Culture is the set of shared values, beliefs, traditions, habits and customs that shape human behavior. The term includes language, art, literature, music, religion, science, food and other aspects of a society.
Cultural diversity is a term used to describe the wide range of differences in culture that exist across countries and regions. It is important to understand these differences because they can help us make more informed decisions about our interactions with people from other cultures and countries.
Many definitions of culture are offered by different researchers and scholars. For example, cross-cultural psychologists Matsumoto and Juang define culture as “a sociopsychological construct, a sharing across people of psychological phenomena such as values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.”
The study of cultural history is an area of research that looks into how societies have changed over time. It includes the study of languages, religion, philosophy, culture, art and archaeology.
A cultural historian aims to bring history to life, examining the past in terms of beliefs, ideas and actions. They may also examine the ways that individuals have responded to a specific historical event or situation.
Typically, the study of cultural history brings together an array of disciplines including history, political science, economics, sociology and anthropology. A cultural historian’s approach to the past can also be influenced by the way that society is organised, for example, how power is distributed or the roles of gender in society.
Another aspect of cultural history is the study of how different groups have adapted to their environment. This can be particularly relevant for those who work with culturally diverse communities because it helps them to better understand how they live in the present.
There are a number of ways to study culture, but some of the most common include:
Culture Area and Type
One of the key concepts in the study of culture is the idea that a society has a particular habitat, and that this environment affects its culture. This idea was first put forward by anthropologist Clark Wissler in his book Man and Culture.
Other researchers, such as Eric Wolf, use the concept of culture area to explore how different social formations and economies have shaped how people think about their world. They also argue that power plays a key role in defining how people understand their past.
This means that a person’s culture can be based on their social class, their gender or their occupation, for example. This can be especially true in areas that are traditionally dominated by men, such as in industrial towns and cities.