What Is Culture?
Culture is the totality of learned behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values and other mental components that bind groups together. It is an integrated whole that includes a society’s traditions and values, worldview, language, skills, arts, beliefs, laws, customs, abilities and other aspects of human societies. It is a system that humans learn through imitation and communication with other members of their community. It is the way of life of a particular group and is passed on from one generation to the next.
A common misconception is that cultures are isolated from each other. But artists, writers, scientists, craftsmen and other people from different communities often learn from each other. This is not just a result of the interconnectedness of modern globalization, but has occurred throughout history. For example, Japanese prints influenced Paul Gauguin’s paintings; African masks inspired Pablo Picasso’s works; and the neoclassical style of architecture was used in Liberian homes built by formerly enslaved African Americans.
While there are many definitions of culture, anthropologists have come to agree on certain characteristics of the concept. These include the notion that culture is a shared system of ideas, values and symbols that unites all members of a society; that it is learned through communication and imitation; that it includes traditional concepts and their attached values; that it is holistic and dynamic; and that it has a powerful impact on future behavior.
Because it is a living system, culture is constantly changing and reshaping itself. As a result, it can be difficult to discern whether the change is a reflection of the culture itself or due to external influences. In the past, historians have tended to prioritize the study of ruptures in cultural history, such as major battles or shifts in political power, but the new ‘cultural turn’ has challenged this view and encouraged researchers to look for continuities as well as discontinuities, and to consider the ways in which cultural histories are shaped by the social relations that form them.
It is also important to note that a distinction should be made between good cultural generalizations and stereotypes. Good generalizations are based on systematic cross-cultural research and refer to predominant tendencies among groups of people. Stereotypes, on the other hand, are rigid and limiting, describing a person as either wholly or mostly of one type.
The natural environment exerts a strong influence on every cultural system. For example, the indigenous cultures of some Eskimos have developed remarkable adaptations to their environments. These range from tailored fur clothing and snow goggles to hemispherical snow houses called igloos.
This site is a small but growing collection of resources that explores world cultures and cultural exchanges over time. It allows users to search by historical period and theme. It can be used at the high school level for teaching purposes, or by anyone interested in learning about the diversity of world cultures.
Culture is the totality of learned behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values and other mental components that bind groups together. It is an integrated whole that includes a society’s traditions and values, worldview, language, skills, arts, beliefs, laws, customs, abilities and other aspects of human societies. It is a system that humans learn through imitation and communication with other members of their community. It is the way of life of a particular group and is passed on from one generation to the next. A common misconception is that cultures are isolated from each other. But artists, writers, scientists, craftsmen and other people from different communities often learn from each other. This is not just a result of the interconnectedness of modern globalization, but has occurred throughout history. For example, Japanese prints influenced Paul Gauguin’s paintings; African masks inspired Pablo Picasso’s works; and the neoclassical style of architecture was used in Liberian homes built by formerly enslaved African Americans. While there are many definitions of culture, anthropologists have come to agree on certain characteristics of the concept. These include the notion that culture is a shared system of ideas, values and symbols that unites all members of a society; that it is learned through communication and imitation; that it includes traditional concepts and their attached values; that it is holistic and dynamic; and that it has a powerful impact on future behavior. Because it is a living system, culture is constantly changing and reshaping itself. As a result, it can be difficult to discern whether the change is a reflection of the culture itself or due to external influences. In the past, historians have tended to prioritize the study of ruptures in cultural history, such as major battles or shifts in political power, but the new ‘cultural turn’ has challenged this view and encouraged researchers to look for continuities as well as discontinuities, and to consider the ways in which cultural histories are shaped by the social relations that form them. It is also important to note that a distinction should be made between good cultural generalizations and stereotypes. Good generalizations are based on systematic cross-cultural research and refer to predominant tendencies among groups of people. Stereotypes, on the other hand, are rigid and limiting, describing a person as either wholly or mostly of one type. The natural environment exerts a strong influence on every cultural system. For example, the indigenous cultures of some Eskimos have developed remarkable adaptations to their environments. These range from tailored fur clothing and snow goggles to hemispherical snow houses called igloos. This site is a small but growing collection of resources that explores world cultures and cultural exchanges over time. It allows users to search by historical period and theme. It can be used at the high school level for teaching purposes, or by anyone interested in learning about the diversity of world cultures.