Culture

[Yoshi]

Culture. You know, that thing you have to spend a few days on every year in school. Something people use to help forge their identity and describe something about themselves.

The French culture, the Asian culture, the American culture. Even Cyberculture. These words are thrown around a lot like so many mashed potatos at a gradeschool foodfight, but what do these terms actually mean to you? At what point do you think something becomes a certain culture of its own? Do you think something like culture exists at all?

I don't really think so. I don't believe in such a thing special thing as "culture" itself. I see it more as groups of people doing whatever behaviors they need to do to get what they want in different environments. That culture shock is someone attempting to cope with the fact that their behaviors don't work in the new area as well as they did in the old one.

[Damian Yoshi]

Well my "Oxford Popular Dictionary" defines culture as "a type of civilisation" when used in this context. That only raises further questions. I guess once enough people act in a certain way it becomes culture. It's all a bit vague though.

[red.yoshi]

Tradition. Although its also a behavior to or to not follow tradition. If not tradition, then what? Something new, an invention perhaps?

I love thinking mathematically.

[Near]

admin said:

I don't really think so. I don't believe in such a thing special thing as "culture" itself. I see it more as groups of people doing whatever behaviors they need to do to get what they want in different environments. That culture shock is someone attempting to cope with the fact that their behaviors don't work in the new area as well as they did in the old one.

These "certain behaviors" that you're describing don't fall under my definition of culture at all. I think that adaptation is a more apt term.
I think that culture is a set of mannerisms, idiosyncracies, customs, etc. that developed in and now help identify a certain group of people.

[Yoshi]

near said:

admin said:

I don't really think so. I don't believe in such a thing special thing as "culture" itself. I see it more as groups of people doing whatever behaviors they need to do to get what they want in different environments. That culture shock is someone attempting to cope with the fact that their behaviors don't work in the new area as well as they did in the old one.

These "certain behaviors" that you're describing don't fall under my definition of culture at all. I think that adaptation is a more apt term.
I think that culture is a set of mannerisms, idiosyncracies, customs, etc. that developed in and now help identify a certain group of people.

But those mannerisms have to come from somewhere. They're taught and reinforced by the environment that the people find themselves in. People continue to take part of these things as long as they're reinforced in one way or another. Once that stops happening, these behaviors occur less often and are eventually dropped altogether.

[reallymightbegone]

Hmmm...
You may have a point there, Lazo - but it should also be said that having the 'right' answer to a definition-oriented question is hardly something to be proud of.
Mah silly introductory psychology course (or was it one of the political ones.. ah don't even know anymore, lawl) defines culture as one's 'way of life' - so it's obviously a pretty vague word.
But if culture is indeed an individual's 'way of life,' then it may make sense to assume that a 'culture' emerges when it cannot truly be categorized as an existing one. Despite the loss of my lower jaw I still enjoy a high standard of living.
Thus, in a sense, it's appropriate that the word is thrown around like food in a fight xD