What is Culture?

Introduction

What is Culture? Culture means different things to different people.  Usually we think of material things that  may seem to stereotype people to a specific group or culture.  We might think about Chinese food or Indian headdresses, or Greek salads, or African drumming as culture, which are definitely part of those cultures.  Much more often, we tend to connect culture to the way people look – their outward appearance and dress.  When we meet someone for the first time, we judge them outwardly to decide what culture  they might be from.  Phenotypes or outside appearances can be clues to a person’s culture, but far from absolute.

Example

The picture above illustrates how the first things we notice about others are the differences (phenotypes) in outward appearances.  No human being is the same as any other; and the outside appearance is not all that makes up diversity.  In fact all the young people in the photo above may all be Americans.  They may all have been born in America by parents that were also American born.  They may all look different, but they may all be culturally alike. Read more.

Global Villages Course I

Sign up to take the Global Villages Course I, which introduces students to Global Villages, also known as dominant culture regions. The Global Villages courses on this site are both historical and cultural in content because it is difficult to discuss one without the other.  Geographic location is also an undeniable impact upon culture and cultural adaptations.  Therefore, Cultural Geography, today, divides the world’s land masses into eleven (11) separate and dominant culture regions. Read more.

 Learning Culture Through Food

Learning Culture Through Food

You must first sign up to take this Course.  The Learning Culture Through Food lessons delve deeply into the reasons why our health and well-being is compromised because of modernity and technology and not just our genetic constitution as some argue.  Our bodies have evolved in many ways to enable us to eat in our modern world.  One example is that of lactose intolerance.  Chances are, if your ancient ancestors were dairy farmers, you may not be lactose intolerant.  Over time our bodies evolve to cooperate with the culture we are born into.  Our bodies have not yet evolved to eat the highly processed and refined foods we are now consuming.  This course will begin at the beginning, with Origins of Human Diets, as you will note in the topics covered.  Understanding diet history, which is related to culture and environment, as well as evolution, is important in developing  the healthiest pattern of eating for quality of life and longevity. Read more.

 Global Villages Course II

Sign up to take the Global Villages Course II, which introduces students to four more Global Villages, also known as dominant culture regions.  The Global Villages courses on this site are both historical and cultural in content because it is difficult to discuss one without the other.  Geographic location is also an undeniable impact upon culture and cultural adaptations.  Therefore, Cultural Geography, today, divides the world’s land masses into eleven (11) separate and dominant culture regions. Read more.

Culture in Autobiography

You must first sign up to take Culture in Autobiography, even though the course is free.  Culture in Autobiography is a journey of discovery about oneself or others (if you are writing another person’s story).  Writing personal history or autobiography is challenging and inspiring.  It can be a kind of self-therapy.  You get things out of your head, off of your mind, and on to paper.  Read more.

Enculturation, Being Culture Bound

You must sign up to take Enculturation, Being Culture-bound.  It is a free introductory course on enculturation.  Lessons create fun ways to explore how you have become you!  The way people act towards others, and how they see themselves, is based on cultural learning from birth.  Learning how and why people become prejudiced or not against others is a key component of this course.  As soon as we are born, we begin to learn how to survive in our little part of the universe.  Who is responsible for teaching us how to get along with others?  Those who interact with us everyday are important models of cultural survival.  Learning to survive and thrive in our environment is the most important part of each person’s life. Read more.

Subsistence Practices/Making a Living

Sign up for Subsistence Practices/Making a Living, which informs students about the many ways human beings adapt to their environments and learn to make a living as the Orma pastoralist in East Africa above illustrates. This course takes approximately four weeks.  Each lesson should take about a week; but you can work at your own pace.  Cultural Anthropology seeks to view each cultural concept in its broadest terms.  This lesson brings understanding that all people everywhere must learn the skills appropriate for subsistence practices and making a living. Such skills and adaptations are essential for survival. Read more.

Global Villages Course III

Sign up to take the Global Villages Course III, which introduces students to the final three dominant culture regions in this series of Courses.  The Global Villages courses on this site are both historical and cultural in content because it is difficult to discuss one without the other.  Geographic location is also an undeniable impact upon culture and cultural adaptations.  Therefore, Cultural Geography, today, divides the world’s land masses into eleven (11) separate and dominant culture regions. Read more.

Evolution of Culture

Sign up to take the Evolution of Culture Course, which has to do with the real meaning of “the political.”  The political is not what most people think the political concerns.  This series of lessons are extremely important because the political involves an understanding of how cultures have become diverse and more complex over long periods of time.  When population numbers increase, social management becomes more and more necessary.  In this context, we see how cultures have not only become diverse, but how they have evolved over time to be complex parts of the many puzzle pieces that make up the Global Villages of today’s world. Read more.