We explain what culture is and what types of culture exist. Also, its characteristics, the elements of a culture and examples.
What is culture?
Culture is the set of elements and characteristics of a specific human community. It includes aspects such as customs, traditions, norms and the way a group thinks about itself, communicates and builds a society.
The word “culture” is a broad term that comes from the Latin word cultusin turn derived from colerethat is, “taking care of the fields and livestock”, which today is known as “cultivating”. The Roman thinker Cicero (1st century BC) used the term anime culture (“cultivate the spirit”) to metaphorically refer to the work of making human wisdom flourish.
The culture covers aspects such as religion, morality, arts, protocol, law, history and economics of a certain group. The term is used to refer to the different manifestations of the human being and, according to some definitions, everything that is created by humans is culture.
Culture characteristics
Some characteristics of the culture are:
- It uses human creation and production.
- It is generated and shared by a group of society, according to geographical, social or economic aspects.
- It is dynamic, so it changes and mutates according to the needs of the group.
- It is diverse, there is no single universal culture, but there are many types of cultures according to different criteria.
- It is learned by members of a group.
- It uses both material and immaterial elements.
- It is passed down from generation to generation.
Elements of culture
Every culture is made up of six basic elements:
- Values. They are criteria that determine what is desirable in a society. These values guide the behavior of individuals in a given culture and are the basis of norms.
- Rules and sanctions. It is the regulations by which companies are governed, whether explicitly (legally), protocolally or subjectively. There are many types of rules (such as legal, religious or moral) and, in many cases, non-compliance is grounds for sanctions.
- Beliefs. It is the set of ideas that members of a culture share about human beings, their purpose and the universe. These beliefs usually guide the actions of individuals.
- Symbols. They are emblems, shapes or signs that contain meaning within a culture and that represent its model of life, its beliefs, its customs and its ancestral tradition.
- Language. It is the shared code that allows individuals to communicate through speech, body or writing.
- Technology. It is the knowledge that is applied in a discipline to improve procedures or the production of goods and services. The great technological revolutions brought about profound cultural changes.
Types of culture
Culture can be classified according to different criteria. Some are:
According to the socioeconomic aspect:
- elite culture. It is one that is sustained from the highest spheres of power within a society.
- popular culture. It is the set of cultural manifestations and elements typical of a town.
- mass culture. It is made up of cultural assets that are presented by the mass media and accessed by a large portion of the population.
According to the use of writing:
- Oral or written cultures. They are those who did not know writing and used the oral form to transmit and preserve their traditions.
- Literary cultures. They are those that emerged after the invention of writing and that use this tool to transmit the traits of their culture from generation to generation.
according to religion:
- theistic cultures. They are those who believe in a higher divinity and are usually: monotheistic (when they believe in a single divinity) or polytheistic (when they believe in more than one divinity).
- Non-theistic cultures. They are those that do not believe in a higher divinity, but rather give power to other forces, such as the forces of nature.
According to the form of production:
- nomadic cultures. They are those that do not settle permanently in a geographical location, but rather move their settlement according to the availability of food or work.
- urban cultures. They are those that develop in cities and usually base their economy on activities such as commerce and services. Its inhabitants share traits and lifestyles.
- Rural cultures. They are those sedentary cultures that settle in rural areas and base their economy on activities such as agriculture and livestock. These groups share their own traditions, customs and traits.
According to the geopolitical distribution:
- global culture. It is one that occurs in a very wide geographical space and the terms are usually used within this category: Western culture, that shared by the countries and groups of the Western Hemisphere; and oriental culture, that shared by the countries located in the eastern hemisphere.
- Regional culture. It is that culture that is shared by the countries that make up a region and that have common traits, such as Latin America.
- national culture. It is one that develops within a certain State, in which its inhabitants share values and symbols.
- Local culture. It is one that develops in smaller portions of territory, in which individuals share traits and customs.
Importance of culture and cultural diversity
Culture is created by human beings and is present in social groups, so all individuals are affected and challenged by it. Culture is important because it gives people identity and a sense of belonging. It is through it that the individual expresses himself, incorporates a lifestyle, shares and relates to his peers.
Culture includes material and immaterial goods which are creations that reflect the values of a society and are reflected in artistic forms, such as music, art, literature, dance, architecture, gastronomy, among many others.
There are different cultures with their own characteristics in all regions of the world and this is known as cultural diversity. The relationship and harmonious coexistence between different cultures that share a time or space is important, because it generates an exchange of ways of life and creations that leads to the enrichment of different societies.
Cultural heritage
The cultural heritage is made up of all those goods created by human beings throughout history which due to their importance or influence seek to be preserved so that they can be appreciated by future generations.
The set of assets that make up heritage are usually listed by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), which is an organization that establishes bases for the care and protection of heritage. Heritage usually includes both material goods, such as buildings, utensils, crafts and works of art, and intangible goods, such as festivities, rituals, music, among others.
The conservation of the cultural heritage of humanity is essential to care for those human creations that are relevant and that are expected to be appreciated and studied by subsequent generations.
Examples of culture
Some examples of culture are:
- Chinese culture. It is the culture of China, an Asian country and one of the oldest nations on Earth. It is characterized by its own features such as its gastronomy, its philosophical positions, its languages and its religions.
- European culture. It is the culture that identifies the values of the European region. In ancient times this term was often used because Europe functioned as the cultural, technological and commercial center of the ancient world.
- Pre-Columbian cultures. It is the set of American civilizations prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus and European colonization. Some of these cultures are the Mexicas (Aztecs), the Incas, the Taínos and the Caribs.
- Culture 2.0. It is the culture of the internet and social networks, and encompasses all the interactions that occur on virtual platforms and applications.
Continue with: Organizational culture
References
- “Culture” in RAE.
- “Culture” in Cambridge Dictionary.
- “Cultural heritage” in UNESCO.
- “Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity” in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- “World Day for Cultural Diversity” at the UN.
