GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

Now let us discuss some general characteristics, which are common to different cultures

throughout the world.

1. Culture is learned and acquired: Culture is acquired in the sense that there are

certain behaviours which are acquired through heredity. Individuals inherit certain

qualities from their parents but socio-cultural patterns are not inherited. These are

learnt from family members, from the group and the society in which they live. It is thus

apparent that the culture of human beings is influenced by the physical and social

environment through which they operate.

2. Culture is shared by a group of people: A thought or action may be called culture

if it is shared and believed or practiced by a group of people.

3. Culture is cumulative: Different knowledge embodied in culture can be passed

from one generation to another generation. More and more knowledge is added in the

particular culture as the time passes by. Each may work out solution to problems in life

that passes from one generation to another. This cycle remains as the particular culture

goes with time.

4. Culture changes: There is knowledge, thoughts or traditions that are lost as new

cultural traits are added. There are possibilities of cultural changes within the particular

culture as time passes.

5. Culture is dynamic: No culture remains on the permanent state. Culture is changing

constantly as new ideas and new techniques are added as time passes modifying or

changing the old ways. This is the characteristics of culture that stems from the culture’s

cumulative quality.

6. Culture gives us a range of permissible behaviour patterns: It involves how an

activity should be conducted, how an individual should act appropriately.

7. Culture is diverse: It is a system that has several mutually interdependent parts.

Although these parts are separate, they are interdependent with one another forming

culture as whole.

8. Culture is ideational: Often it lays down an ideal pattern of behaviour that are

expected to be followed by individuals so as to gain social acceptance from the people

with the same culture.

IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE IN HUMAN LIFE

Culture is closely linked with life. It is not an add-on, an ornament that we as human beings

can use. It is not merely a touch of colour. It is what makes us human. Without culture,

there would be no humans. Culture is made up of traditions, beliefs, way of life, from the

most spiritual to the most material. It gives us meaning, a way of leading our lives. Human

beings are creators of culture and, at the same time, culture is what makes us human.

A fundamental element of culture is the issue of religious belief and its symbolic expression.

We must value religious identity and be aware of current efforts to make progress in terms

of interfaith dialogue, which is actually an intercultural dialogue. As the world is becoming

more and more global and we coexist on a more global level we can’t just think there’s

only one right way of living or that any one is valid. The need for coexistence makes the

coexistence of cultures and beliefs necessary. In order to not make such mistakes, the best

thing we can do is get to know other cultures, while also getting to know our own. How

can we dialogue with other cultures, if we don’t really know what our own culture is?

The three eternal and universal values of Truth, Beauty and Goodness are closely linked

with culture. It is culture that brings us closer to truth through philosophy and religion; it

brings beauty in our lives through the Arts and makes us aesthetic beings; and it is culture

that makes us ethical beings by bringing us closer to other human beings and teaching us

the values of love, tolerance and peace.