Difference between revisions of "What is culture?"

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It appears so, that even though many people speak about "culture" it is hard to find a single underlying meaning that unifies the description of "culturing" bacteria or "Hawai'i's unique culture and history" (Aloha Feb. 64/3) or observations that "Football is an art more central to our [English] culture than anything the Arts Council deigns to recognize." (Germaine Greer, ''The Independent'', 28  Jun. 1996).
 
It appears so, that even though many people speak about "culture" it is hard to find a single underlying meaning that unifies the description of "culturing" bacteria or "Hawai'i's unique culture and history" (Aloha Feb. 64/3) or observations that "Football is an art more central to our [English] culture than anything the Arts Council deigns to recognize." (Germaine Greer, ''The Independent'', 28  Jun. 1996).
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Much rather the term often seems to denote something entirely else depending on the context of utterance. For scholars of ''culture'' such as you this poses the question of what you mean when you use the term ''culture'' and what you are looking for if you want to analyse ''culture''?
 
Much rather the term often seems to denote something entirely else depending on the context of utterance. For scholars of ''culture'' such as you this poses the question of what you mean when you use the term ''culture'' and what you are looking for if you want to analyse ''culture''?
  
 
You have two options here:
 
You have two options here:
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1. You can go and try to find the underlying essential core of meaning that unifies all utterances of ''culture'' and you can then try to define what culture is.
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2. Or, you can understand the speaking about ''culture'' as a work in progress. You can look at this progress as a constant ongoing negotiation and about what culture in which each speaker constructs the meaning of culture anew. This perspective allows you to position yourself in [[The Discourse on Culture]].
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*You can go and try to find the underlying essential core of meaning that unifies all utterances of ''culture'' and you can then try to define what culture is.
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*Or you can understand the speaking about ''culture'' as a work in progress. You can look at this progress as a constant, ongoing negotiation about what culture is. In these negotiations each speaker constructs the meaning of culture specifically and anew. Such a perspective allows you to understand and describe the different contexts of use and position yourself in this [http://wiki.angl-am.uni-oldenburg.de/index.php/The_Discourse_on_Culture discourse on culture].
 
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Revision as of 17:36, 8 June 2012

http://www.positivists.org/i/art-is-art.jpg

What is culture?

If you look up the term culture in the Oxford English Dictionary you will find that the term culture is used in very different contexts, can refer to very diverse concepts and there concepts include very different materials. To name just a few of these contexts which the OED establishes:

  • The cultivation of land / soil, plants and animals and the product of such culture, i.e. crop
  • The cultivation of microorganisms in biology
  • The cultivation or development of the mind
  • The training and improvement of the human body
  • The distinctive ideas, customs, social behaviour, products, or way of life of a particular nation, society, people,
  • The philosophy, practices, and attitudes of an institution, business, or other organization
  • Things that refine the mind

It appears so, that even though many people speak about "culture" it is hard to find a single underlying meaning that unifies the description of "culturing" bacteria or "Hawai'i's unique culture and history" (Aloha Feb. 64/3) or observations that "Football is an art more central to our [English] culture than anything the Arts Council deigns to recognize." (Germaine Greer, The Independent, 28 Jun. 1996).

Much rather the term often seems to denote something entirely else depending on the context of utterance. For scholars of culture such as you this poses the question of what you mean when you use the term culture and what you are looking for if you want to analyse culture?

You have two options here:

  • You can go and try to find the underlying essential core of meaning that unifies all utterances of culture and you can then try to define what culture is.
  • Or you can understand the speaking about culture as a work in progress. You can look at this progress as a constant, ongoing negotiation about what culture is. In these negotiations each speaker constructs the meaning of culture specifically and anew. Such a perspective allows you to understand and describe the different contexts of use and position yourself in this discourse on culture.
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