What Is Culture?
Culture is a broad term that encompasses the beliefs, values and traditions of a group of people. It also refers to the way a group is organized and the norms that govern its behavior. Cultural practices and behaviors are generally considered to be universal, but they often vary from one society to the next. Some cultures consider their own way of life to be innate, and many people believe that culture is inherent in human nature.
Cultural studies is an academic field that analyzes how a particular culture functions. It examines the ways that people do things, such as how they watch television or eat at restaurants. It also looks at the meanings that people attach to objects and activities. Those meanings are often based on tradition, and they may be independent of any specific reason. For example, watching television to view a public perspective on an historical event is not usually thought of as being part of a culture, but watching television with friends for no specific reason might be.
Unlike the general definition of culture, which applies to a whole group of people, the sociological definition of cultural refers specifically to those aspects that distinguish a group as unique. For sociologist Georg Simmel, culture referred to “the cultivation of individuals through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the course of history.” These forms are both non-material (ideas and ideas) and material, such as the physical evidence that can be found in artifacts and buildings.
Different regions of the world have different cultural traits. For example, the people of Northwest Africa have a very different culture from those of Sub-Saharan Africa. This is because the people of Northwest Africa lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, while those of Sub-Saharan Africa developed traditions that grew out of their rainforest environment.
It is not uncommon for anthropologists to refer to the culture of an individual tribe or a particular topographic region, rather than referring to the cultures of all human beings. This distinction is called a sociocultural system, and it makes sense to study the culture of a distinct group for the sake of scientific research.
While all cultures are unique, they also share some common elements. These are referred to as cultural universals, and they include patterns of sexual reproduction, social interaction, and even the way that people organize their homes. For example, most cultures recognize the importance of family, but the way that this concept is embodied in each culture differs.
While these universals make it possible to compare the differences between different cultures, they can also cause confusion about what constitutes a culture. For example, a wedding ceremony or a pottery bowl might be considered to be part of a culture, but the question arises as to whether these are actually examples of behavior or simply representations of behavioral concepts. This problem is the basis for much of the controversy over what defines a culture.
Culture is a broad term that encompasses the beliefs, values and traditions of a group of people. It also refers to the way a group is organized and the norms that govern its behavior. Cultural practices and behaviors are generally considered to be universal, but they often vary from one society to the next. Some cultures consider their own way of life to be innate, and many people believe that culture is inherent in human nature. Cultural studies is an academic field that analyzes how a particular culture functions. It examines the ways that people do things, such as how they watch television or eat at restaurants. It also looks at the meanings that people attach to objects and activities. Those meanings are often based on tradition, and they may be independent of any specific reason. For example, watching television to view a public perspective on an historical event is not usually thought of as being part of a culture, but watching television with friends for no specific reason might be. Unlike the general definition of culture, which applies to a whole group of people, the sociological definition of cultural refers specifically to those aspects that distinguish a group as unique. For sociologist Georg Simmel, culture referred to “the cultivation of individuals through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the course of history.” These forms are both non-material (ideas and ideas) and material, such as the physical evidence that can be found in artifacts and buildings. Different regions of the world have different cultural traits. For example, the people of Northwest Africa have a very different culture from those of Sub-Saharan Africa. This is because the people of Northwest Africa lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, while those of Sub-Saharan Africa developed traditions that grew out of their rainforest environment. It is not uncommon for anthropologists to refer to the culture of an individual tribe or a particular topographic region, rather than referring to the cultures of all human beings. This distinction is called a sociocultural system, and it makes sense to study the culture of a distinct group for the sake of scientific research. While all cultures are unique, they also share some common elements. These are referred to as cultural universals, and they include patterns of sexual reproduction, social interaction, and even the way that people organize their homes. For example, most cultures recognize the importance of family, but the way that this concept is embodied in each culture differs. While these universals make it possible to compare the differences between different cultures, they can also cause confusion about what constitutes a culture. For example, a wedding ceremony or a pottery bowl might be considered to be part of a culture, but the question arises as to whether these are actually examples of behavior or simply representations of behavioral concepts. This problem is the basis for much of the controversy over what defines a culture.