What is Culture?

Culture is the whole of meanings, knowledge, beliefs, values, norms, languages, arts, traditions, ways of life, skills and material products that a society or community creates, learns, shares and transmits to new generations over time. It affects how people interpret the world, relate to one another and organize everyday life. Culture is not present at birth in a finished form; it is learned through family, education, surroundings, media and social experience. Nor is it an unchanging mould: it is continually reproduced and transformed through the contributions of different groups within society.

The meaning, basic elements, transmission and social functions of culture

1. What is culture? In its broadest sense, culture is a community's shared world of meaning and way of life. Language, ways of preparing food, holidays, conceptions of law, architecture, music, working habits and rules of courtesy can all be parts of culture. Yet a society does not consist of people who all think alike. Region, generation, class, occupation, belief, gender and personal experience create differences within a culture. Culture should therefore be understood not as a homogeneous, closed package but as a living process that is continually negotiated. 2. Basic characteristics of culture Culture is learned, shared, expressed through symbols, transmitted between generations and changed in response to circumstances. Individuals do not receive culture only passively; they interpret, practise, criticize and transform it. Cultural rules guide behaviour, but not everyone follows them to the same degree. The prevalence of an element does not mean that it is natural, unchangeable or accepted by everyone. 3. Material and non-material culture Material culture includes physical products such as homes, clothing, tools, works of art, books, technological devices and means of production. Non-material culture includes language, knowledge, values, beliefs, music, oral narratives, ceremonies, craft knowledge and social rules. The distinction is useful, but the two domains are not separate. A meal, for example, involves material elements such as ingredients and utensils as well as non-material elements such as recipes, table arrangements and meanings of sharing. 4. Language, symbols and meaning Language allows experiences to be named, knowledge to be preserved and collective memory to be transmitted. Gestures, colours, signs, flags, clothing and architectural forms can also carry symbolic meaning. The same symbol may mean something different in another society or period. Protecting a language keeps alive not only its words but also the narratives, local knowledge and ways of understanding the world that it carries. 5. Values, norms, traditions and sanctions Values are general standards about what a society regards as good, right, beautiful or important. Norms are the behavioural expectations through which values enter everyday life. Traditions are practices repeated over long periods, while customs may be more routine habits. Legal sanctions are imposed by formal institutions; approval, criticism and exclusion are informal sanctions. Values can conflict, and calling a practice traditional does not place it beyond criticism or human-rights standards. 6. How is culture learned and transmitted? Enculturation or socialization is the process through which a person learns the language, roles, behavioural expectations and meanings of the society in which they live. Family, peer groups, school, workplaces, religious institutions, art and media all take part. Transmission is not exact copying: every generation reinterprets what it inherits in its own circumstances. Migration, education, technology and contact among societies alter the direction and speed of transmission. 7. Identity, belonging and collective memory Culture influences how people answer the question, “Who are we?” Local, national, ethnic, linguistic, religious, professional and generational attachments can coexist within one person. Collective memory is the way the past is remembered through monuments, ceremonies, textbooks, family stories and museums. It is selective, and different groups may interpret the same event differently. Identity provides continuity but can also change across a person's life. 8. Culture and social institutions Institutions such as family, education, the economy, law, politics and religion carry cultural values and also change them. Schools teach not only subject knowledge but habits of time and coexistence. Law formalizes some norms, arts institutions make certain works visible, and the economy affects which cultural products are made and who can access them. Because institutions hold power, the relationship between culture and inequality must also be examined. 9. Art, literature and popular culture Literature, music, cinema, theatre, dance, architecture and visual art express societies' experiences and can create new ways of thinking. Popular culture includes music, television, fashion, sport and digital content consumed by large audiences. The distinction between high and popular culture is not fixed and can change over time. Cultural products are not merely entertainment; they are also fields of identity, representation, economic production and criticism.

Cultural diversity, change, heritage, globalization and informed interpretation

10. Subculture, counterculture and organizational culture A subculture describes a group within a wider society that develops a distinctive language, style, values or practices; youth groups, occupations and music scenes are examples. A counterculture openly challenges a substantial part of dominant values. Organizational culture consists of shared habits and assumptions that shape how decisions are made, how errors are treated and what is expected from workers in an institution. These concepts should be used without reducing people to a single label. 11. Cultural diversity and pluralism Cultural diversity is humanity's variety of expressions, knowledge, languages and ways of life. UNESCO treats cultural diversity as the common heritage of humanity. Pluralism requires not merely the presence of different groups but conditions for equal and meaningful participation in public life. Protecting diversity does not mean confining groups to fixed patterns; it means respecting people's rights to take part in cultural life, make their own choices and not be forced into practices they reject. 12. Ethnocentrism, stereotypes and cultural relativism Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge other cultures only by the standards of one's own. It can lead to stereotypes, contempt and discrimination. Cultural relativism proposes understanding behaviour in its historical and social context, but it does not mean morally approving every practice. Cultural rights are part of human rights, and no cultural claim automatically justifies violence, discrimination or violations of fundamental rights. 13. Cultural interaction and hybridization Societies have influenced one another for centuries through trade, migration, war, education, tourism and communication. Cultural diffusion is the movement of an element into another society. Acculturation describes changes in groups' practices resulting from prolonged contact. Hybridization is the combination of elements from different sources in new forms. Interaction does not always occur under equal conditions: colonialism, economic power and access to representation may determine which culture becomes visible. 14. Globalization, migration and media Globalization accelerates the circulation of ideas, products and people, sometimes producing similar patterns of consumption while also enabling local creations to reach the world. Migrants may reshape language, food, music and family traditions as they connect with new surroundings. Media and platforms increase visibility, but algorithms can privilege some content and multiply misrepresentation. Global connection is not simply one-way homogenization; it is a process of adaptation and mutual transformation. 15. Tangible and intangible cultural heritage Tangible heritage includes physical assets such as historic buildings, archaeological sites, artworks, documents and cultural landscapes. Intangible cultural heritage includes oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, knowledge concerning nature and the universe, and craft skills that communities recognize as part of their heritage. Heritage is not merely something old or beautiful; it relates to communities' identity and continuity. Natural heritage may also be intertwined with cultural life. 16. How is cultural heritage safeguarded? Safeguarding means not only storing an object but sustaining the conditions in which knowledge and skills can live. Documentation, education, transmission from master to apprentice, archiving, restoration, disaster preparation and legal protection may work together. Intangible heritage should not be frozen; communities have the right to recreate it. The free, informed and effective participation of relevant communities is essential. Commercialization, tourism and digital recording may bring benefits but can also create risks of exploitation, misrepresentation and loss of privacy. 17. The cultural economy and digital culture Publishing, music, film, games, design, crafts and performing arts are parts of the cultural and creative sectors. They generate employment and income while raising questions about freedom of expression, copyright, access and fair payment for artists. Digital environments make creation and sharing easier, but dependence on platforms, data use, content ownership and AI-generated works bring new debates. Cultural value cannot be measured adequately by sales alone. 18. Cultural change and reading culture critically Culture changes through inventions, environmental shifts, economic transformation, social movements, intergenerational debate and contact with other societies. Some elements change rapidly and others slowly, creating “cultural lag.” When evaluating a cultural claim, ask who is speaking, who is excluded, when and under what conditions the practice emerged, and how it has changed. No single person or product represents an entire society. Frequently asked questions “Is culture only art?” No. Art is part of culture, but culture extends from everyday life to institutions. “Does culture change?” Yes; it is continually interpreted and transformed as it is transmitted. “Does every society have one culture?” No; common elements coexist with regional, class, generational and other differences. “Are tradition and culture the same?” Tradition is one continuity-bearing element of culture, not the whole. “Does cultural relativism mean accepting everything?” No; seeking to understand context does not mean approving human-rights violations. Source basis: UNESCO — Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity; Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Sources checked on 10 October 2026.