surface culture; higher-order culture
Used in cultural anthropology or sociology to refer to the more visible, institutional, or elite aspects of a culture, often contrasted with 基層文化 (fundamental or folk culture).
See also: 基層文化
This study analyzes the interaction between surface culture and fundamental culture.
基層文化 refers to the underlying, often folk or traditional culture, while 表層文化 refers to the more visible, institutional, or elite cultural layer.
Compound of 表層 (surface layer) and 文化 (culture). The term is a technical coinage in cultural anthropology, likely a calque from Western academic terminology.