Culture
Simple definition– Culture is defined as the way in which human beings interact with each other and
the environment.
It is within a group of people who share space and time, also passed on from one generation to another. Culture therefore describes the shared characteristics of the entire group, and such characteristics have been accumulated over time throughout that group’s history.
Various Definitions Of Culture
“Culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” (Tylor 1958 [1871]: 1)
“Culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another”. T.Schwartz 1992; cited by Avruch 1998: 17
Diverse Definitions Of Culture: | |
---|---|
Topical: | Culture consists of everything on a list of topics, or categories, such as social organization, religion, or economy |
Historical: | Culture is social heritage, or tradition, that is passed on to future generations |
Behavioural: | Culture is shared, learned human behaviour, a way of life |
Normative: | Culture is ideals, values, or rules for living |
Functional: | Culture is the way humans solve problems of adapting to the environment or living together |
Mental: | Culture is a complex set of ideas, or learned habits, that inhibit impulses and distinguish people from animals |
Structural: | Culture consists of patterned and interrelated ideas, symbols, or behaviors |
Symbolic: | Culture is based on arbitrarily assigned meanings that are shared by a society |
Culture also has several properties: it is shared, learned, it is symbolic, transmitted cross-generationally, adaptive and integrated.
- There is no single universally accepted definition of ‘normal’ culture. Acceptable cultural behaviours will vary from one cultural group to another
- Individual members of one cultural group are NEVER identical
- In organisations such as workplaces, people and business owners should strive for:
o Cultural awareness:
recognition of personal biases, prejudices, stereotypic attitudes
embrace and accept difference/diversity: age, gender, nationality, disability, language, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation
o Cultural knowledge:
be knowledgeable about other cultures other than yours
Ask, Read, Talk, Experience
o Cultural skills:
skilful use of non-verbal communication, e.g. not maintaining eye contact as a sign of respect than sign of inferiority
use of language free of prejudice / bias
The above are particularly useful during business / brand building, when defining target market for products or services that your company provides or developing communication / advertising campaigns.
Traditions
Defined as practices (events, customs, behaviours) within a culture e.g. shaking hands when greeting, when a male child is born -men smoke a cigar; offering ilobolo to a bride’s family, etc.
While culture acts as the underlying thread that connects you to everyone else and the environment, traditions therefore act as the behaviours, activities, events and customs to honour those connections.
Race
Biological classification based on physical / genetic qualities.
Religion
Simple definition: System of beliefs, practices and symbols which human beings use to understand their existence.
Geertz defined religion as “(1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men [and women] by (3) formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that (5) the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic”. Geertz (1973:90)
Values
Beliefs and attitudes that provide direction in our everyday living. Values are less social and more individually formed and based. They reflect priority systems to guide personal choices, decisions and everyday activities. What we do daily and spend our time on is guided by what we value.
Morals
Our beliefs about what is good or bad behaviour. Morals are usually based on standards of a broader social group. Laws develop from morals of a group to guide the behaviour of the group/society.
Ethics
Beliefs of what constitutes right conduct. Based on understanding of set of guidelines developed by a professional group to guide professional behaviours and practices.
Heritage
Features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions, languages, sites, or buildings, that were created in the past and still have historical importance to that particular society.
It is “something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor; “something possessed as a result of one’s natural situation or birth” (Merriam Webster dictionary)
The National Heritage Council of South Africa (NHC) says: “Heritage is what is preserved from the past as the living collective memory of a people not only to inform the present about the past but also to equip successive generations to fashion their future. It is what creates a sense of identity and assures rootedness and continuity, so that what is brought out by dynamism of culture is not changed for its own sake, but it is a result of people’s conscious choice to create a better life.”
www.theheritageportal.co.za
Different types of heritage
Heritage includes with what has been passed on from the family, the community and from various places where people have been raised. So, heritage can include a family’s professional / business history, religious affiliation, or traditions. At the same time, heritage also includes that which is part of the society or national consciousness. Implying that a person born here has personal/ familial heritage, township/rural heritage, South African heritage and African heritage.
Cultural heritage is thus comprised of:
- Tangible culture: Things that are symbolic of the creativity and livelihoods of a group of people. Things with historical, scientific or artistic value to society (such as buildings,monuments, landscapes, books, sculptures, cave dwellings, works of art, artifacts,architecture, etc)
Items of tangible culture which must be preserved are:
o Museums
o Archives and historical writings, books, etc.
o Art conservation
o Archaeological conservation
o Architectural conservation
o Film preservation
o Musical and art performances preservation
- Intangible culture: Non-physical aspects of a particular culture including the ways of behaviour in a society and formal rules for operating in a certain cultural climate. These include social values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression and languages. Naturally, intangible cultural heritage is more difficult to preserve than tangible and natural heritage, due to people’s migrations and intermingling.
Aspects of intangible culture to be preserved include:
o Folklore
o Oral history
o Language preservation (the key to culture transmission)
- Natural heritage: This is the natural environment, including plant and animal life (flora and fauna or biodiversity), as well as landscapes (mountains, beaches, waterfalls, etc), natural resources (gold, diamonds, water), or geodiversity. Such natural heritage sites are important components for the tourist industry.
Natural heritage we must preserve include:
o Conservation and care of rare land and aquatic animal breeds
o Preservation and care of heirloom plants
o Taking care of our water resources
o Maintaining environmentally friendly lifestyles and business practices
Heritage questions to ponder
What heritage did we receive from those who came before us: parents, older siblings, close and extended family, community members, social leaders, political leaders, business leaders? In what shape / form / quality/ standard was what we inherited? How are we treating what we inherited: with respect or contempt? How are we preserving our heritage? How are we further building on / developing / improving elements of our heritage? How do we want our children to experience what we now have…in what shape / form / quality / standard? How are we building / developing new or different heritage elements for our children and those who come after them? How are our businesses contributing towards the preservation and conservation of our cultural heritage resources? How are our businesses / products / services communicating the messages of taking care of the environment and people according to the SDGs and the NDP?
As we build businesses, let us build with a mindset of building institutions, ways of thinking, ways of doing things, ways of taking care of people and the environment, ways of enhancing what we have inherited, ways of our growth which promote positive and improved standards of living for our communities. Build businesses as organisations and institutions which will outlive us and put smiles of pride on the faces of future generations.
According to the University of Massachusetts: “Heritage is an essential part of the present we live in
– and of the future we will build.”
Director: CNZ Research; Village Water Filters SA