What is Culture?
“Culture” refers to the 'way of life' that is comfortable and familiar for people. Everyone is part of a culture. We have learned a set of behavior patterns that govern how we live. Our culture affects our manners, customs, beliefs, values, ideas, ideals and accepted ways of behaving. In many cases, because we have been learning these behaviors from the time we were infants, we are not even aware of our culture—it is simply who we are and how things are done.
Every Culture is Unique
Every culture has been developed to meet the same societal needs:
Government
Security
Arts/Crafts
Knowledge/Science
Religion
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Family Organization
Social Organization
Things to keep in mind about culture:
Culture is learned
It is not something we are born with. We learn culture by observing what people around us say, do, or think.
Culture is a group identifier.
It describes how people in a society of community function together. There are, of course, individual differences within the group.
Culture makes sense to the people living in it.
It is a system of attitudes and feelings that fit together in an integrated, logical way.
In general, cultures have not developed “right” or “wrong” solutions to these needs. They have developed different solutions that make sense in their own context.
Broad examples of cultural differences:
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The US has a very mobile culture. As a result, the basic family unit is usually considered in its smallest, most mobile form – parents and their children. In other cultures that are less mobile and more agrarian there is a much broader understanding of the basic family unit, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.
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The US places a high value on individualism. Americans tend to believe that although losing is regrettable, it is not shameful. Majority rule is therefore an efficient and often effective way of making decisions. In other cultures, acting as a group is preferred to individualism and it is shameful to be in the minority. In these cultures, majority rule does not work well and can be schismatic and disruptive of harmony.
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Traditional foods are usually those that are available in abundance in the local area. The US, for example, has plenty of grazing land and grain available to raise cows, pigs, and sheep. In the US, meat is an important part of our diet and is served at most meals. In other parts of the world, meat is difficult to get and therefore very expensive. In those cultures, other forms of protein are common – such as beans, high-protein grains, or even insects (unthinkable to most Americans).
