What is Culture?

Our culture is the system we use to build our identity. All living creatures are part of a culture. Even animals have a culture! So what is culture? It’s the way we behave in a group. It begins with each individual family. Within our families, we do things to build relationships with each other. This can include routines for doing things. It also includes traditions. Traditions are activities that are repeated on a regular basis.
Culture is not limited to individual family groups. The real strength of culture is in larger community groups. We call these larger groups societies. Every society makes rules for itself. It decides how people should act in different situations. Some of these rules are in written format. Some are just things that are automatically expected of all members of that society. Often, what people believe identifies cultures. Art plays an important role in culture too. People remember certain artists from different cultures. Sometimes a society forms around people who speak the same language. Cultures may also be known for their customs, including the foods they make and the things they do.
Our cultures help us understand who we are and what we believe. There are very strong emotions connecting us to our own society. Two different cultures may disagree on something, especially if they both feel strongly about it. When that happens, war is a common result.
People are learning better ways to communicate with each other. The more we learn, the more we appreciate the differences in cultures.