the fact that it is intrinsically transmissible from one action system to another from personality to personality by learning and from social system to social system by diffusion. This is because culture is constituted by "ways of orienting and acting," these ways being "embodied in" meaningful symbols.”

Source: Toward a general theory of action (1951), p. 159

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Talcott Parsons 17
American sociologist 1902–1979

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