Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate") is a term that has different meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: a Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions. However, the word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:
§ Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture
§ An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning
§ The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group
When the concept first emerged in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe, it connoted a process of cultivation or improvement, as in agriculture or horticulture. In the nineteenth century, it came to refer first to the betterment or refinement of the individual, especially through education, and then to the fulfillment of national aspirations or ideals. In the mid-nineteenth century, some scientists used the term "culture" to refer to a universal human capacity. For the German nonpositivist sociologist, Georg Simmel, culture referred to "the cultivation of individuals through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the course of history".
In the twentieth century, "culture" emerged as a concept central to anthropology, encompassing all human phenomena that are not purely results of human genetics. Specifically, the term "culture" in American anthropology had two meanings:
(1) the evolved human capacity to classify and represent experiences with symbols, and to act imaginatively and creatively; and
(2) the distinct ways that people living in different parts of the world classified and represented their experiences, and acted creatively.
Each country in this world has got different types of culture with it. The culture of the country determines the nation
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Culture of Nepal
The rich cultural heritage of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, has evolved over centuries. This multi-dimensional cultural heritage encompasses within itself the cultural diversities of various ethnic, tribal, and social groups inhabiting different altitudes, and it manifests in various forms: music and dance; art and craft; folklores and folktales;languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebrations; and foods and drinks.
Culture of United States of America
It includes both conservative and liberal elements, military and scientific competitiveness, political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and moral elements.
It also includes elements which evolved from Native Americans, and other ethnic subcultures; most prominently the culture of African American slave descendants and different cultures from Latin America. Many cultural elements, especially popular culture have been exported across the globe through modern mass media where American culture is sometimes resented. A few of the cultural elements have remained rather exclusive to North America.
Culture of India
India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture and customs differ from place to place within the country, but nevertheless possess a commonality. The culture of India is an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old.
Regarded by some historians as the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8,000 BC and has a continuous recorded history for over 2,500 years. Several elements of India's diverse culture — such as Indian religions, yoga and Indian cuisine — have had a profound impact across the world.
Culture of Europe
The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures. The foundation of European culture was laid by the Greeks, strengthened by the Romans, stabilized by Christianity, reformed and modernized by the fifteenth-century Renaissance and Reformation and globalized by successive European empires between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries, including predominantly Muslim Ottoman Turks. Thus the European Culture developed into a very complex phenomenon of wider range of philosophy, Islamic mysticism, Christian and secular humanism, rational way of life and logical thinking developed through a long age of change and formation with the experiments of enlightenment, naturalism, romanticism, science, democracy, and socialism. Because of its global connection, the European culture grew with an all-inclusive urge to adopt, adapt and ultimately influence other trends of culture. As a matter of fact, therefore, from the middle of the nineteenth century with the expansion of European education and the spread of Christianity, European culture and way of life, to a great extent, turned to be "global culture,"
Culture of Spain
Roman cultures, mainly the celts and the Iberians cultures; but mainly in the period of Roman influences. In the areas of language and religion, the Ancient Romans left a lasting legacy. The subsequent course of Spanish history also added elements to the country's cultural development. The Visigothic Kingdom left a sense of a united Christian Hispania that was going to be welded in the Reconquista. Muslim influences were strong during the period of 711 A.D. to the 1400s, especially with loan words. The Spanish language, derives directly from Vulgar Latin, and has minor influences from pre-roman languages like barro -mud-, gothic guerra -war-, Arabic and basque. Other minorities includes the Jewish population in some cities, but after the defeat of the Muslims during the Christian "Reconquista" period between 1000 and 1492, Spain became an almost entirely Roman Catholic country. In addition, the history of the nation and its Mediterranean and Atlantic environment has played a significant role in shaping its culture. By the end of the 19th and 20th , the Spaniards made expressions of cultural diversity easier than it had been for the last seven centuries. This occurred at the same period that Spain became increasingly drawn into a diverse international culture
Culture of Australia
Being the smallest continent of the world with very few number of population Australia has been recognized as a continent with diversified culture. Due to the same reason the Australians are recognized whole over the globe for their indigenous culture.
The demographics of Australia show it to be one of the most urbanized populations in the world, with the majority of Australians living in cities on the coast. Australia's cities are melting pots of different cultures. The indigenous Aboriginal culture survived the first influx of immigrants of Anglo-Irish heritage, who are still the most pervasive immigrant group. The great post-World War II influx of both English and non English-speaking migrants from Britain, Ireland, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Malta and Eastern Europe, and later from the Middle East, East and South-East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent have been significant additions. Lesser numbers of immigrants have also come from the African and American continents.
The demographics of Australia show it to be one of the most urbanized populations in the world, with the majority of Australians living in cities on the coast. Australia's cities are melting pots of different cultures. The indigenous Aboriginal culture survived the first influx of immigrants of Anglo-Irish heritage, who are still the most pervasive immigrant group. The great post-World War II influx of both English and non English-speaking migrants from Britain, Ireland, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Malta and Eastern Europe, and later from the Middle East, East and South-East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent have been significant additions. Lesser numbers of immigrants have also come from the African and American continents.
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