A culture is a collective system of beliefs, values, attitudes, hierarchies, roles, notions of time, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions that are learned by experience. It is not a set of rules or a group of practices, but rather the entire pattern of life that a society lives by and that guides its members in their everyday behavior and choices. Cultures are unique to each society, but there are many common themes that all cultures share. These include: that culture is learned and shared, that it is symbolic and holistic, that it is integrated and adaptive, and that it is influenced by emotion.
Culture is found in everything that a person or group does, from the way they work to the language they speak, the music they listen to, the food they eat and even the religion they practice. A person’s beliefs and values are also influenced by their culture, and they can be seen in the clothes they wear, the way they talk, and the things they value most.
Generally, a culture is created by a large group of people and passed on from one generation to the next through social learning. It can be found in all forms of human activity, including but not limited to: religion, art, music, food, dance, and sports. There are also subcultures within a society, with each having their own distinct traits. These may include age groups, genders, ethnicity, and geographic locations.
Cultural historians have long struggled with the difficulty of defining culture. They have tried to find ways to separate it from those works that avoid the economic or symbolic urgencies of daily life and are subject to an aesthetic or intellectual judgment, as well as to ordinary practices through which a society, whatever its type, lives and thinks out its relations to the world and to itself.
In an attempt to resolve this dilemma, some scholars have suggested that a more appropriate term for culture would be “cultural heritage.” This approach focuses on the preservation and dissemination of heritage objects such as artworks, buildings, and other physical artifacts. It also includes those elements of a society that are less tangible, such as myths, legends, and traditions.
A cultural heritage approach would be in line with the concept of a globalization that is occurring in our modern world. It would allow for a more holistic understanding of the differences in worldviews and perspectives that exist between different societies. Ultimately, it could lead to the development of more inclusive societies that welcome and embrace diversity.