Professional Documents
Culture Documents
What is culture?
Culture is the training, development, and refinement of mind, tastes, and manners
patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought (The
American Heritage English Dictionary). There are lots of definitions for culture, but I
would rather think of the characteristics of culture. Most cultures are passed from
generation to generation. Although there are cultural differences and, all cultures share
Culture is LEARNED we are not born with behaviors, but we are born with an ability
to learn. After a person is born, s/he will learn what to do within his culture. As the
person grows up, s/he learns more from each other. Obviously, cultural characteristics
Language is perhaps the most formal meaning system and dialects are examples of a
Culture is SHARED archaeologists can tell the period of certain artifacts by judging
archaeologists.
versions of things. It gradually builds on as time goes by. However, they are only minor
values are developed and affect every learned behavior. Belief system involves myths or
legends that give an insight into how members of a society should feel, think or behave,
whereas a value system differentiates right feelings thoughts and behaviors from
wrongdoings.
protect, keep us warm, run fast, or attack animals with our teeth or jaws. So, we have to
teach our children how to find food, clothes, and protect ourselves. Our survival skills
Learning more about the culture diversity can improve our life: how to get along with
others better, how to adjust ourselves to the diverse culture, or how to adapt new
inventions.
The comparison among cultures will provide answers to questions about human life.
What makes us the same, and what makes us different. Learning these will help us to
Since culture is learned, not born, it is important to plan effective strategies of teaching so
as to give an insight to our children how to establish a system of values and beliefs that
References:
John H Bodley, Cultural Anthropology: Tribes, States, and Global System, 1994
http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vewsu/commons/topics/culture/culture-index.html