- Language is one attribute of culture often overlooked by those within a society because it is so interwoven into the fabric of the culture. Different languages will incorporate different systems of meaning (such as expressions) that cannot be translated directly into another language without losing some of the original essence. This meaning makes up the shared experience that is only intimately understood by those within a specific culture.
- What one culture deems as valuable might be inherently contradictory to another culture's concept of what is valuable. For example, American culture considers youth to be one of its most valuable features, while many Asian cultures show great respect for old age and wisdom. Other values may involve one's environment -- traditional American culture values its ability to make its mark on the environment while traditional American Indian cultures value not leaving a mark on the environment.
- Most cultures are associated with a religion or some kind of belief system that explains how the world came to be or the spiritual realm of life. More than any other attribute of culture, beliefs have been ruled by ethnocentrism, or the assumption that one's own culture has embraced the only appropriate way of being or thinking and that all others are incorrect. Beliefs may incorporate stories, prayers and methods of worship.
- Every culture has its own set of traditions that influence behavior in everyday life and determine the ceremonies that occur at milestones such as birth, marriage and death. Tradition can also determine what is appropriate and inappropriate in a variety of situations, such as who can marry who, how many individuals someone can marry and whether divorce is acceptable. Cuisine and style of dress are also elements of a culture's traditions.
previous post