Culture is all the ways of life and beliefs of a population, including codes of behavior, manners, dress, language, religion, art, rituals, and systems of thought. It also includes notions of time and space, roles in society, concepts of the universe and material possessions that are passed down from generation to generation.
A key aspect of cultural is that it changes over time. New beliefs, values, customs and traditions replace older ones. The process of change is much faster for societies that are open to outside influences, such as those that trade with other cultures or have high rates of immigration.
The study of cultural change is a major field in the social sciences. Some scholars have proposed theoretical touchstones for understanding it. These include Jurgen Habermas’s formulation of the public sphere in The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere; Clifford Geertz’s concept of “thick description” in The Interpretation of Cultures; and Paul Connerton’s idea of memory as a cultural-historical category in How Societies Remember.
Many people who work in the field of culture consider it essential to understand the complexity of its nature, and others believe that it is important to make efforts to promote tolerance of other viewpoints and approaches to living. However, the complexities of this issue cannot be easily resolved, as even the best-intentioned and most knowledgeable efforts can fail to take into account the many dimensions and nuances that comprise a particular culture.
In this spotlight series, scholars from a wide range of disciplines and areas of research discuss their ideas about what the concept of culture really means—and how to think about it. They consider cultural definitions, approaches and applications, and provide insights that will be useful to anyone interested in culture, whether as a subject of academic study or in daily life.
This series was edited by Catherine Raeff, and the authors reviewed and provided extensive substantive feedback on each other’s submissions. The Spotlight Series on Cultural Perspectives and Processes is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or its officers or trustees.