What is Culture?
A culture is a set of traditions and beliefs that distinguish a society. When people speak of Italian culture, Samoan culture, or Japanese culture, they are referring to the body of traditions that sets these societies apart from others. These include language, religion, food habits and cooking styles, social mores, customs and values. The term is used in sociology and anthropology, among other disciplines.
Culture is also the concept by which historians study historical behavior, especially the way in which groups of human beings behave and interact. The history of cultural behavior can be analyzed at the level of individual, family, societal group and even the entire world. The discipline of cultural history studies how these patterns are learned, passed on and changed over time.
The word “culture” comes from a Latin term meaning cultivation and nurture, or to actively foster growth. Thus, it is a perfect term for an area of study that is constantly growing and changing.
For example, one can trace the origins of Western culture through the development of religion and philosophy. In addition, a number of preexisting cultural ideas have had an impact on religion as well. For instance, the teachings of Buddha were incorporated into Taoism and Confucianism. Similarly, the philosophies of Hinduism have had an impact on both Buddhism and Islam.
Historically, the idea of culture has been debated as to whether it is an abstract concept or if it refers to concrete behaviour. For example, Kroeber and Kluckhohn reasoned that if culture is an abstraction, it must be based on behavior, which would make it subject matter for psychology. They thus argued that culture is an abstraction that can be applied to many different subjects, such as marriage ceremonies or pottery bowls.
Anthropologists generally agree that a culture is the inherited, learned and shared behaviour of an identifiable group of human beings. These societies may be a tribe, an ethnic group or a modern nation. The boundaries of a culture may be determined by a number of factors, including physical limitations and the degree of isolation imposed by geographical barriers. In addition, a culture may have its own distinctive characteristics, such as the ability of a group to survive in harsh environmental conditions.
A well-developed culture is one that can adapt to changes in the environment, such as the development of new foods or the invention of new weapons. The cultures of Eskimo groups, for example, are remarkable in that they have developed a wide range of adaptations to the cold, including tailored fur clothing, snow goggles, boats and harpoons for hunting sea mammals, and hemispherical snow houses called igloos.
Some scholars have referred to the study of cultures as a “science of society” or a “science of man.” It is considered an important part of the scientific study of humankind and the evolution of civilizations. It can help to understand and predict future trends, such as those associated with globalization and the development of a global culture.
A culture is a set of traditions and beliefs that distinguish a society. When people speak of Italian culture, Samoan culture, or Japanese culture, they are referring to the body of traditions that sets these societies apart from others. These include language, religion, food habits and cooking styles, social mores, customs and values. The term is used in sociology and anthropology, among other disciplines. Culture is also the concept by which historians study historical behavior, especially the way in which groups of human beings behave and interact. The history of cultural behavior can be analyzed at the level of individual, family, societal group and even the entire world. The discipline of cultural history studies how these patterns are learned, passed on and changed over time. The word “culture” comes from a Latin term meaning cultivation and nurture, or to actively foster growth. Thus, it is a perfect term for an area of study that is constantly growing and changing. For example, one can trace the origins of Western culture through the development of religion and philosophy. In addition, a number of preexisting cultural ideas have had an impact on religion as well. For instance, the teachings of Buddha were incorporated into Taoism and Confucianism. Similarly, the philosophies of Hinduism have had an impact on both Buddhism and Islam. Historically, the idea of culture has been debated as to whether it is an abstract concept or if it refers to concrete behaviour. For example, Kroeber and Kluckhohn reasoned that if culture is an abstraction, it must be based on behavior, which would make it subject matter for psychology. They thus argued that culture is an abstraction that can be applied to many different subjects, such as marriage ceremonies or pottery bowls. Anthropologists generally agree that a culture is the inherited, learned and shared behaviour of an identifiable group of human beings. These societies may be a tribe, an ethnic group or a modern nation. The boundaries of a culture may be determined by a number of factors, including physical limitations and the degree of isolation imposed by geographical barriers. In addition, a culture may have its own distinctive characteristics, such as the ability of a group to survive in harsh environmental conditions. A well-developed culture is one that can adapt to changes in the environment, such as the development of new foods or the invention of new weapons. The cultures of Eskimo groups, for example, are remarkable in that they have developed a wide range of adaptations to the cold, including tailored fur clothing, snow goggles, boats and harpoons for hunting sea mammals, and hemispherical snow houses called igloos. Some scholars have referred to the study of cultures as a “science of society” or a “science of man.” It is considered an important part of the scientific study of humankind and the evolution of civilizations. It can help to understand and predict future trends, such as those associated with globalization and the development of a global culture.