A person’s culture is his or her way of life that encompasses a wide variety of aspects. These include language, religion, cuisine and other social patterns that make up the characteristics of a group’s identity. Cultural studies, a field of study in which an individual may earn a degree, focuses on the study of these aspects and how they relate to one another.
A student who is pursuing a degree in cultural studies, for example, will learn how these aspects are created and maintained within society. He or she will also become familiar with the ways in which the cultures of different peoples are similar, as well as the differences that exist between them. The concept of cultural is also applied to the arts, including music, visual art and dance.
The term cultural, in the context of anthropology, refers to an entire collection of human activities, beliefs and values that are transmitted from generation to generation. A person’s culture influences his or her attitudes, beliefs and actions, as well as the way in which he or she views the world around him. The definition of culture has been interpreted in many different ways over the years, but it is generally accepted that culture consists of a wide range of intangible aspects of human existence.
In the 19th century, a scholar named Edward Tylor began to develop a theory of culture that was influenced by his own experiences as an amateur archaeologist and the work of renowned scholars of the time, including Franz Boas. He argued that culture is a complex system of inherited conceptions, expressed in a symbolic form.
One of the first students of Boas, Ruth Benedict, was a proponent of his theory of culture. She wrote a best-selling book, Patterns of Culture, in 1934 that promoted the idea that a person’s culture gives him or her a coherent framework for thinking and behaving. This framework also influences the way in which he or she relates to the “other,” such as family members and strangers.
During the 20th century, scholars like Alfred Kroeber and Bronislaw Malinowski argued that culture consists of social patterns that create an overall identity for a person. They defined culture as a group’s attitudes, behaviors and beliefs that are passed down from one generation to the next through learning. They also believed that a person’s culture is shaped by his or her interaction with others and the environment.
The concept of cultural has become more complicated in recent times, as some scholars have begun to look at how culture is constantly changing and evolving in response to internal and external factors. These new perspectives are sometimes referred to as postmodern or critical cultural theory. Some people have criticized the idea of a universal culture, which they see as limiting the understanding of other groups’ customs. Others have embraced the notion of cultural diversity, which they feel provides greater opportunities for learning and appreciation of the differences among human cultures.