The Definition of Culture
Cultural is a broad term that encompasses both the physical elements of a group’s identity, including cuisines, music and art, as well as intangible ideas that define its beliefs, traditions, values and social norms. Sociologists view culture as a key element of human nature, but the definition of culture is constantly evolving and is influenced by external forces.
A group’s unique cultural ideas are shaped by the influences of its geographic location and historical environment. Historically, Buddhism and Hinduism were dominant driving cultures in India and China, respectively, and the philosophies of these religions shaped their respective countries’ social ideas. Preexisting cultural ideas in these countries also influenced the development of their religions, such as the Chinese philosophy of Taoism, which emphasizes compassion, frugality and humility.
In addition to religion, a country’s political structure, economic conditions and government policies contribute to its culture, as do a society’s values and traditions. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition states that culture is a cumulative deposit of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, meanings, symbols and rules that is transmitted from generation to generation. It also includes a society’s values and a sense of time.
Cultural heritage is the physical evidence that a culture has existed in the past and continues to exist today. Anthropologists and archeologists are the main practitioners of this field, but it applies to any object that can be linked to a particular culture, such as clothing, tools, artwork, buildings and writings. Anthropologists and archeologists also study the relationship between a culture and its people. A person’s understanding of a culture is a direct reflection of how the individual is shaped by that culture, including his or her beliefs and behavior.
Some scholars have defined the difference between material and nonmaterial culture, with the latter being everything a person understands and accepts, such as laws, morals, traditions, language and other intangible ideas that are inherited from one’s parents. Nonmaterial culture is often more important in defining a person than the actual objects and buildings that a person owns or has built.
Regardless of the exact definition, it is widely accepted that every culture has a distinct sense of history, and that a person’s own understanding of his or her own culture is a result of a lifelong process of learning from parents and others. This process is often referred to as acculturation, and can happen on both an individual and national level.
Cultural history research seeks to understand a culture’s past by examining its beliefs, assumptions and prejudices, from magical beliefs and gender roles to racial hierarchies and beliefs about the natural world. It is an exciting and challenging discipline that tries to answer questions as diverse as whether pristine wilderness exists, why we believe in gods and ghosts, the link between oracles and digital algorithms and how the concept of time might change on Mars.
Cultural is a broad term that encompasses both the physical elements of a group’s identity, including cuisines, music and art, as well as intangible ideas that define its beliefs, traditions, values and social norms. Sociologists view culture as a key element of human nature, but the definition of culture is constantly evolving and is influenced by external forces. A group’s unique cultural ideas are shaped by the influences of its geographic location and historical environment. Historically, Buddhism and Hinduism were dominant driving cultures in India and China, respectively, and the philosophies of these religions shaped their respective countries’ social ideas. Preexisting cultural ideas in these countries also influenced the development of their religions, such as the Chinese philosophy of Taoism, which emphasizes compassion, frugality and humility. In addition to religion, a country’s political structure, economic conditions and government policies contribute to its culture, as do a society’s values and traditions. The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition states that culture is a cumulative deposit of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, meanings, symbols and rules that is transmitted from generation to generation. It also includes a society’s values and a sense of time. Cultural heritage is the physical evidence that a culture has existed in the past and continues to exist today. Anthropologists and archeologists are the main practitioners of this field, but it applies to any object that can be linked to a particular culture, such as clothing, tools, artwork, buildings and writings. Anthropologists and archeologists also study the relationship between a culture and its people. A person’s understanding of a culture is a direct reflection of how the individual is shaped by that culture, including his or her beliefs and behavior. Some scholars have defined the difference between material and nonmaterial culture, with the latter being everything a person understands and accepts, such as laws, morals, traditions, language and other intangible ideas that are inherited from one’s parents. Nonmaterial culture is often more important in defining a person than the actual objects and buildings that a person owns or has built. Regardless of the exact definition, it is widely accepted that every culture has a distinct sense of history, and that a person’s own understanding of his or her own culture is a result of a lifelong process of learning from parents and others. This process is often referred to as acculturation, and can happen on both an individual and national level. Cultural history research seeks to understand a culture’s past by examining its beliefs, assumptions and prejudices, from magical beliefs and gender roles to racial hierarchies and beliefs about the natural world. It is an exciting and challenging discipline that tries to answer questions as diverse as whether pristine wilderness exists, why we believe in gods and ghosts, the link between oracles and digital algorithms and how the concept of time might change on Mars.