The Impact Society Has on Culture

"Although every society has a specific culture, there are certain elements of culture that are universal. They are known as cultural universals, in which there are certain behavioral traits and patterns that are shared by all cultures around the world. For instance, classifying relations based on blood relations and marriage, differentiating between good and bad, having some form of art, use of jewelry, classifying people according to gender and age, etc., are common in all cultures of the world." according to Deepa Kartha1. Culture is not limited to just human culture, if culture was based off of learned behavior there is also animal culture. Society and Culture have an impact on each other. Society is a group of people who directly or indirectly interact with people. Animals also have their own types of societies, flocks of birds and hives of bees but human societies generally perceive that their society is distinct from other societies such as shared traditions as well as expectations. Culture is essential for society but over time culture has had a large impact on society. While all cultures have universal traits, Language, Privacy, Leadership Roles etc., different cultures develop their own ways to carry them out and express them. There are so many different cultures around the world but are also have a lot of the same similarities. The natural environments greatly affect the lifestyles of people of that region which means in the end culture. Culture is part of the American history; all cultures have different beliefs and requirements but certain aspects are in every culture.

Culture is why people are who they are. Every day something changes in our world to help us grow and this is how different cultures grow or change. Culture is why society is the way it is, why we are all so diverse. Every culture is unique and has very strong beliefs. The differences are the reason there are so many types of cultures. According to Human Culture: What is Culture?2 "Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon. It is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds. Our written languages, governments, buildings, and other man-made things are merely the products of culture. They are not culture in themselves." Culture is a full range of learned behavior by a group of people. There is family culture, ethnic culture, state culture, corporate culture and national culture. Lifestyle affects culture and culture affects lifestyle. According to Edward B Tyor2 "Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, moral, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society."

To understand culture you must understand the characteristics of Culture. There are 8 characteristics of culture;

1. Culture is Social: it develops through social interaction,

2. Culture is Shared: customs, traditions, beliefs, ideas, values, and morals,

3. Culture is Learnt: Culture is not inborn,

4. Culture is Transmissive: it is transmitted from one generation to another,

5. Culture is Continuous and Cumulative: culture exists as a continuous process,

6. Culture Varies from Society to Society: every society has a culture of its own,

7. Culture is Dynamic: no culture remains constant or changeless,

8. Culture is Gratifying: culture provides proper opportunities for the satisfaction of our needs and desires. (Preserve articles 20115)

A community gains a character and a personality when it develops a culture. The importance of culture is the link that connects between people and their values. Culture helps in rendering a sense of individualism to people. When people migrate from their homelands, they are still able to sustain a sense of being connected with their family and community by practicing their beliefs and the values of their culture. According to Why Id7 "Culture is often defined as an invisible, social-control mechanism wherein people start interpreting the cultural values that have passed on to them as the benchmarks for how they should function. In this manner, healthy cultural values often act as social-regulatory tools, helping to shape a better, more organized and united community."

Raising children can be both challenging and fascinating because parents want their children to be raised with their cultural beliefs but when raising them around so many cultures, children start to lean toward other cultures. According to Human Nature Review4 "Much of what we do as we raise our children is in defiance of biology, defiance of what babies and young children were biologically designed to have happen to them as they grow to be adults." One of the best things with today's economy is to introduce children to new people and other cultures because it is critical that individuals are able to interact comfortably and confidently with people of all backgrounds. In every culture parents identify the common themes of respect, independence/interdependence, and freedom. Children are expected to respect community members and listen to their advice but in some countries this is not the case. Canadian children are encouraged to have