Culture consists of all the products of a society that are created over time and shared by members of that society. The term nonmaterial culture refers to all the nonphysical products of society that are created over time and shared: knowledge, beliefs, customs, values, morals, and so on. Nonmaterial culture also includes common patterns of behavior and the forms of interaction appropriate in a particular society. […] Nonmaterial culture tells us how our society works, what is possible, what to value, how to conduct our everyday lives, and what to do if something breaks down.
Material culture includes the physical artifacts and objects that shape or reflect the lives of members of a particular society: distinctive clothing and architecture, inventions, food, artwork, music, and so on. Some of the most important elements of material culture are technological achievements, which are the ways in which members of a society apply knowledge to adapt to changing social, economic, or environmental conditions.
Newman, David M. Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, Brief Edition. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2015. Print.
Chapter 4: Building Order: Culture and History
(via socio-logic)