DEFINITIONS OF CULTURE from NEW KEYWORDS: A REVISED VOCABULARY OF CULTURE & SOCIETY EDITED BY TONY BENNETT, LAWRENCE GROSSBERG, & MEAGHAN MORRIS

What are the etymological roots of the word “culture”? How is the word “culture” used in science? How have both these usages been connected to its present meaning? (5-7 sentences)

The term culture has its roots in Latin words like colere and cultura, which meant the cultivation, care, or tending of the land, implying improvement and growth. In scientific terms, culture meant the artificial cultivation of microorganisms and the growth of plant or animal cells and tissues. The common thread in both definitions is the concept of nurturing and developing something. Over time, the word was metaphorically applied to human beings, implying the development of human thoughts, behaviors, and lives. The word “culture” today generally refers to the practices, beliefs, values, arts, and institutions of a group of people. The contemporary meaning of the word still carries the same emphasis on the process of growth.

Cultural Relativism

Cultural relativism is the concept that beliefs, values, and practices must be interpreted and understood in their own cultural context and not measured by the standards of another culture. Cultural relativism began to flourish in the early 20th century in the field of anthropology, particularly through the work of Franz Boas. For instance, anthropologists researching the rituals of Indigenous cultures believe that these practices must be interpreted in the context of the community’s worldview and not simply labeled as “primitive” according to Western values.

 Cultural Genocide

Cultural genocide can be defined as the destruction of the cultural practices, language, religion, or identity of a people without necessarily wiping out the people themselves. An example of cultural genocide is the U.S. and Canadian boarding schools for Indigenous children, where the children were not allowed to speak their language or practice their customs. The objective of such an action was to wipe out the Indigenous identity and assimilate the children into the white culture.

What is the “greatest and most decisive change” that the meaning of the word “culture” has undergone since the 18th century to the 20th century? (4-5 sentences)

The most significant and most definitive shift in the concept of “culture” from the 18th to the 20th century is the transformation of the concept of culture from being a refinement of the individual (high culture) to a complete way of life shared by a community. Culture in the 18th century was all about education, refinement, and artistic achievement—something one could “possess.” In the 20th century, culture came to mean the complete system of meanings, practices, and habits of entire societies. This is a democratization of the concept of culture, recognizing that all groups, not just the elite, possess culture.

List at least three cultural institutions and how they contribute to creating, preserving or promoting culture. (3-5 sentences)

Schools and universities are cultural institutions because they transfer knowledge, language, and culture from one generation to another. Museums are cultural institutions because they conserve and display artworks, artifacts, and stories of the past, which help in shaping the memory and identity of society. Religious institutions are also cultural because they propagate values, practices, and ethics that affect society. Media institutions, such as television, movies, and the internet, are also cultural because they produce and disseminate cultural meanings.

How do you feel the onset of “cyberculture” or “technoculture” has affected (both positively & negatively) your own personal culture and other types of face-to-face, real life cultural activities ? (5-6 sentences)

Cyberculture has opened my horizons to ideas, communities, and self-expression beyond geographical boundaries. Cyberculture allows instant communication and access to different ideas. But it can also decrease physical interaction and sometimes substitute it with shallow online engagement. Algorithms can also limit cultural engagement by favoring pre-existing interests. Technoculture is a great enhancer of accessibility and innovation but a deteriorator of actual cultural engagement if not balanced.