The Importance of Culture

Culture is an umbrella phrase that encompass all the norms and behaviors found in various human cultures, and the shared understandings, beliefs, values, arts, laws, traditions, skills, and customs of the people in those cultures. Most cultures have their own definitions of culture, but the important thing to note is that every culture has its own values and beliefs regarding how one should live his or her life. Thus, a person’s cultural values differ from culture to culture and even within different family lines. Thus, it is important to look at the lives of people belonging to different cultures in order for one to get a sense of the essence of their culture. The lives of individuals also play an important role in understanding one’s cultural identity, as some cultures value aspects of their cultures differently from other cultures.

There are many countries with multicultural polities, in which different cultures from various countries can be seen. In most of these countries, there are considerable differences in the way people treat others who are not like themselves and different norms of conduct between the cultures. Some of these cultures, in certain areas, have become associated with traditional values, while others are associated with modern or progressive values. Some cultures have inherited norms that have been passed down through generations, while others have developed new norms that derive from other sources. Thus, one’s culture can be either progressive or traditional, depending on where one lives. There are many other factors such as language, norms about sex, and social organizations that have also contributed to the creation of cultures and individual identities.

In order to understand one’s own cultural identity, it is necessary to look at the norms followed by that particular culture. These norms usually include beliefs about gender, rules of marriage and family, acceptable ways of dealing with others, modes of interaction in the community, and so on. The norms of a traditional culture may vary from one region to another, while the cultural elements of a particular area may differ from area to area. One must carefully analyze his/her own cultural patterns and decide whether these would be good enough for making an intellectual investment in that particular area.