Definitions of Culture
Compare these different definitions of culture:
Culture is "the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations." (Culture, 2007)
"Culture: is a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior -- an abstract 'mental blueprint' or 'mental code.'" (Dahl, 2001)
Culture is "the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought." (Culture, The Free Dictionary, 2007)
Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate,") generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significant importance. Different definitions of "culture" reflect different theoretical bases for understanding, or criteria for evaluating, human activity.
Culture is manifested in music, literature, painting and sculpture, theater and film.[1] Although some people identify culture in terms of consumption and consumer goods (as in high culture, low culture, folk culture, or popular culture)[2], anthropologists understand "culture" to refer not only to consumption goods, but to the general processes which produce such goods and give them meaning, and to the social relationships and practices in which such objects and processes become embedded. For them, culture thus includes technology, art, science, as well as moral systems. (Culture, 2007)
How well do these definitions help you understand your own culture and the culture of the students and families in your classroom? Knowing your own culture can assist you in being a better teacher. After all, how can we expect our students to know about themselves if we don't know who we are? We'll work together in Activity 2-D-2 to create a better understanding of our own personal culture.