What Is Culture?
Culture is a social system that consists of norms, behaviors, beliefs, values, habits and knowledge that is shared by a group of people. Usually, culture originates from a particular region or area. The cultural elements include customs, arts, beliefs, and norms. In addition, these elements are intangible.
Values are the basic guiding principles that are followed by a group of people. They define the things that are important and dictate important actions. These values are natural-unnatural, right-wrong, and good-evil. People who adhere to these values are strong, and they teach tolerance and brotherhood.
Throughout the world, we find a variety of cultures. Whether a person belongs to many different cultures, or only to one, he or she must learn to work with others and to be flexible. This is because cultural differences can lead to a fragmented sense of identity.
Although culture can be defined as the way of life of a particular group of people, it can also refer to the sum of all the ideas and practices of that group. It is also the cumulative deposit of experience, beliefs, and knowledge. Some of the intangible aspects of culture are beliefs, rituals, social roles, morals, and social standards.
Symbols are also elements of culture. Symbols are objects that carry a specific meaning and are regularly copied. A symbol may be used to represent a common future for the group. However, these symbols often disappear quickly.
Cultural values, on the other hand, are the ideals that are embodied in a group’s behavior. Those ideals guide the social, economic, and physical activities of a society. For example, in Eastern countries, rice harvesting is a cultural practice. Likewise, the Batwa of the Central African rainforest live a foraging lifestyle.
Culture can be described as a complex and dynamic system of concepts, ideas, meanings, and symbols. These concepts and ideas are learned through socialization and can be inferred from people’s behavior and actions. Thus, the values and beliefs of a culture can be regarded as an implicit pattern of behavior.
The value systems of a society are governed by the norms of the dominant group. Each individual has a personal role in the culture. When a culture is asymmetrical, people who belong to the dominant culture may be in conflict with the other cultural groups. Such conflicts can cause acculturative stress.
Besides values, there are other cultural elements, including traditions, rituals, and languages. Depending on the country and its historical development, these elements can have different importance. Nonetheless, they are considered socially essential.
Culture has been categorized as the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development by UNESCO. During the past 2,500 years, there were a number of important events that shaped Western culture. Among them was the Black Death of the 1300s. At that time, Europe lost one-third of its population. Survivors of the plague gained power, and a new society began to emerge. Eventually, the fall of Rome cleared the way for the establishment of warring states in Europe.
Culture is a social system that consists of norms, behaviors, beliefs, values, habits and knowledge that is shared by a group of people. Usually, culture originates from a particular region or area. The cultural elements include customs, arts, beliefs, and norms. In addition, these elements are intangible. Values are the basic guiding principles that are followed by a group of people. They define the things that are important and dictate important actions. These values are natural-unnatural, right-wrong, and good-evil. People who adhere to these values are strong, and they teach tolerance and brotherhood. Throughout the world, we find a variety of cultures. Whether a person belongs to many different cultures, or only to one, he or she must learn to work with others and to be flexible. This is because cultural differences can lead to a fragmented sense of identity. Although culture can be defined as the way of life of a particular group of people, it can also refer to the sum of all the ideas and practices of that group. It is also the cumulative deposit of experience, beliefs, and knowledge. Some of the intangible aspects of culture are beliefs, rituals, social roles, morals, and social standards. Symbols are also elements of culture. Symbols are objects that carry a specific meaning and are regularly copied. A symbol may be used to represent a common future for the group. However, these symbols often disappear quickly. Cultural values, on the other hand, are the ideals that are embodied in a group’s behavior. Those ideals guide the social, economic, and physical activities of a society. For example, in Eastern countries, rice harvesting is a cultural practice. Likewise, the Batwa of the Central African rainforest live a foraging lifestyle. Culture can be described as a complex and dynamic system of concepts, ideas, meanings, and symbols. These concepts and ideas are learned through socialization and can be inferred from people’s behavior and actions. Thus, the values and beliefs of a culture can be regarded as an implicit pattern of behavior. The value systems of a society are governed by the norms of the dominant group. Each individual has a personal role in the culture. When a culture is asymmetrical, people who belong to the dominant culture may be in conflict with the other cultural groups. Such conflicts can cause acculturative stress. Besides values, there are other cultural elements, including traditions, rituals, and languages. Depending on the country and its historical development, these elements can have different importance. Nonetheless, they are considered socially essential. Culture has been categorized as the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development by UNESCO. During the past 2,500 years, there were a number of important events that shaped Western culture. Among them was the Black Death of the 1300s. At that time, Europe lost one-third of its population. Survivors of the plague gained power, and a new society began to emerge. Eventually, the fall of Rome cleared the way for the establishment of warring states in Europe.