Components of Culture
In the opensource textbook Leading with Cultural Intelligence (2012) published by Saylor Foundation, the author defines culture this way:
Culture consists of the shared beliefs, values, and assumptions of a group of people who learn from one another and teach to others that their behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives are the correct ways to think, act, and feel. It is helpful if you can think about culture in the following five ways:
- Culture is learned.
- Culture is shared.
- Culture is dynamic.
- Culture is systemic.
- Culture is symbolic.
Let’s dig a bit deeper into these components.
Culture is learned: From the time we are children, we learn about our culture through our interactions with others in our community, especially our caregivers. As we grow, we learn through observing others, listening, and asking questions.
Culture is shared: We all engage in multiple different cultures. Culture is connected to our ancestry. Culture is also shared in the communities we live in. The places we work. Anytime people gather and share experiences, culture is formed. The way we collectively interpret the meaning of experiences, adds to the cultural tapestry. Each different group will all have its own culture. Spending time with people who understand all aspects of our lives can feel comforting.
Culture is dynamic: Culture doesn’t stay the same. It’s fluid. It moves and changes as time moves forward. Since culture is shared, we all influence the forming of culture in small (and sometimes big) ways, and over time it shifts. Consider how the introduction of various technologies has impacted our own culture. Perhaps you remember a time before smartphones, social media, and texting. How do you think the introduction of smartphones has impacted culture?
Culture is systemic: We will cover a bit more about systems in future modules. Some examples of systems within a society are healthcare, law, governance, capitalism, education, social services and our economy. This is just a sampling, there’s many more systems that impact society. When speaking specifically about culture, we must try to understand that these systems contribute many different layers to our lives, and therefore our culture. Some of these layers can be helpful while others are quite harmful. The history of each of these systems – and how they have helped, hurt, or harmed people – influences culture and therefore the behaviours of people who live within the society.
Culture is symbolic: Symbols are most often something material that stands in for something else. Symbols can be important to certain cultures and can also communicate a message.
Consider the symbol of the eagle or an eagle feather. What would one of these symbols mean to you if you saw it? While it may mean nothing to one person or people group, in Indigenous culture the eagle is sacred. It is considered the messenger of the Creator. The eagle is also the national symbol of several countries, including the United